More and more people aren't typing searches into Google anymore. They're asking AI. They type a full question into ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini, something like "who's a good electrician in Gillingham?", and get a straight answer back, often with a business name or two in it.
So the question I'm being asked more and more by tradespeople is this: how do I get my business to be one of those names?
And alongside that question comes a whole new wave of people offering to take your money to fix it.
The new buzzword: AEO
If you haven't heard it yet, you will. AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. The idea is that AI tools are "answer engines" because they give people an answer rather than a list of links, and you need to optimise your business for them.
That part is true. People are asking questions, and AI tools are answering them.
What I don't agree with is the idea that this is some brand new, separate thing you need to pay extra for on top of your website and SEO. In my opinion it isn't.
AI finds businesses the same way Google does
I've been building websites and doing SEO for tradespeople for nearly 20 years, and I was an electrician before that. Here's what I can tell you plainly.
AI doesn't have some magic way of knowing who the best electrician in your town is. It works it out from what's out there on the web. It looks at the same things Google has always looked at:
- What your website says, and whether it clearly explains what you do and where you do it
- Your reputation, meaning your reviews and what people say about you
- Whether your business details are consistent everywhere they appear
- Whether you show real knowledge and experience in your trade
- Whether other trusted sites mention you
Sound familiar? It should, because it's exactly what good SEO has always been about.
If your website is built properly, with proper page titles and descriptions, structured data (that's code in the background called schema markup which tells search engines and AI exactly who you are, what you do and where), dedicated pages for each of your services and the areas you cover, and genuinely helpful content, then AI can already read it, understand it and recommend you.
A properly built website is already optimised for AI. There's no separate trick.
So why are people selling it?
Because it's new, it sounds clever and most tradespeople don't have the time to dig into what it actually means. That's not a criticism of tradespeople, it's just a fact. You're busy running jobs, not reading about search algorithms.
So when someone says "your business isn't optimised for AI", it sounds worrying. It's an easy sale.
But if someone is offering you AEO as an extra, ask them one question: what exactly will you change on my website that wouldn't be part of doing SEO properly in the first place? If the honest answer is "not much", you've got your answer.
The few things that genuinely do matter
Now, I'm not going to tell you there's nothing to it. There are a handful of things that matter for AI which a lot of websites, even decent ones, miss. None of them are expensive or complicated, but they're worth knowing about.
1. It's not just about Google
Most tradespeople know about their Google Business Profile, and quite right, it's hugely important. But the AI tools don't all get their information from Google.
ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot lean heavily on Bing. So if you've never claimed your business on Bing Places, you could be missing out on a big chunk of the people asking AI for a tradesperson.
It's free and it doesn't take long to set up properly. Do it.
2. Make sure the AI can actually read your website
This one surprises people. Some website hosts and security services now block AI tools from reading websites, sometimes by default, without the business owner ever knowing.
If the AI can't read your site, it doesn't matter how good your site is. It simply won't know you exist. It's worth asking whoever looks after your website whether anything is blocking them.
3. Answer the questions your customers actually ask
AI tools love clear, straight answers. If someone asks "how much does it cost to replace a fuse board?" and your website has a page or a blog that answers that question properly, with real experience behind it, you've given the AI something useful to work with.
This is exactly why we've always pushed our customers to have helpful blogs and FAQs on their sites. Not filler written to tick a box, but real answers to real questions, written by people who know the trade. That's what both Google and AI are looking for.
4. Your reputation everywhere, not just on your website
AI builds up a picture of your business from across the web. Your Google reviews, your Facebook page, your Checkatrade or Which? profile if you have one, local directories, local news, the lot.
Keep your business name, address and phone number exactly the same everywhere. Keep asking happy customers for reviews. The more consistent and positive the picture is, the more confident the AI is in recommending you.
What this means for you
If you're one of our customers, the honest answer is that most of this is already being done for you. Your site is built with the structure, the markup and the content architecture that both Google and AI tools rely on. If you want us to check things like your Bing listing, just give us a shout and we'll go through it with you.
If you're not one of our customers and someone is trying to sell you AEO as a separate service, my advice is simple. Make sure your website is built properly, your Google Business Profile is filled in properly, your details are consistent and your reviews keep coming in. Get the basics right and AI will find you, the same way Google always has.
There's no shortcut and there's no magic. There's just doing it properly.
Want help getting your business found, whether that's on Google or ChatGPT? Get in touch and let's have a chat.
