"Who's a reliable plumber near Epsom who can fix a leaking combi boiler this week?"
And instead of a list of links, they get an answer. Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity will now name specific local businesses, explain why, and sometimes link straight to their phone number.
The businesses those tools name are getting the call. The ones they leave out often never find out they were in the running. SOCi's 2026 Local Visibility Index looked at nearly 350,000 business locations and found ChatGPT recommended just 1.2% of them, while Google's map results featured the same businesses 35.9% of the time. It's a short list, and you want to be on it.
The good news: what these tools look for is mostly the same groundwork that wins on Google Maps. You don't need a new trick. You need the basics done properly and consistently.
What's actually changed
AI Overviews are the summaries that appear at the top of many Google searches. They now show on a big share of searches: around 30% of US Google searches in 2026 tracking by Semrush and BrightEdge, and 87% of the business-related searches in a 2026 Peec AI study. They tend to pull from pages that already rank well.
AI Mode is Google's chat-style search, available in the UK since July 2025. Ask it for a local service and it recommends businesses using Google's own data: your Business Profile, your reviews, your opening hours and the services you list.
ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are assistants people use directly. ChatGPT runs its local searches through Bing. Perplexity shows its sources. Gemini draws on Google's.
The common thread: they all try to answer, "Which business is the safest bet for this exact job, in this exact place?" Everything below helps them answer "you".
The six things AI tools look at
1. A complete Google Business Profile
This is the biggest one for Google's AI. It reads your profile directly, so fill in everything:
- the right primary category (for example "Window cleaning service", not just "Cleaning")
- every service you offer, with a short description of each
- your service areas
- accurate opening hours
- photos of real jobs, uploaded regularly
- a business description that says plainly what you do and where
If your profile says "plumbing" but never mentions boilers, AI Mode has no reason to recommend you for a boiler question.
2. Reviews that mention the job and the place
AI tools read the words in your reviews, not just the star rating. A review that says "Dan replaced our Worcester boiler in Leatherhead and left the place spotless" tells the AI exactly what you do and where you work.
You can't write reviews for customers, but you can make it easier for them to be specific. Instead of "Please leave us a review", try:
"If you've got a minute, it really helps if you mention what we did and roughly where you are."
Steady, recent reviews matter more than a burst of fifty from three years ago.
3. A page for each service on your website
AI tools need something clear to quote. A single "Services" page with a bullet list gives them very little. A dedicated page for each main service gives them plenty, such as:
- boiler installation
- boiler repair
- bathroom fitting
Each page should cover what the job involves, roughly what it costs, how long it takes, the areas you cover, and the common questions customers ask. Write it the way you'd explain it on the phone.
4. Plain answers to real questions
AI tools love a clear question with a direct answer underneath. An FAQ section on each service page is ideal:
- "How much does it cost to replace a combi boiler?"
- "Do you charge a call-out fee?"
- "How often should gutters be cleaned?"
Answer in the first sentence, then add detail. If you'd answer it on a quote visit, it belongs on your site.
5. Consistent details everywhere
AI tools cross-check. If your name, phone number and address are slightly different on Google, Facebook, Yell, Checkatrade and your website, they're less confident it's all the same business.
Pick one exact version of your name and number and use it everywhere. Then add the listings people forget:
- Bing Places, which feeds Bing's results (the ones ChatGPT searches)
- Apple Business Connect, which feeds Apple Maps and Siri
6. Other people mentioning you
AI tools give extra weight to businesses that appear on other trusted sites. That includes:
- local news
- trade association directories
- supplier "find an installer" pages
- local community groups
- "best plumbers in Surrey"-style roundups
You can't fake these, but you can earn them: join your trade body, ask suppliers to list you, sponsor something local, or offer a local paper a story about an interesting job.
Technical bits worth getting right
If you or your web designer can handle them, these help:
- Schema markup. Structured code that tells search engines and AI tools your business type, services, areas and FAQs in a format they read directly.
- A fast, mobile-friendly site. AI Overviews mostly cite pages that already rank, and slow sites rank worse.
- No important text hidden in images. If your prices or service list are only inside a picture, AI tools may not read them.
How to check if AI tools mention you
Try this today. It takes five minutes:
- Open ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google, and turn on AI Mode where you can.
- Ask the questions your customers would ask: "Best [your trade] in [your town]", "Who can [specific job] near [town]?"
- Note whether you're named, whether your details are correct, and who's named instead.
- Ask the same question again on a different day. AI answers change from run to run, so be wary of anyone who promises you'll be "number one in ChatGPT".
If a competitor keeps coming up, look at what they have that you don't. It's usually more reviews, clearer service pages, or mentions on other sites.
Where to start if you're short on time
If you only do three things this month:
- Complete every section of your Google Business Profile, including services and descriptions.
- Ask your last ten customers for a review that mentions the job and the area.
- Set up Bing Places and Apple Business Connect with exactly the same details.
These three steps help you on Google Maps, in AI answers and in normal search at the same time.
Want us to check for you?
Our £395 Local Visibility Audit includes an AI visibility check: we ask the main AI tools for your trade and town, and show you who they recommend and why.
Prefer to start free? Get a free video audit and we'll cover your Google profile, your website and one local competitor, with the top three things we'd fix. If you'd like AI visibility handled every month, our Growth SEO plan includes a monthly AI visibility report tracking how often you're mentioned across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews.