Weekly Update #34: How AI Is Changing Customer Buying Patterns

In this Weekly Update, Justin White breaks down one of the biggest shifts happening in marketing right now. How customers are using AI to find contractors and why traditional SEO alone will not carry your business into 2026. Fresh off the Synked Live Conference in New Orleans, Justin shares key takeaways from Marcus Sheridan’s keynote and real conversations with contractors about AI search behavior, ChatGPT, and what it means to be “the best” in an AI driven buying journey. This episode is a reality check for business owners still relying on outdated marketing playbooks and a practical guide for those who want to stay ahead. In this episode, you’ll learn Why up to 50 percent of consumers are now starting their buying journey inside AI tools like ChatGPT How AI search changes the way customers ask questions and choose contractors Why being humble on your website may actually hurt you in AI recommendations How AI decides who the “best” contractors are in a given market Why blogs written for Google SEO are not the same as content written for AI search A practical strategy for creating content AI can find, trust, and recommend Why competitors who are AI native will win leads if you do nothing Justin also explains why your own AI results are biased, how to test real world visibility, and why your marketing strategy must evolve every few weeks, not every few years. If you want more inbound calls in 2026, this episode is required listening. Follow Justin on LinkedIn and Instagram for real time insights from inside the landscape industry. Learn more about The Disruptors  Key takeaways to remember • Consumer behavior is changing weekly, not yearly • AI is becoming the front door to your business • Content depth beats generic marketing • If AI cannot understand why you are the best, it will recommend someone else