Fearless teamA few years ago a customer who needed an electrician typed “electrician near me” into Google and scrolled. Today a growing number ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google’s AI answers “who would you recommend for an electrician in Tampere?” and receive two or three names. If you are not one of them, that customer never reaches your website.
Nobody can guarantee that an AI tool will recommend you, and you should be wary of anyone who says they can. But AI does not choose at random. It repeats what it can find, understand and trust. That means there are concrete things you can do to make your business easier to recommend.
How AI tools choose local businesses
AI answers about local services are built from the same public information that search engines use, summarised into a short answer. In practice four things shape which businesses get named:
- Your website: clear pages that say what you do, where you work and what it costs or what affects the price.
- Your Google Business Profile: categories, services, photos, hours and reviews.
- Trusted sources: directories, local listings and mentions that agree with each other about who you are.
- Reviews and proof: real, recent customer feedback and examples of finished work.
When these four tell the same clear story, an AI tool has what it needs to name you with confidence. When they are thin or contradict each other, it names someone else.
Seven things you can do this month
1. Write one clear page per service
Replace a single “Services” page with a separate page for each thing you do. Start each one with a plain sentence: what the service is, who it is for and which areas you cover. AI tools quote pages that answer the question directly.
2. Answer the questions customers really ask
Make a list of the questions customers ask before they hire you: how much does it cost, how long does it take, do you cover my area, what happens during a visit. Answer each one in a few sentences on the relevant page. These direct answers are exactly what AI summarises.
3. Name your service areas
Say which towns and areas you serve, in text, on the page. “We serve Tampere, Nokia and Lempäälä” is far more useful than “we serve the surrounding area”.
4. Make your details identical everywhere
Use exactly the same business name, address and phone number on your website, Google profile and every directory. Contradictions make AI less sure of you.
5. Keep your Google Business Profile complete
Add every service, real photos, correct hours and a description. A profile that looks active signals a business that is open and trusted.
6. Collect and answer reviews
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals. Ask after every job, and reply to each review in a sentence or two.
7. Show real proof
Photos of finished jobs, certifications, years in business and customer quotes all help. Real specifics beat vague claims.
How to check where you stand
Ask the AI tools yourself. Type the questions a customer would ask, for example “who is a good plumber near me?” or “who repairs heat pumps in Oulu?”, into ChatGPT, Gemini and Google. Note whether your business is named, whether the details are right and which sources are cited. Repeat the same questions every month so you can see what changes. This is the same dated check we run for our customers.
What to expect
Results are not instant and not guaranteed, but the same foundations that help with AI also help with Google and Maps, so the work is never wasted. Businesses that make themselves clear and consistent now will be ahead when more customers start asking AI first. If you would rather have a team do this for you every month, that is what our Pro plan is for.
Patrik Romunen