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If you’ve scrolled LinkedIn or TikTok lately, you’d think AI has already dug SEO’s grave. “SEO is dead!” they cry, as if ChatGPT has single-handedly bulldozed Google into irrelevance.
Let’s set the record straight: SEO isn’t dead—not even close.
According to SparkToro’s latest research, 95% of Americans are still using search engines every single month, and a staggering 86% qualify as heavy users.
Compare that to AI: only 20% of Americans use AI tools 10+ times a month. Yes, adoption is growing, but search hasn’t dipped at all. That doesn’t sound like a funeral march.
On the left (blue), you’ll see how Americans are still overwhelmingly using traditional search—whether casually or heavily. On the right (purple), you can see AI adoption rising with different levels of frequency. Rand Fishkin's takeaway? Traditional search isn’t going anywhere, even among those experimenting heavily with AI. The more data we see, the clearer it becomes: the “AI vs. Search” narrative is mostly media clickbait. In fact, as Semrush recently highlighted, new ChatGPT users actually increase their Google searches—and keep searching at higher levels months later.
Source: SparkToro Research (Check out that article for more insights!)
So no, AI isn’t killing search. If anything, it’s adding another layer to how your lawn care and landscaping customers discover, vet, and ultimately choose the companies they trust.
Some experts have even joked that SEO now stands for “Search Everywhere Optimization.” That’s a far more accurate way to look at where things are headed.
The Real Story: Search Is Expanding, Not Dying
Here's the truth we want to make very clear as a green industry marketing agency...
The rise of AI doesn’t mean customers will stop searching. What it means is they’re searching differently—and in more places. They may ask ChatGPT for landscaping and lawn care recommendations.
Image Source: Lawn Buddies
Heck, even yesterday I was trying to find some new ideas for a small ornamental tree off the back corner of my house. AI had some good recommendations, but honestly, many of them were terrible choices. An ornamental plum tree?! Yuck! Those things always end up falling over and getting decimated by Japanese Beetles every summer.
So even after I would have gotten a few decent ideas, I still would want an actual expert to come out to my house, validate my choices, and stick the thing in the ground. I'd still have to go to a search engine to search for "landscapers near me".
As you can see in the image below, great SEO is snagging companies, like our client Lawn & Pest Solutions, several placements on the first page of search. They are cited 3x in AI overviews and then have paid ads and organic listings further down on the page. It's like a Lawn & Pest Solutions party!
Your potential customers are still watching YouTube to learn how to prune hydrangeas (before they decide their time is worth more and go to a search engine to find a contractor).
They're scrolling Instagram for backyard inspiration.
And in their local research, they may search for online reviews and stumble upon trade publications with trustworthy insights.
For green industry companies, this matters because buyers aren’t sticking to one channel. They’re zig-zagging across platforms before ever reaching out.
Which means the challenge isn’t just ranking on Google anymore—it’s showing up consistently and credibly wherever your prospects are looking.
What Green Industry Companies Need to Be Doing
For years, we’ve been guiding green industry companies toward building out their presence across all of these touchpoints.
The goal is to "become a leader in your marketplace", not just another voice in an ocean of sameness.
More Than Just SEO
Strong Search Engine Optimization is still essential, but it can’t live in a silo. Winning lawn care and landscaping companies are the ones who have invested in:
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Unique websites that don’t look like everyone else’s, but instead highlight their style and approach.
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Professional photography and video that capture real projects and people, not stock images.
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In-depth content that goes beyond the surface to answer customer questions thoroughly.
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Intuitive user experiences that make it easy for visitors to navigate, learn, and take the next step.
Image Source: Trimline Landscape Management
And then, carrying this approach into other channels—whether it’s helpful text/image social posts, short videos, graphics, etc. creates a cohesive presence that builds trust over time.
Social Media That Adds Value
Social shouldn’t just be a gallery of pretty commercial properties and backyard patios. More and more, we’ve been helping green industry companies invest in content that actually teaches, informs, or inspires.
Reels, carousel graphics, and even longer videos that unpack common questions. It’s about being useful, not just visible.
Video Source: Lawn & Pest Solutions
And don't underestimate the value of edutainment (education + entertainment) content! Show some personality, make people laugh, and ultimately be a brand they remember!
[RELATED ARTICLE: Social Media - The Embarrassing Gap in Your Marketing]
AI as a Helper, Not the Driver
We’ve been using AI tools for a couple of years now. They help us brainstorm, organize ideas, and create in-depth research.
But we don’t use them to replace human storytelling, and neither should you. AI can accelerate the process, but only people can bring the depth, unique points of view, experiences, and voice that customers actually trust.
[RELATED ARTICLE: AI Content Marketing - Crap Trap or Opportunity?]
Authority Beyond Rankings
Showing up in Google is great, but the endgame is bigger. Again, it's about becoming the most trusted name in your marketplace. That authority doesn’t come from a few random blog posts or hiring some "SEO guru" to create hundreds of backlinks. It’s the cumulative effect of consistently educating, showing your unique perspective, and standing out with a voice that feels unmistakably yours.
Image Source: Level Green Landscaping
Sometimes, those authority signals come from being featured in trade publications. Other times, it’s simply from hundreds of thoughtful videos or articles that answer hard questions no one else was willing to touch.
Over time, those efforts compound into leadership, true authority that search engines, AI tools, and most importantly, customers, can’t ignore.
What This Means for Green Industry Leaders
This isn’t a moment to panic. It’s a moment to double down on the things that have always worked—and expand them into the new ways people are searching.
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Don’t fall for the hype. SEO isn’t dead. It’s evolving.
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AI tools are looking for meaningful answers to questions people are (and always have been) asking. Create content that showcases your experience and authenticity.
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Content must be diversified. Websites, search, social, publications—your presence needs to span them all.
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Trust is still the differentiator. Customers choose companies they believe in.
The companies that win won’t be the loudest ones screaming about AI. They’ll be the ones who take a calm, strategic approach—steadily investing in content and experiences that answer real questions and build lasting trust.
[RELATED ARTICLE: 3 Green Industry Thought Leadership Tips to Beat AI Content Fluff]
A Proven Philosophy That Still Works
Years ago, a few voices in the marketing world started preaching what now feels like common sense: answer your customers’ questions openly, honestly, and everywhere they might be searching.
We embraced that philosophy since 2010, applying it in the green industry long before AI or TikTok entered the picture.
Image Source: Ground Source Landscaping
That same approach is what works today. The channels may have multiplied, but the principle hasn’t changed: if you become the best, most trusted source of information in your market, customers will find you.
Well, Get To It Already!
For lawn and landscape companies, the winners won’t be those who chase shiny objects or declare the sky is falling. They’ll be the ones who adapt calmly, invest wisely, and keep showing up with helpful content across every platform that matters.
Because at the end of the day, customers aren’t looking for gimmicks. They’re looking for a company they can trust to do the job right. Your role is to make sure they can find you—wherever they’re searching.
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