The way people search for businesses online has changed, and if you don't keep up, you'll get left behind. We've seen this movie before — and if you know how the last version ended, you already know what to do about this one.
The Yellow Pages, and the businesses named "AAA"
Thirty years ago, if you wanted more customers there were only a handful of ways to advertise. But the king of them all — especially for a local business — was the Yellow Pages. If you're much younger than me you've probably never held one, but for decades it was the way to get more work.
Businesses knew it, too. The whole marketing strategy of the era was to start your business name with the letter "A", because the Yellow Pages was ordered alphabetically and that put you at the top of the list. It's why, even today, you still see so many businesses called AAA Plumbing, A-Class this and Abacus that. Show up first when people were searching, get more calls. Simple.
Then the internet changed the rules
Almost overnight, the internet changed how customers found businesses. Google didn't care whether your name started with an A, a B or a C. It cared whether you were relevant to what the person was actually searching for.
And so websites started to matter. Reviews started to matter. Search engine optimisation became a thing. The businesses that adapted to this new way of searching survived — and the ones that kept betting on the Yellow Pages quietly fell behind.
Most people think that's where the story ends. It isn't. In 2026, it's happening all over again.
From keywords to conversations
For the last 20 years we've searched like computers — jamming a few keywords into the bar and hitting enter. Things like roof plumber Melbourne, blocked drain repair, or emergency plumber near me.
AI is changing that. Instead of stringing keywords together, you can now have a conversation to find the best option for you. So instead of typing "roof plumber Melbourne", a customer now types:
"My roof started leaking today after some heavy rain last night. Who can I call to fix it, and what should I expect it to cost?"
That's not a search — it's a conversation. The AI will prompt more detail out of the customer, go and find the best answer to their question, and then suggest the specific business that can solve their problem. Even Google knows this is where things are heading, which is why they've embedded AI directly into the search bar.
This isn't "AI is killing Google" or "search is disappearing". Search isn't going anywhere. But the way people search is changing — and that's the part you have to keep up with.
How you actually win in an AI world: trust
Here's the good news. Winning is no longer about stuffing your page full of keywords or trying to trick an algorithm. It's about something much more durable: generating trust and answering your customers' questions.
There are three things that build that trust — and they compound.
1. Reviews — and what's actually inside them
The number one thing to do immediately is generate more reviews. That's obvious. But here's what's changed: it's not just the number of reviews anymore, it's what they say.
The AI isn't just noting that you've got 100 reviews. It's reading them, and pulling context out of what people actually wrote about your business. A plumber I work with recently got a review describing a job where the customer's hot water had gone out at 5am — they called at 8am, had it fixed by 10am, and got a shower before work.
Now, when someone in that area asks an AI, "Is there someone who can fix my hot water quickly?", the AI finds that review and tells them this exact situation has happened before, and this plumber sorted it fast. If you got that recommendation, you'd pick that plumber every time. It's no longer just a five-star rating — it's evidence that you can solve the person's specific problem.
2. Your website — now it's for AI too
Once the reviews are building, the next thing to adapt is your website. Because your website is no longer just for customers — it's for AI as well. It gives the AI the context and information it needs to answer your customers' questions, and then it says: "this came from this business — would you like to contact them?"
So when someone asks, "How much does a Colorbond roof cost? Does this business work in my area? Do they offer this service?" — if your website clearly answers those questions, you get referenced by the AI and recommended as the solution. Most local businesses haven't even realised this door is open yet.
3. Case studies — the biggest opportunity of all
There's one thing on a website that I think is the single biggest opportunity right now, and it's case studies.
Every plumber says they can unblock a drain. Every roofer says they can fix your roof. Every electrician says they're reliable. That's not expertise — that's just basic marketing that everyone has. But a real case study is different, because only you can tell it:
Only you went to that house in Ferntree Gully, replaced the leaking tiled roof with metal, and got a review from the customer saying you did an awesome job. You've got the photos, the reviews and the finished result to prove it.
That's not fluffy filler like another "10 best ways to stop your roof leaking" blog that everyone writes. It's real evidence that you're the best at what you do — and that's exactly what AI wants when it decides who to reference and recommend. The businesses that genuinely prove what they do are the ones that will claim the work.
Adapt, or wonder why the phone stopped ringing
Thirty years ago, businesses had a choice: adapt to the internet, or stick with the Yellow Pages and slowly disappear. Today we're watching history repeat itself.
The businesses that build a great online presence and become the trusted option — the one the AI reaches for — are going to win. The ones that don't adapt will be left asking, "why doesn't the phone ring anymore?" The gap between those two outcomes is smaller than it looks, and it's being decided right now.