Most architecture practices get enquiries through referrals. The ones growing fastest are getting found on Google and AI search too. Here is how.
By Kevin Potter · Potter Gold Digital
Referrals are great.
But they are not predictable.
You cannot control when they come in, how many you get, or whether the project is the kind of work you want to be doing.
The architecture practices that are growing their residential commissions consistently are doing something different.
They are appearing on Google and in AI search tools when homeowners are actively looking for someone to hire.
A homeowner thinking about a house extension, a loft conversion, or a new self-build does not go straight to a referral.
They search first.
They type "architect in [town]" or "residential architect near me" or "how much does an architect cost for an extension."
If your practice does not appear in those results, you are not in the conversation.
They find three names. They look at all three. They enquire with two.
The practices that appear consistently in those results get a predictable stream of residential enquiries without relying on who their last client happened to mention them to.
More homeowners are now starting their search in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI answers.
They ask questions like: "What should I look for in a residential architect?" or "How much does it cost to use an architect for a loft conversion in Wolverhampton?"
The AI tools answer by pulling information from websites that have already covered those topics in detail.
If your website has a proper page explaining what you do, what it costs, how the process works, and what clients can expect, that content gets referenced in the AI answer.
The homeowner reads the answer, sees your practice name, and contacts you directly.
Practices with thin websites, a portfolio grid and a contact form, don't get referenced.
The ones with detailed, helpful content do.
Most architecture websites are built to impress other architects.
Big images. Minimal text. A portfolio with project names but no explanation of what the client needed or how you solved it.
That is not what homeowners are looking for.
They want to know: do you do the kind of project I need? Do you work in my area? What does working with you involve? How much will it roughly cost?
A website that answers those questions clearly, in plain language, not architectural terminology, converts more enquiries than a beautiful but uninformative one.
The Google local pack, the three results that appear on a map, is how most local service searches end up.
Architects who have claimed and properly set up their Google Business Profile appear in that section for local searches.
Those who haven't don't.
A complete profile means: verified address, the right categories, photos of completed projects, a description of your services and areas covered, and reviews from past clients.
Reviews from homeowners, not just commercial clients, are particularly valuable for residential search terms.
A detailed case study of a completed project, what the client wanted, what challenges came up, how you resolved them, what the final result delivered, does three things at once.
It shows potential clients what working with you looks like.
It gives Google specific, relevant content to rank for local search terms.
It gives AI tools something to reference when answering questions about your practice.
One case study a month, properly written, is more valuable than any amount of general content about architecture as a profession.
Yes, particularly for residential work. Homeowners searching for an architect for their extension or self-build are searching locally. If you are not appearing in those local results, you are missing enquiries every week from clients who are ready to commission someone.
Yes. Google's local results favour relevance and proximity over the size of the firm. A smaller practice with a well-structured website, strong local reviews, and content that directly answers what residential clients are searching for will consistently outrank a larger firm with a generic website.
Homeowners increasingly use AI tools to research before contacting anyone. Practices with detailed, helpful website content, covering costs, process, project types, and local areas, get referenced in those AI answers. Practices with thin or portfolio-only websites do not. The gap between the two is growing.
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