How to get found in ChatGPT & Google AI Overviews as a tradie

What's actually changing

For years, finding a tradie meant typing "electrician near me" into Google and picking from the list. That still happens millions of times a day. But a growing number of people now ask an AI assistant instead — literally typing "who's a good electrician in Parramatta?" into ChatGPT, reading the answer box Google writes at the top of the results (that's Google AI Overviews), or asking Perplexity to compare a couple of local options.

The big difference is what comes back. A normal Google page gives ten blue links to choose from. An AI answer gives you a short, written recommendation that usually names only a few businesses — sometimes just one or two — and moves on. There's far less room on the shelf.

That's why this matters early. When a tool only cites a handful of sources, being one of the trusted few is worth a lot, and there's an advantage to sorting your house out before every tradie in your suburb catches on.

Why it matters for tradies

Here's the honest version: today, Google is still where the work is. 71% of people find local businesses on Google, and 76% who do a "near me" search visit a business within a day (BrightLocal 2026 / Think with Google). AI search is growing fast, but it hasn't replaced that — not yet.

The good news is you don't have to pick. The exact same groundwork that gets you found on Google is what makes you easy for an AI to recommend. AI tools build their answers by reading the open web, your Google Business Profile and your reviews — the very things a good local setup already nails. So getting "AI-ready" isn't a separate project. It's doing the fundamentals well, then knowing they pull double duty.

How to get cited by AI — the fundamentals

There's no button to press and no ad to buy your way in. You get mentioned by being the clearest, most trustworthy source for the AI to pull from. Six things do the heavy lifting.

1. A strong Google Business Profile and reviews

This is the big one. AI assistants lean heavily on Google's local data and reviews when they recommend a business, so a complete profile with steady, recent reviews is your single best signal. Fill it out fully — trade, service areas, hours, photos — and keep the reviews coming. It's the same thing customers check: 97% of people read online reviews, 68% won't use a business rated under 4 stars, and 74% want to see reviews from the last 3 months (BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026). Strong and recent beats a pile of old five-stars.

2. A fast, well-structured website

AI can only recommend you if it can read you. A quick, tidy site that clearly states your trade, your services and the suburbs you cover gives it something solid to quote. Speed still matters for real customers too — 53% leave a mobile site that takes more than 3 seconds to load (Think with Google). Use clear headings, name your services plainly, and list your service areas in words, not just on a map.

3. Clear question-and-answer content

AI answers are built from clear answers. Write a short FAQ on your site in the plain language your customers use — "how much does it cost to replace a hot water system?", "do you do after-hours call-outs?", "which suburbs do you cover?" — and answer each one directly in a sentence or two. Question as the heading, straight answer underneath. That's the easiest possible thing for an assistant to lift and cite.

4. Structured data (schema)

Schema is a bit of behind-the-scenes code that spells out your facts for machines — your business name, phone, service area, reviews and FAQs — in a format they read cleanly. You won't see it on the page, but it helps Google and AI tools understand you without guessing. It's a technical job, and it's part of what we set up when we build a site.

5. Consistent name, address and phone everywhere

Your business name, address and phone number (the "NAP") should be identical across your website, your Google profile and every directory you're listed in — same spelling, same format. When those details match everywhere, tools are confident it's really you and more comfortable recommending you. When they clash, that confidence drops.

6. An llms.txt file

An llms.txt file is a simple text file in the root of your website that hands AI tools a plain summary of who you are, what you do and where — think of it as a menu written for the robots. It's an emerging, voluntary standard, so not every AI reads it yet and it won't get you cited on its own. But it's quick to add and it doesn't hurt, so it's a sensible bonus once the real work above is done.

A quick, honest word on all this

This is new ground. Nobody can promise you a spot in an AI answer, the tools change how they work often, and a lot of the "GEO" advice floating around is guesswork dressed up as certainty. We'd rather be straight with you: the evidence is early.

What we're confident about is this — every step above is worth doing regardless. A fast website, a full Google profile, steady reviews, clear answers and matching details win you real jobs today and put you in the best position for however customers search tomorrow. Do the fundamentals well and you're covered both ways.