Get named when homeowners ask AI who to call
Homeowners now type the whole problem into ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google and get back a written answer with two or three businesses in it. We work on the signals those tools read, so your company has a real shot at being one of the names.
My furnace clicks but won't light and it's 20 degrees out. Who can come today in Columbus, Ohio?
A clicking furnace that won't ignite is often a dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter. Two local companies list same-day heating repair:
- Ridgeway Heating & Air Same-day furnace repair, licensed in Ohio, 4.8 stars from 310 reviews
- Northfield Comfort Co. 24/7 emergency calls, upfront diagnostic fee listed on their site
What changes when the answer comes from AI
A Google results page gives a homeowner ten links and lets them choose. An AI answer makes the choice for them and names a few businesses, so being on the list matters more than being on page one.
AI tools build that list from pages they can read and from what other sites say about you. A contractor with a fast website and matching details on every listing gives them something to work with. One with a slow site and a phone number hidden in an image gives them nothing, and they name someone else.
What AI tools check before naming a contractor
- Whether their crawlers are allowed onto your site at all
- A page for each service that says what you do, where and for whom
- Business details in structured data (schema) they can read without guessing
- The same name, phone and area on Google, Bing Places, Yelp and the BBB
- Recent reviews that mention real jobs and towns
- Mentions on other sites: directories, local news, trade groups
SEO, AEO and GEO for contractors, side by side
All three use the same website, so the work overlaps. What changes is where the homeowner sees you and what each one needs most.
| Type | Where homeowners see you | What it needs most | How we measure it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO | Google results and the map pack | Service and town pages, a complete Business Profile, reviews, speed | Rankings, calls and form fills from search |
| AEO | Featured answers, People Also Ask, voice assistants | Question headings with the answer in the first sentence | Which questions show your answer |
| GEO | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews | Readable facts, schema, consistent listings, outside mentions | A fixed set of homeowner prompts, checked every month |
How Realo does AI search optimization for contractors
Realo starts with a free audit that scores your site for SEO, AEO and GEO, then fixes what blocks AI tools first, because a site they can't read can't be recommended.
Nobody can promise that ChatGPT will name you. Anyone who does is guessing. What we can promise is that every change is listed in your report and that the prompts we test stay the same month to month, so you can see the trend for yourself.
The work, in order
- Open the doors: robots.txt, firewall and AI crawler access
- Rewrite key pages answer-first, one service per page
- Add LocalBusiness, Service and FAQ schema with your real details
- Match your details on Google, Bing Places, Apple and Yelp
- Track 20 homeowner prompts across four AI tools every month
AI search help for your trade
Each trade gets asked different questions. These pages and guides go into the searches and prompts that matter for yours.
- PlumbersWater heaters, drains, emergency callsGuide: getting a plumbing company into ChatGPT answers
- HVAC companiesAC repair, furnaces, heat pumpsGuide: getting an HVAC company into ChatGPT answers
- ElectriciansPanels, EV chargers, rewiringGuide: getting an electrician into ChatGPT answers
- RemodelersKitchens, baths, additionsGuide: getting a remodeler into ChatGPT answers
Questions about AI search for contractors
What is AI search optimization for contractors?
AI search optimization is the work of making a contractor's business easy for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews to find and trust, so those tools are more likely to name it when a homeowner asks who to call. It covers crawler access, clear service pages, schema, consistent listings and reviews.
Is AI search optimization different from SEO?
AI search optimization builds on SEO. AI tools read the same web pages search engines index, so a site that ranks well already has a head start. GEO adds plainly stated facts, structured data and mentions on other sites on top of that.
Can you guarantee ChatGPT will recommend my company?
No one can guarantee a ChatGPT recommendation, because the AI companies decide their own answers and those answers change from one run to the next. Realo improves the signals the tools rely on and tracks a fixed set of homeowner prompts every month so you can see whether mentions go up.
How do you track whether AI tools mention my business?
Realo runs the same 20 homeowner prompts, such as "emergency plumber in [your town]", in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews each month, and records whether your business is named, which competitors are, and which sources the answer cites.
Why does Bing matter for ChatGPT?
ChatGPT's web search has relied heavily on Bing, and local business answers often draw on Bing Places listings. A contractor with a missing or outdated Bing Places profile can be left out even with a strong Google presence, so we check and fix both.
How much does AI search optimization cost with Realo?
AI search work is included in Realo's normal prices: the audit is free, the one-time Fix-it package is $750 to $1,500 and Monthly care is $600 a month. There is no separate AI fee, and the exact price is confirmed in writing before work starts.
See what Google and ChatGPT see
Send us your website. You get a report with your SEO, GEO and AEO scores and the problems to fix first.
Free, with no obligation. The report is yours to keep.