AI visibility by sector
AI visibility for plumbers: the new emergency is being cited
A leak at 9pm, and the reflex has changed: nobody trawls three pages of results, they ask the assistant for “a reliable plumber, available now, not a rip-off”. The AI answers with two or three names — and a justification: reviews, responsiveness, transparent pricing.
Emergency trades are where AI recommendations carry the most weight: the customer has no time to compare and no appetite for getting it wrong. Being the name cited means winning the job.
Test my AI visibility — freeThe questions AIs get about your trade
Real examples our audit tests (here for Sheffield):
- « What are the best plumbers in Sheffield? Give me a list with your recommendations. »
- « Top 5 plumbers in Sheffield in 2026. »
- « Which plumbers in Sheffield have the best customer reviews? »
ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity answer these with names. The only question that matters: is yours one of them?
What AIs weigh before recommending
- Trust above all: plentiful recent reviews with words like “honest”, “transparent”, “quick” — AIs repeat them verbatim.
- Published indicative rates (call-out fee, hourly rate): the ultimate weapon against rip-off fear, and a criterion AIs reward.
- An explicit service area (towns and districts named in text) — an AI won't recommend a tradesperson whose patch it can't verify.
- Displayed accreditations and insurance (Gas Safe, guarantees): seriousness signals that get cited in answers.
- Presence on the trade-trust directories engines consult (Checkatrade, Trustatrader, MyBuilder).
Do this month
- Publish your base rates and service area as text on your site.
- Ask for a review after every successful call-out (SMS with a direct link).
- Complete your Google profile with “emergency” and your real hours.
- Get listed on 2 trade directories (Checkatrade, MyBuilder).
The directories that count
Sources answer engines consult for your sector:
FAQ
Do people really ask ChatGPT for a plumber?
Yes, increasingly — especially in emergencies, when you want a direct answer rather than a list to sift. Typical phrasings: “reliable plumber in …”, “affordable plumber for a boiler”, “plumber available weekends”. The Waseit audit tests these real questions.
What makes an AI recommend one tradesperson over another?
Three things come up systematically: the mass of recent positive reviews, information clarity (area, rates, availability), and external mentions (directories, local recommendations). AIs are wary of poorly documented tradespeople — the sector's scam risk is priced in.
I don't have a website — am I invisible to AIs?
Not entirely: a very complete Google profile and abundant reviews can be enough to get cited. But even a simple one-page site (area, rates, accreditations, job photos) markedly raises your odds of being recommended first, because it gives the AI verifiable material.