Right so. Picture this. Someone’s immersion is after giving up the ghost on a Friday evening. They grab their phone, open up Google (or maybe ask ChatGPT), and type something like: “best plumber near me Dublin” or “emergency electrician Swords”.
Twenty seconds later, they’re calling someone. The question is: is it you, or is it your competition down the road?
That’s the whole game now. And the rules of that game have changed massively over the last year or two thanks to AI search. If you’re a plumber, electrician, roofer, tiler, painter, or any kind of tradesperson working in Dublin, this is something you genuinely can’t afford to ignore.
Search Is Changing - fast.
AI is an absolute game changer and has rapidly changed the trajectory of how people search.
What even is AI?
You’ve probably noticed that when you Google something these days, you don’t always just get a list of links anymore. You get an answer – a paragraph or two right there at the top of the page. That’s Google’s AI Overview. And if you’ve tried ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini, you’ll know they do the same thing.
Instead of showing people ten blue links and lettin’ them sort it out themselves, these tools are now picking one answer and serving it up. Think of it like a very confident mate who’s already done the Googling for ya.
KEY POINT: If the AI doesn’t know your business exists, it won’t recommend you. Simple as that.
So why should a sparky or a plumber care?
Fair question. You’ve been getting work through word of mouth, maybe a bit of Facebook, perhaps a few Google reviews. And that’s deadly – genuinely. But here’s the thing: more and more people, especially younger homeowners, are going straight to AI tools when they need a tradesperson fast.
They’re not scrolling through a list of websites. They’re asking a question and acting on the first decent answer they get back. If your business isn’t showing up in those answers, you’re invisible to an entire chunk of potential customers.
What does AI look for when recommending a tradesperson?
This is where it gets interesting. AI search tools pull their recommendations from what’s already on the web about your business. The more clear, consistent, and credible your online presence is, the more likely you are to get the nod.
Here’s what matters most:
- A proper website that clearly states what you do and where you work
- Your Google Business Profile being set up and up to date
- Consistent business info (name, address, phone) across the web
- Google reviews: especially recent ones with real detail in them
- Content that answers the questions customers actually ask
- Location-specific pages or mentions (e.g. “plumber in Finglas” not just “plumber”)
Want to know more optimising your Google Business profile? Check out our Google Business Profile Optimisation Quick Wins cheatsheet.
The brutal truth about cheap websites
A lot of tradespeople have a website that was knocked up five years ago by a fella they knew. It looks alright on desktop, half-loads on mobile, and has about four pages with not much on them. Sound as a pound yeah?
Not anymore.
AI tools are essentially reading your website the way a customer would: they’re looking for clear, specific information. “Plumber Dublin” is not enough. “Emergency plumber covering Drumcondra, Glasnevin, and Santry — available 7 days a week” that’s what gets you found.
Cheap website design will likely hurt your chance to get phone calls and bookings when it’s not properly set up and optimised.
WORTH KNOWING: AI search rewards specificity. The more clearly your website explains exactly what you do, exactly where you do it, and exactly who you do it for - the better your chances of showing up when it counts.
What can you actually do about it?
Look, we’re not going to bamboozle ya with jargon. Here’s the plain-English version of what needs to happen:
First, get your Google Business Profile sorted.
It’s free, it’s powerful, and a shocking number of tradespeople either don’t have one or haven’t touched it in years. Make sure your services, location, and hours are accurate, and start asking happy customers to leave a review.
Second, sort out yer website.
If your website is a bit of a state, it’s worth investing in something that actually works hard for your business. Not just something that looks grand – something that’s built to be found, that loads fast on mobile, and that tells the full story of what you offer. If you need website design in Dublin, we can sort ya out.
Third, think about the questions your customers ask.
“How much does it cost to get a boiler replaced in Dublin?” “What’s the best way to fix a leaking flat roof?” Write a few honest, helpful answers on your site. It sounds like a lot but even two or three of these can make a serious difference to how AI tools perceive your business as an authority.
The bottom line.
AI isn’t some mad science fiction thing anymore. It’s here to stay. I personally use it every day – lot. It’s the way people are finding local services right now, today, in Dublin. The tradespeople who cop on to this early are going to have a real edge over those who don’t.
You don’t need to become a digital marketing expert. You just need a website and online presence that does the job properly. And that’s exactly what we’re here for.
