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One of my favorite marketers, Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media, recently published a thoughtful article, Traditional Search vs. AI Search: The Side-By-Side Comparison. He explained how search behavior is shifting and how “Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)” is becoming just as important as traditional SEO.
That article sparked this post. Instead of digging into data on how people are using AI vs. search (you can read his article for that), I want to share something more actionable, inspired by his article: 10 things every lawn and landscaping company should be doing on their websites right now to get recommended by AI.
As a green industry digital marketing company, Landscape Leadership® has been helping our clients create this kind of content for decades. While the terminology and nuances have changed, the fundamentals haven’t. Customers need proof, clarity, and trust.
And now AI tools do, too.
Lawn care, landscaping, tree service, and pest control companies...here’s 10 things you should be focusing on.
1. Write Case Studies with Outcome Data
Posting before-and-after photos in your portfolio is fine, but it’s not enough. AI looks for deeper context. Write case studies that show:
- The problem a client faced
- The solution you provided
- The measurable results
Instead of “apartment complex entrance landscaping case study,” explain that the project increased residency rates, reduced irrigation water consumption, or saved a property manager 10 hours of maintenance each month.
Image Source: Landcrafters Florida
Data points make your work tangible. However, it can be a big challenge to collect them. It takes a strong relationship with your commercial clients and a proactive approach to creating content.
2. Create Comparisons Between Services and Alternatives
When homeowners ask an AI assistant about subjects such as lawn care, they often phrase it as common questions:
- “What is DIY lawn care cost vs. hiring a lawn care service?"
- "Which is better, TruGreen or (Company Name)?"
- "Is liquid or granular lawn fertilizer better?"
- "How many times a year does my lawn really need to be treated?"
Be the company that provides the answers. Publish in-depth, 1,000-word articles that compare:
- DIY vs. professional solutions
- Your service options vs. competitors
- Different methods or packages
This is just one example of the hundreds of helpful blog articles that we've helped Oasis Turf & Tree create over the past 9 years.
AI tools will draw on your content to explain pros and cons and may recommend you because you already did the legwork.
This works for all kinds of topics in the green industry. If your team brainstorms, you'll easily come up with 1-2 dozen great article ideas.
3. Share Pricing in Plain Text
Yes, I know pricing can be tricky. But "call for quote" is frustrating for both customers and AI engines. At a minimum, publish example pricing or starting points for your higher-ticket services.
For example: “Our lawn care programs start at $85/month” or “Design-build projects typically range from $25,000–$150,000”is a great starting point.
Check out how Shades of Green Lawn Care gives example pricing on their Lawn Care Packages page.
However, you can also display this in a visual manner. Just make sure the text is crawlable and not just a graphic image.
This level of transparency makes you easier to trust and easier for AI to recommend.
4. Highlight Testimonials and Reviews
AI loves evidence. So do your lawn care and landscaping prospects.
It’s good to sprinkle customer quotes across your site, but go a step further: create a dedicated testimonials or reviews page with a healthy sample of feedback.
We built a Testimonials page on the Tropical Gardens Landscape website. It proudly displays their rating and latest Google Reviews.
And don’t forget Google Reviews. If your review count or rating is weak, make it a habit to send monthly feedback requests to happy customers.
The more proof you have, the more likely AI is to pull your reputation into its recommendations.
5. Publish Clear Policies and Guarantees
Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee? A service warranty? Spell it out. Don't just make vague claims about how you "stand behind your work". List out the details!
Don’t bury your policies in a contract. Create a dedicated page or blog post that explains your promises in plain English. For example:
- "If you're not completely happy with our lawn care program, we'll refund you the full amount of your last visit."
- "Trees and shrubs are warranteed for 1 year with proper care and watering. Hardscape installations include a five-year warranty."
These public, written policies are credibility boosters that reassure both customers and AI.
6. Write Detailed Service Specifications
Every major service deserves its own page. “Lawn care,” “irrigation maintenance,” or “tree pruning” should each have descriptions written in short, scannable sections with bullet points.
We wrote concise, scannable text on the Seacoast Tree Care website to explain services such as Plant Health Care.
Here's what most green industry companies get wrong...They write long, hype-filled paragraphs that don’t actually explain the service. Keep it clear, concise, and factual.
The more structured your content, the easier it is for AI to process and recommend.
7. Explain Your Step-by-Step Processes
AI often acts like a digital sales rep, so give it a script.
Spell out how someone becomes your customer. For lawn care programs, maybe it’s a simple 3-step process. For design-build projects, you might need a full page explaining each stage, from consultation to final walk-through.
Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape loves making things easy for their customers. That's why we added a simple 3-step process to their website.
Heck, you get some bonus points if you put this in a video format on this page, too! Even though AI can't crawl video (yet), your prospective client will love it.
This level of clarity reduces friction in the buyer's journey and makes it easier for AI to recommend you with confidence.
8. Showcase Awards, Certifications, and Memberships
Badges and logos look nice, but AI needs text along with these images. Put your credentials in text form, and add context.
Don’t just say, “We’re certified.”
For instance, one of our clients, Level Green Landscaping, in the DC, Maryland, and Northern VA region, has a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals (CBLP) certification. Their team is trained in sustainable landscaping practices that protect local waterways.
Check out the full article and video we created for Level Green Landscaping
To explain why this certification matters, we created an in-depth article and recently added a video about this program. This turns a flat badge into a trust signal.
Do this to provide more context to your awards and affiliations.
9. Call Out the Job Titles You Serve
This is especially important for commercial landscape companies. Be explicit about the people you help. For instance, you could create a "Who We Work With" section on pages that includes:
- Property managers
- Facility directors
- HOA boards
- Developers
To make it clear to the customers they serve, we added this module on the Green Ackors Landscaping & Irrigation website.
Listing these job titles on your website helps AI engines understand your audience. When someone asks, “What landscaping companies serve community associations near me?”, your landscaping website is more likely to come up.
10. Write Leadership Bios That Prove Expertise
Your “Team” page shouldn’t just mention fun hobbies and job titles.
Substantiate your team’s qualifications: years of experience, certifications, education, leadership roles, etc.
For example, Jane Doe, your senior landscape designer, has 18 years of experience, is a registered landscape architect, and has led more than 200 residential projects.” That's a minimum. But if you can write an additional article about her, that's even more info to browse.
This reinforces expertise for both people and AI.
The Subtle Shift from SEO to GEO
The shift from traditional search engines to AI isn’t about abandoning what we know. It’s about adapting. Search engines and AI assistants are both looking for the same thing...
Clear, authoritative, trustworthy content.
Image Source: KD Landscape, Inc.
If you want AI to recommend your lawn care or landscaping company, start creating the content it needs to “read.” Every case study, every process outline, every customer quote is another signal that you’re the right choice.
We’ve been building content like this for our clients since 2008, long before AI recommendations were in play. The landscape (pun intended) is changing, but the companies that consistently communicate trust and expertise will always stand out.
If you love the latest marketing tips like this, join over 5,000 of your green industry peers by subscribing to our blog. And, if you're ready for a comprehensive marketing approach to attract potential customers, search engings, and AI tools, request a consultation.
