AI Search

What AI assistants look for when recommending a tradie or cleaner

AI-powered search is changing how customers find tradies, cleaners, and other service providers. Here is a precise breakdown of the signals AI assistants use to decide who to recommend — so you know exactly what to build.

AI assistants do not guess. They read structured, verifiable data from multiple sources and surface providers whose data is consistent, complete, and credible. Every signal listed below is something you can build. Most can be done this week.

Signal 1: Structured directory listing with schema markup

AI assistants read schema markup — structured data embedded in web pages and directories that describes a business in machine-readable terms. A listing on CoYoTrade includes LocalBusiness and Service schema, your category, your location, your services, and your verified credentials. This is the foundation of AI-readable presence. A listing on Airtasker or HiPages does not export this data to the open web — those profiles are only readable inside the platform. Here is why platform profiles are invisible to AI search.

Signal 2: Google Business Profile with reviews

Google Business Profiles are one of the most heavily weighted sources AI assistants use for local service recommendations. A complete profile — with accurate business name, address, phone, service categories, hours, and genuine client reviews — tells an AI that you are a real, active, local business. Reviews that mention your service type and location ("best plumber in Fitzroy", "reliable cleaner for our office in Parramatta") are particularly powerful because they match the natural language queries AI assistants process.

Signal 3: Consistent NAP data across platforms

NAP stands for name, address, phone number. AI assistants cross-reference this data across multiple sources. If your business name appears as "Smith Plumbing" on one platform, "J. Smith Plumbing Services" on another, and "Smith & Sons Plumbing" on a third, the AI's confidence in your identity drops. Consistent NAP data across your CoYoTrade listing, Google Business Profile, website, and any other directories signals a reliable, established business.

Signal 4: Verified credentials

Verified badges, license numbers, insurance details, and police check records all contribute to an AI's confidence in a recommendation. When a customer asks their AI to find a "licensed electrician" or "police-checked cleaner", the AI is actively filtering for providers who have verified these credentials. CoYoTrade's verified provider badge is structured data that AI tools read. Having it visible on your profile increases the probability you appear in filtered recommendations.

Signal 5: Location-specific content

AI assistants processing a query like "find a cleaner in Ballarat" are looking for providers whose data explicitly mentions Ballarat — not just providers who are geographically near it. Your profile description, your service areas, and any website content should explicitly name the suburbs and regions you serve. Generic profiles that say only "serving Melbourne" are less specific than profiles that list "Melbourne, Fitzroy, Carlton, Northcote, Brunswick" as service areas.

Signal 6: Reviews across multiple platforms

A single source of reviews is less credible to an AI than consistent positive reviews across multiple independent platforms. Google reviews, reviews on CoYoTrade, and any other directory reviews all contribute. The pattern AI looks for is: multiple sources, consistent positive sentiment, real language that mentions the service type and location. Volume matters, but authenticity matters more.

The checklist: what to build this week

Join CoYoTrade and complete your profile — services, location, credentials, description. Set up or update your Google Business Profile with complete information. Check that your business name, address, and phone are identical across every platform you appear on. Ask your three most satisfied recent clients for a Google review. Make sure your profile descriptions explicitly name the suburbs you serve. That is the foundation of AI search visibility for a service provider in 2026.