AI SEO Case Studies
5 trade businesses. 3 AI platforms. Real rankings you can verify right now.
When a homeowner asks Google, ChatGPT, or Gemini “who’s the best electrician near me,” the answer is no longer a list of 10 blue links. It’s a direct recommendation. One or two businesses, named and endorsed by the AI.
oogle’s AI Mode now appears on over 15% of all searches. ChatGPT has 700 million weekly active users. These platforms pull from a completely different set of signals than traditional Google rankings.
We analysed 225 businesses across 46 competitive trade keywords in Australia to reverse-engineer what AI platforms actually look for. The findings were clear:
- Your own website is the #1 factor. 84% of AI-visible businesses are cited directly from their site.
- Years in business appeared in 64% of AI responses. AI has a strong bias toward established businesses.
- 24/7 or emergency availability was cited for 53% of businesses.
- Star ratings and review counts were mentioned for 31% and 20% of businesses, respectively.
- Directory presence amplifies visibility. Localsearch (29%), Oneflare (18%), and ThreeBestRated (13%) all drive AI citations
And what had zero influence? HiPages. Not a single AI citation across all 46 keywords. Yelp and Airtasker showed URLs but no business names extracted. Social media and blog content were never cited. Traditional domain authority showed near-zero correlation with AI rankings.
The old rules don’t apply. Here’s what does work, and the proof from 6 of our clients.
Case Study #1
Best Electrician Newcastle
Kitson Electricians Newcastle launched from scratch just 10 months ago. In a competitive market where established businesses have years of reviews and backlinks, Kitson ranks #1 in Google AI Mode for “best electrician Newcastle.”
They don’t have the most reviews in the area. They don’t have the longest history. What they have is a website built for AI visibility from day one, an optimised Google Business Profile, and a digital presence structured around the signals that AI platforms reward.
Insight: Across 225 businesses we analysed, 64% had years of experience cited by AI. But newer businesses can break through by compensating with the right signals. Kitson’s result proves you don’t need decades of history to be the AI’s top recommendation.
Case Study #2
Best Electrician Sydney
Two of our Sydney electrician clients hold the #1 and #2 positions in Google AI Mode for “best electrician Sydney.” This is the most competitive electrical keyword in Australia, with 2,900 monthly searches.
Neither business has the most reviews in Sydney. Both outrank larger, more established competitors.
When Google’s AI recommends the best electrician in Australia’s biggest city, it recommends our clients first and second.
Insight: “Electrician Sydney” is the highest-volume electrical keyword in the country. AI Mode is now surfacing for an increasing share of these commercial queries. Owning positions #1 and #2 means our clients are the AI’s answer before anyone else.
Case Study #3
Best Plumber Northern Beaches
A clean sweep. Our Northern Beaches plumbing client ranks #1 across all three major AI platforms. When a homeowner in the Northern Beaches asks any AI “who’s the best plumber,” the answer is our client.
This business does have the highest review count in the Northern Beaches. But reviews alone don’t explain a clean sweep across three different AI platforms. Each platform uses different signals, different data sources, and different ranking logic. Dominating all three requires a consistent, well-structured digital presence across the board.
We’re not ranking #1 in Google Maps for this keyword yet. That’s still in progress. But in AI search, where the recommendation carries more weight than a list position, this client owns the conversation.
Insight: We call this a “clean sweep” — #1 across every AI platform. It means no matter which tool a potential customer uses to search, this business is the top recommendation.
Case Study #4
Best Electrician Gold Coast
T42 Electrical competes against Gold Coast electricians with significantly more reviews and higher Google Maps rankings. Despite that, T42 ranks #3 in both Google AI Mode and Gemini for “best electrician Gold Coast.” They also hold top positions in organic search.
This result challenges a common assumption: that you need to dominate Google Maps before AI platforms will notice you. T42 proves the signals are different. AI platforms look at directory presence, website content depth, and structured trust signals, not just who has the most stars on Google Maps.
Insight: Our analysis of 225 businesses confirmed that AI and Maps rankings operate on different signals. 84% of AI-visible businesses were cited from their own website. Directory presence, content depth, and structured trust signals matter more than review volume alone.
Case Study #5
Best Electrician Bayside
Byrd Electrical owns every AI platform for “best electrician Bayside.” Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini. All #1. They also rank strongly in organic search and have the highest reviews in the Bayside area.
Bayside is a smaller search market at 390 monthly searches. But that makes AI dominance even more valuable. AI responses typically name only one or two businesses. In a smaller market, being #1 means you’re often the only business mentioned. Every search becomes your lead.
Insight: In smaller markets, AI search becomes a winner-takes-all channel. There’s less room in the response, so being #1 often means being the only recommendation.
What Gets a Trade Business Into AI Search Results
We didn’t just optimise these 6 clients and hope for the best. We analysed 225 businesses across 46 competitive trade keywords in Australia to reverse-engineer what AI platforms actually look for.
What separates the top-ranked businesses
Businesses that appeared 3 times in AI responses (the maximum observed) almost always had:
- Their own website cited directly (95%+)
- At least one directory citation alongside
- A clear unique claim (years in business, guarantee, award, "#1 rated")
- An availability signal (24/7, same-day, emergency)
What has zero influence on AI rankings
- HiPages — zero AI visibility across all 46 keywords
- Yelp — URLs appear but no business names are extracted
- Airtasker — same as Yelp
- Social media profiles — not cited by any AI platform
- Blog content without supporting structure — rarely cited
- Generic website copy without specific claims
THIS IS WHERE SEARCH IS GOING
Google AI Mode is live in Australia. ChatGPT has 700 million weekly active users worldwide. Gemini is built into every Android phone and Google account.
When a homeowner types “best plumber near me” into any of these tools, the AI doesn’t show 10 results. It recommends one or two businesses by name. If you’re not in that recommendation, you don’t exist in AI search.
Most trade businesses and most marketing agencies haven’t caught up to this yet. The businesses featured on this page didn’t get here by accident. They got here because we’ve been studying, testing, and optimising for AI search while the rest of the industry is still figuring out what it is.
