Getting found in Google and ChatGPT: a plain guide for trades
Search is splitting in two — classic Google results and AI answers. Here's what trades need to do to show up in both.
For years, "getting found" meant ranking on Google. That still matters — but more and more people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI overview for a recommendation and act on the answer. If your business isn't legible to those systems, you're invisible in a fast-growing slice of search.
Classic SEO still does the heavy lifting
The basics haven't changed: a fast, mobile-friendly site, a service page per trade, local landing pages for the towns you cover, a complete Google Business Profile, and steady reviews. Get these right and you'll rank for the searches that bring jobs.
Making yourself quotable to AI
AI answers favour clear, structured, factual content — plain answers to real questions, proper headings, and structured data (schema) that spells out who you are, what you do and where. This is what people mean by AEO, or Answer Engine Optimisation. The goal is simple: when someone asks an AI "who's a good electrician in my area?", your business is one it can confidently name.
This is a starter article — we'll add a practical checklist soon.
By Lumith