The problem with most tradie websites
Most tradie websites are what we call "digital brochures" — a homepage, an about page, a gallery, and a contact form. They look fine to humans. But to AI assistants, they're almost completely opaque.
Here's why: AI assistants don't browse websites the way you do. They don't look at your hero image or read your tagline. They look for structured data — machine-readable information that tells them exactly what services you offer, where you're located, what your credentials are, and what your clients think of you.
Most tradie websites have none of this.
What AI assistants actually look for
When someone asks ChatGPT "find me a good electrician in Bondi," the AI looks for:
- Schema markup (JSON-LD) — structured data that says "this is a local business, they do electrical work, they're in Bondi, they have 4.8 stars from 47 reviews"
- Consistent NAP data — Name, Address, Phone number that matches across the web
- Verified credentials — ABN, licence numbers, insurance details in a format AI can parse
- Fresh content — recent reviews, updated service lists, active profile
- Crawlable pages — content that isn't locked behind JavaScript rendering or authentication
Why social media doesn't help
"But I post on Instagram every week!" — sure, but Instagram is a walled garden. AI assistants can't see your posts, can't read your captions, and can't access your DMs. The same goes for Facebook. Your 500 project photos on Instagram are invisible to ChatGPT, Gemini, and every other AI assistant.
Why lead-gen platforms don't help either
Platforms like hipages optimise for *their own* SEO, not yours. When someone searches for your trade, it's the platform that ranks — not your individual profile. And because your profile lives inside their closed system, AI assistants can't access your specific reviews, credentials, or service details.
What actually works
The tradies who are getting recommended by AI are the ones with:
- Structured profiles on platforms that expose data to AI (like Quoteable)
- JSON-LD markup on their own website (LocalBusiness or ProfessionalService schema)
- Google Business Profile kept up to date with recent reviews
- Consistent information across all platforms
- Real, detailed reviews — not just star ratings, but reviews that mention specific services and locations
The Quoteable difference
Every profile on Quoteable is built with AI discoverability as a core feature, not an afterthought. Your services, credentials, reviews, and service areas are all stored as structured data that AI assistants can read and act on. When someone asks an AI to find a tradie in your area, Quoteable profiles are designed to surface.
It's not about replacing your website — it's about making sure your information exists in a format that the next generation of search can actually understand.