Your SEO is Good. Your AI Visibility is Probably Not.

Why This is Happening

In 2024, AI search was noise. In 2025, it was a signal. Today, it's a primary channel.

When a homeowner asks ChatGPT "best plumber in Nashville" or searches Perplexity for "HVAC maintenance near me," those AI systems pull answers from the same web. But they don't rank the way Google does. Google learned to rank your site over 20 years. ChatGPT was fine-tuned on data through April 2024, Perplexity crawls live, Claude knows what's in its training set. The ranking factors are different.

Here's the mechanical difference: traditional SEO optimizes for link signals and topical depth. AI search engines weight differently. They care about:

• Schema markup completeness — structured LocalBusiness + Service schema lets AI engines understand exactly what you do and where
• Citation density — mentions in trade directories, review sites, and industry-specific platforms (like directories for HVAC contractors) signal authority
• Reddit and Quora presence — when real homeowners ask these platforms for recommendations and mention your business by name, AI engines pick it up as primary source material
• Google Business Profile depth — AI engines weight GBP heavily because it's verified by Google
• Structured site content — clear, categorized service pages with FAQs structured as Schema FAQ markup

Your competitors probably aren't optimizing for any of this. Most trade contractors focus on Google local pack rankings and organic SEO. The ones scoring 70+ are doing something different.

How to Fix It (In Order)

Step 1: Measure where you stand

Run a free 90-second AI Visibility audit at mentionedinai.com. You'll see a 0-100 score and a breakdown by AI engine. This shows you whether you're scoring like a top-tier contractor (70+), middle of the pack (30-50), or underperforming (below 25). No credit card, no spam, just the number. Most contractors see 32 as the median — you'll know immediately if you're above or below.

Step 2: Lock down schema markup

This is the fastest lift. Most local service sites have zero structured data. Go to your WordPress or website builder and add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage and Service schema to every service page. Tools like Yoast SEO or Rank Math make this a plugin toggle. If your site is custom-built, use schema.org directly — 30 minutes of work, ~24-point average lift on your score.

Step 3: Seed trade directories and citations

Google Business Profile is #1. Angi (formerly Angie's List), HomeAdvisor, Yelp, BBB, and trade-specific sites (like HVAC directories, plumbing networks) matter for AI engines. If you're missing from even two of these, you're losing 8-15 points. Claim every profile, keep info identical, ensure your service descriptions are verbose and keyword-rich.

Step 4: Answer real questions on Reddit and Quora

Spend 15 minutes/week answering questions on r/HVAC, r/Plumbing, r/electricians, or Quora in your trade. Don't pitch your business — just help. When people ask "what's the best way to check refrigerant charge" and you answer with depth, you're building the signal that AI engines value. If you mention your business once per 5-10 answers, you're in the green. Competitors who do this score 10+ points higher.

Step 5: Audit your content structure

Open your main service pages. Are they structured? Header → subheader → bullet list → FAQ → CTA, or is it all prose? AI engines weight structured content higher. Break up long copy, add FAQ schema blocks, use headers strategically. This alone lifts 6-12 points and improves your Google SEO too.

What NOT to Do

Don't wait for Google rankings to improve. You can rank #1 on Google and still score 35/100 on AI visibility. They're separate ranking systems. One doesn't feed the other.

Don't assume your competitors are optimizing for this yet. Most aren't. The ones scoring 70+ are accidentally doing these things well, or they hired someone who knew. This is still a wide-open advantage window.

Don't rely on tools that only track Google AI Overview. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude handle way more queries. You need visibility across all four. One-platform tracking misses the real picture.

Don't set it and forget it. AI citation quality changes as new models update. You need monthly visibility check-ins to catch drops early — especially if you're in a competitive market.

How Mentioned Can Help

We built Mentioned to track this systematically. Run a free 90-second audit and get your baseline score across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google. See exactly where you rank against competitors. If the number matters to your business, subscribe for monthly re-runs — watch your score climb as you implement the fixes above.

We've audited 137+ local service businesses. Median score is 32. Top tier is 70+. The gap is fixable, mechanical, and nobody's tracking it yet except you.

Founder cohort closes July 4. Early adopters get lifetime 30% discount on any plan. Start your free audit.