New Data: 78% of Local Trades Are Invisible to AI Search Engines
What happened
Two new datasets published in May 2026 paint a stark picture of how local tradespeople fare in AI-powered search. The 5W AI Visibility Index found that 78% of local services brands are invisible to AI answer engines — including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google's AI Mode. The top-cited results go to Angi, Yelp, HomeAdvisor, and national franchise blogs, not local shops.
A separate GrowthPro AI benchmark found that 88% of local businesses have no active strategy for appearing in AI search results.
Meanwhile, Google AI Mode has now hit one billion monthly users, and Whitespark's research shows AI Overviews appear on roughly 68% of local searches. When homeowners ask AI "best plumber near me," the AI doesn't show ten results — it cites one to three sources and synthesises an answer. You're cited, or you're invisible.
What this means for tradespeople
If you're an electrician, plumber, or roofer relying on Google to bring in work, this data should be a wake-up call. Nearly half of consumers now use conversational AI tools to find local businesses. When AI answers their question, it pulls from your Google Business Profile, your reviews, your website FAQs, and mentions of your business on directories and blogs.
The businesses that get cited tend to have complete, active Google Business Profiles (which are 70% more likely to appear in AI recommendations), 50+ recent reviews, and consistent NAP data across 10+ platforms. Pages with FAQ schema are four times more likely to be cited in AI Overviews.
The good news: 88% of your competitors aren't doing anything about this yet. The window to get ahead is still open — but it's closing fast.
What to do about it
Make sure your Google Business Profile has granular service descriptions — not just "plumbing," but "tankless water heater install," "emergency drain unblocking," "CCTV drain survey." Keep your photos fresh and post weekly.
Add FAQ content to your website using the exact questions homeowners ask — "How much does a new boiler cost in 2026?" beats "Boiler Investment Considerations" every time. And keep collecting reviews: one ask per completed job, every time.
TapReview is a £9/month tool that helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews with one tap. Try it free →
Source: Marketing Code — AI Search 2026: 78% Of Local Trades Invisible