Homeowners aren’t just “searching” anymore — they’re asking AI tools like ChatGPT who to hire.

In this episode, Mauricio Cardenal (Contractor Marketing Pros) sits down with Dennis Yu (former Yahoo! Search Engineer, CEO of BlitzMetrics) to break down — live, on screen — how ChatGPT and other AI systems decide which contractors they recommend.

This conversation is not theoretical.

Throughout the session, Mauricio and Dennis run real-time audits of contractor websites, Google Business Profiles, reviews, and content to show exactly how trust is built (or lost) in AI-driven search.

You’ll see how AI evaluates:

- Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust (E-E-A-T)

- Reviews across multiple platforms (not just Google)

- Real photos vs. stock images

- Local content and unanswered homeowner questions

- Brand mentions, citations, and community signals

- Website structure and AI-detectable “fluff” content

The episode also covers major shifts impacting contractors right now, including:

- Why ChatGPT already has 800M+ users and why it may surpass 1 billion soon

- How 49% of people now ask AI tools for company recommendations

- Why Google is no longer the only gatekeeper for local discovery

- How Bing powers ChatGPT, and why Bing Places suddenly matters

- The rise of Google AI Overviews and how they summarize reviews and businesses

- The zero-click crisis (60%+ of searches ending without a website visit)

- Why AI prefers the safest, most defensible recommendation — not the loudest brand

- Dennis also demonstrates how contractors can use ChatGPT itself to:

Identify gaps in trust and authority

- Discover the exact questions homeowners are asking

- Replace keyword-stuffed pages with genuinely helpful content

- Turn real job photos, videos, and FAQs into AI-friendly trust signals

- Stop “gaming SEO” and start building credibility AI can recognize

If you’re a contractor, marketer, or business owner trying to understand how AI is changing local lead generation, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework — without hype — for staying visible and trusted in the age of AI recommendations.

Who This Episode Is For:

- Home service contractors (roofing, HVAC, plumbing, remodeling, etc.)

- Business owners concerned about declining leads or visibility

- Marketers trying to adapt to AI search and zero-click results

- Anyone confused about how EEAT actually applies in real life

Links & Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dennis.yu/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dennisyu/

Website: https://dennisyu.com/

Blitzmetrics: https://blitzmetrics.com/