When someone types "find me a good plumber in [town]" into ChatGPT today, ChatGPT doesn't scroll through a list of everyone registered at Companies House. It picks two or three businesses it can verify across multiple trusted sources and recommends them confidently. The trades that get recommended have done five specific things. The ones that don't show up have usually done none of them. This article covers exactly what those five things are — and none of them are complicated.
Why trades businesses are both winning and losing at AI search right now
Here's the interesting thing about AI search and local trades: the bar is genuinely low. The majority of plumbers, electricians, decorators, roofers, and builders have a terrible online presence. A neglected Facebook page from 2019. A Google Business Profile with one photo and no reviews. No website, or a website that hasn't been touched since it was built seven years ago.
That means the trades business that does even a halfway decent job of the basics is immediately in the top 10% of competitors for AI visibility. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be better than most — which, in trades, is not a high bar to clear.
Most trades businesses have a terrible online presence. The ones that fix even the basic things are immediately more visible than 90% of their local competitors in AI search results — without spending a penny on ads.
The five things AI checks before recommending a trade
1. A complete, active Google Business Profile
This is the single biggest lever. ChatGPT pulls local business data from Google Business Profile (via integrations with Bing and Google's API). Your GBP needs to be complete — every field filled in, the right category, your service area specified, real photos of your work or van or team — and it needs to be active.
Active means: photos added in the last 30 days, at least one GBP post in the last month, and reviews being responded to. Google's 2026 algorithm now drops visibility for profiles that go 30+ days without activity. For a trades business, "activity" is easy — take a photo of every job you complete and upload it. That's it. Done.
2. Consistent NAP across directories
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. AI tools verify businesses by checking that your name, address, and phone number match across multiple sources. If your GBP says "J. Smith Plumbing" but Checkatrade says "John Smith Plumbing Ltd" and Yell says "J Smith Plumbing Services" — those are three different signals that don't confirm each other.
Pick one version of your trading name and use it everywhere. Same address format. Same phone number. That consistency is how AI knows it's looking at the same business across multiple sources — and each source that matches is another vote of confidence in your existence and reliability.
3. Reviews — recent ones, across platforms
Trades businesses live and die by reviews. AI search is no different. ChatGPT weights businesses with recent, multi-platform reviews far higher than those with outdated or single-platform reviews. "Recent" means within the last 3 months. "Multi-platform" means Google and at least one other — Checkatrade, Trustpilot, Yell, or Facebook.
The simplest habit: at the end of every job, WhatsApp the customer a link to your Google review page. "Hi [name], great to work with you today — if you have 2 minutes, a quick Google review would really help us out [link]." That's it. One text. Most happy customers will do it if you make it easy.
4. A real website with specific, local content
A website that says "We are a plumbing company. We offer plumbing services. Contact us for a quote." tells AI almost nothing. A website that says "We're Dave and Matt, plumbers covering Birmingham, Solihull and surrounding areas. We specialise in boiler installations, emergency call-outs (we aim to be with you in 2 hours), and bathroom fitting. Gas Safe registered, 15 years trading." — that's a website AI can work with.
Specificity matters. Your location. Your actual services (not just "plumbing" — boilers, leaks, bathrooms, emergencies). Your qualifications. How long you've traded. These are the details that let AI confidently say "here's a Gas Safe registered plumber based in Birmingham who covers emergency call-outs."
5. At least one trade directory listing
Checkatrade, Rated People, TrustATrader, My Builder — pick at least one and be on it with a complete, accurate profile. These are high-trust third-party sources that AI tools specifically weight for trades recommendations. Being listed and verified on one of them is a meaningful credibility signal that most of your competitors don't have.
The quick-start checklist for trades
- Log into Google Business Profile. Fill in every field. Check your trading name matches what you use everywhere else.
- Add 5 photos right now — van, a job in progress, a completed job, your face, your team. Any of the above.
- Search your business name on Yell, Checkatrade, and Facebook. Claim or correct any listing where the name, address or phone number is wrong.
- Text your last 5 happy customers asking for a Google review (link included).
- Check your website's homepage — does it clearly say what you do, where you work, and who to call? If not, fix it or get someone to fix it.
That's a full Saturday morning of work. For most trades businesses, doing that alone will put you ahead of most local competitors for AI search visibility.
Frequently asked questions
Do local trades businesses show up in ChatGPT recommendations?
Yes. ChatGPT increasingly recommends specific local businesses for trades queries — especially when users ask for plumbers, electricians, builders, and similar services in a specific area. The businesses that appear are those with complete Google Business Profiles, consistent directory listings, and recent reviews. Trades with incomplete online presence rarely appear.
What is the most important thing a trades business can do for AI search visibility?
A complete, active Google Business Profile is the single most impactful thing. AI tools including ChatGPT use GBP data as a primary source for local business recommendations. A complete profile with recent photos, accurate service information, and recent reviews is the foundation everything else builds on.
Does Checkatrade help with AI search visibility?
Yes. Checkatrade is a high-trust third-party source that AI tools including ChatGPT specifically reference when evaluating local trades businesses. Being listed and verified on Checkatrade — with a complete profile and real reviews — contributes meaningfully to your AI search visibility, particularly for UK trades.
How many Google reviews do I need to show up in AI recommendations?
There's no fixed number, but businesses with 10 or more Google reviews (averaging 4 stars or above), with reviews appearing in the last 3-6 months, consistently outperform those with fewer or older reviews in AI recommendations. Recency matters as much as volume — 3 reviews from this month can outweigh 30 reviews from two years ago.
Module 1: Why Local Search Is Going AI — And What That Means for Your Business
The step-by-step guide that walks you through every change in local AI search — so you can follow it once and be done.
Rather have someone handle all of this for you? Chris builds websites and AI visibility for businesses — live in 24 hours, from £499. The same knowledge that’s in this article, applied to your business.