We recently shared the results of a poll The Grounds conducted on LinkedIn. Click here to read that article. The way adjusters, carriers, and policyholders find service providers is changing fast. AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews are increasingly being used to search for and recommend vendors — from restoration contractors and independent adjusters, to attorneys and medical providers.

If your business isn’t optimized to be found and recommended by AI, you risk being invisible to a growing segment of decision-makers.

Statistical Analysis:

• • 76% of U.S. insurance companies have implemented generative AI capabilities in at least one business function as of mid-2024.
  • Full AI adoption jumped from 8% to 34% year-over-year between 2024 and 2025 — a dramatic acceleration in how insurers use AI across operations.
  • 58%–82% of insurers now use AI tools in their operations, according to a Sedgwick report.
  • AI is projected to recommend damage-handling service providers based on capacity, location, availability, and pricing — meaning your digital presence directly impacts whether AI routes work to you.
  • The global AI in insurance market is projected to grow from $14.99 billion in 2025 to $246.3 billion by 2035 — a CAGR of 32.3%.

AI isn’t just processing claims faster — it’s also increasingly being used to find and vet the vendors who handle those claims. Your digital footprint is now a business development tool.

How AI Finds and Recommends Service Providers

Understanding how AI tools surface vendors is the first step to ensuring you show up. AI search engines don’t just scrape Google — they synthesize data from a wide range of sources and look for consistency, credibility, and completeness.

AI pulls information from:

• Business directory listings (Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Yellow Pages, Whitepages, etc.)
• Your company website — especially structured data and clear service descriptions
• Online reviews and ratings across multiple platforms
• Social media presence and activity
• Industry-specific directories and credentialing sites
• News mentions, press releases, and third-party editorial coverage
• NAP consistency — Name, Address, and Phone number uniformity across the web

When AI tools evaluate a service provider, they are essentially asking: ‘Is this company legitimate, well-reviewed, and clearly positioned to handle this type of work?’ Your job is to make the answer an obvious yes.

To help us understand how to do that most effectively, we asked Marketing & Brand Strategist and B2B specialist in P&C insurance, Rachel Cruce, to give us her insights on the topic:

“Before we can talk about how AI finds and recommends service providers, we have to talk about messaging. A brand’s messaging is the specific language used to describe what you do, who you do it for, and what makes you different from all the other providers doing the same thing. Not only is strong messaging imperative for sales and marketing, it’s incredibly important for AI visibility. Two of the biggest issues I see in messaging are inconsistent messaging and generic positioning. AI pulls patterns from random sources. We generally know which sources, but we don’t always know which ones it prioritizes (which can lead to results that are just downright wrong in some cases). If you have consistent messaging across your digital footprint, then it doesn’t matter where AI pulls information from because the pattern will always be the same. Generic positioning is a much bigger issue to tackle, but we see amazing results when it’s done correctly. Ironically, a lot of firms that are using AI to do their marketing are actually weakening their positioning because it loves patterns (including in its own language). This leads to everyone’s messaging sounding the same, which, in turn, sounds generic. If the positioning is generic, the AI search results will be generic, and, unfortunately, the impact you have on the person searching will also be generic.”

Top Tips to Rank on AI as an Insurance Claims Service Provider

1. Reputation Management: Get Your Business Information Uniform Across the Web

AI relies heavily on data consistency when evaluating the credibility of a business. If your company name, address, or phone number (NAP) is listed differently across directories, AI tools will either distrust the data or fail to consolidate it into a clear recommendation.

What Reputation Management Software Does:

• Distributes your business information to 50–100+ online directories simultaneously, including Whitepages, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yelp, Foursquare, Factual, and dozens of niche directories
• Corrects outdated or duplicate listings that may be confusing AI and search engines
• Ensures your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is identical everywhere — even a slight variation (“St.” vs. “Street”) can cause inconsistencies that hurt your ranking
• Keeps listings updated in real time when your business information changes
• Monitors review platforms and aggregates your ratings across the web

Recommended Tools:

• Yext — one of the most widely used platforms for managing listings across the web’s major data aggregators
• BrightLocal — particularly strong for local SEO and listing management
• Whitespark — excellent for citation building and local ranking
• Moz Local — syncs business info to major directories and data aggregators
• Birdeye — combines listing management with review generation and monitoring

Pro Tip: Many insurance companies and adjusters now use AI tools to pre-screen vendors before recommending them. A vendor with 4+ stars across dozens of platforms will consistently outperform one with a few reviews and inconsistent listings.

2. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the foundation of local AI search. It’s one of the primary data sources that AI tools use to verify and describe a business.

• Complete every section: business name, address, phone, website, hours, and service areas
• Choose the most specific and accurate business categories (e.g., “Water Damage Restoration Service,” “Public Insurance Adjuster,” “Independent Insurance Adjuster”)
• Write a keyword-rich business description that clearly explains what you do and who you serve
• Upload high-quality photos of your team, vehicles, equipment, and completed work
• Post regular updates — AI tools factor in activity and recency
• Respond to every review, positive or negative — AI reads engagement signals
• Add your license numbers, certifications, and insurance credentials to your profile

3. Build an AI-Friendly Website

Your website is still the hub of your digital presence. AI tools read your site to understand what you do, who you serve, and why you’re credible. A vague, outdated, or unstructured site will hurt your chances of being recommended.

• Use clear, specific language about your services — avoid jargon that AI can’t contextualize
• Create separate service pages for each offering (e.g., a dedicated page for water damage claims, another for fire damage, another for liability claims)
• Include your geographic service area clearly on your site — AI needs to know where you operate
• Add structured data markup (Schema.org) so AI can easily categorize your business type, location, and services
• Feature your credentials, certifications, and licenses prominently
• Include client testimonials and case studies — social proof signals are read by AI
• Keep your website mobile-friendly and fast-loading — these are basic trust signals
• Publish educational blog content related to insurance claims — AI tools often recommend businesses that are recognized as subject matter experts

4. Generate and Manage Online Reviews

Reviews are one of the most powerful signals AI uses when ranking or recommending service providers. This is especially true in the insurance space, where trust and credibility are paramount.

Best Practices:

• Actively ask satisfied clients to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and industry-specific platforms
• Make it easy — send a direct link to your Google review page after every completed job
• Aim for a minimum of 4.0 stars across platforms; anything below 3.5 will likely suppress your visibility in AI recommendations
• Respond to negative reviews professionally and promptly — this shows AI tools (and humans) that you take customer service seriously
• Diversify your review sources: Google, Yelp, Facebook, the Better Business Bureau, and any industry-specific platforms
• Never buy fake reviews — AI tools and platforms are increasingly sophisticated at detecting inauthentic content, and penalties can be severe

5. Get Listed in Industry-Specific Directories

General directories matter, but insurance-specific directories carry extra authority when AI tools are searching for claims vendors. These platforms signal to AI that you are a legitimate, verified player in the claims industry.

Target These Insurance-Specific Directories:

• • Insurance Journal’s vendor directory
  • Adjusters International and similar IA firm directories
  • PLRB (Property Loss Research Bureau) vendor listings
  • State-specific Department of Insurance licensee databases
  • IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified firm directories
  • Xactware / Symbility preferred vendor networks
  • Specialty directories for your trade (e.g., NAPIA for public adjusters, RIA for restoration contractors)

The more credible, niche directories you appear in, the more signals AI tools receive that you are a legitimate, active professional in the insurance claims space.

6. Create Content That Answers Claims-Related Questions

AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are trained on web content. When someone asks an AI, “Who is the best water damage restoration company in Phoenix?” the AI draws on content that clearly, repeatedly, and authoritatively answers relevant questions.

Content Ideas for Claims Providers:

• Blog posts: “What to Expect During a Property Damage Claim,” “How to Choose an Independent Adjuster,” “What Contractors Work Best with Insurance Claims”
• FAQs: Answer the exact questions your clients and referral partners ask
• Case studies: Describe specific claim scenarios you handled successfully (with permission and without identifying details)
• Guides: “How the Restoration Process Works After a Flood Claim”
• Video content: Short explanatory videos embedded on your site signal expertise and improve engagement metrics

The key is to be the most helpful, informative resource in your niche. AI recommends businesses that are perceived as authorities in their field.

7. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence

Social media activity is increasingly factored into AI visibility. It signals that a business is active, engaged, and current — all traits that improve AI recommendation likelihood.

• Post consistently on LinkedIn — this is the primary platform for insurance professionals and where ClaimsGrounds’ own poll data shows AI search behavior is emerging
• Share completed projects, certifications, team updates, and educational content
• Engage in insurance-related LinkedIn groups and conversations
• Maintain active Facebook and Instagram profiles if relevant to your customer base
• Tag your location in posts to reinforce your geographic service area
• Respond to comments and messages promptly — engagement metrics matter

8. Use Structured Data and Schema Markup

This is a technical but highly effective step. Schema markup is code added to your website that helps AI tools and search engines understand exactly what your business does and who it serves.

Recommended Schema Types for Claims Providers:

• • LocalBusiness schema — includes your business type, address, phone, hours, and geo-coordinates
  • Service schema — describes each specific service you offer
  • Review/AggregateRating schema — displays your review scores directly in AI-readable format
  • FAQ schema — marks up your FAQ content so AI can surface specific answers
  • Organization schema — establishes your brand identity, social profiles, and credentialing links

Many website platforms (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix) have plugins or built-in tools that can add schema markup without requiring code knowledge.

9. Earn Citations and Press Mentions

When AI tools look for trusted service providers, they favor businesses that are mentioned by other credible sources. In the insurance claims space, this means:

• Getting quoted or featured in industry publications like Claims Journal, PropertyCasualty360, or Insurance Business America
• Issuing press releases about certifications, expansions, new service offerings, or community involvement
• Partnering with complementary businesses who mention you on their website (e.g., a public adjuster directory that links to restoration companies)
• Speaking at or sponsoring industry events, which often generates credible web mentions
• Contributing guest articles to trade publications and claims-focused websites

Each citation from a trusted source is essentially a vote of confidence that AI tools use to elevate your ranking.

Now that you have this information, what should you do?

AI-powered search is not a trend — it’s the new reality of how business decisions are made. For insurance claims service providers, this shift represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Companies that invest in their digital presence, manage their online reputation, and create credible content will be the ones AI recommends to the next generation of adjusters, carriers, and policyholders.

The Grounds poll is a clear early signal: claims professionals are already turning to AI to find who they work with. The question is whether AI will find you — or your competitor.

Start with reputation management. Get your information right, get it consistent, and get it everywhere. The rest builds from there.