How We Secured Visibility in ChatGPT & Gemini AI Search

AI search is changing how customers look for local services. Platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini now provide direct answers, which means plumbing and HVAC companies must ensure their expertise is recognized to stay competitive.

With our AI SEO Service, CPI Service gained visibility in these results. This case study shows how we secured their presence in AI platforms, built authority, and opened new opportunities through conversational search.

423

No of keywords ranked

500 – 800

Monthly Visit

55%

Increased In Organic Traffic

Challenges Restricting Visibility on ChatGPT & Gemini

Weak Entity Recognition :
The company’s brand and services were not well established as entities across trusted sources. With few references in directories and industry profiles, AI models struggled to connect them with plumbing and HVAC searches.
Competitor Authority Advantage :
Competitors held stronger backlinks, citations, and topical authority. These authority signals made AI systems prioritize their content, leaving CPI Service less visible despite offering similar services.
Content Misaligned with AI Answer Formats :
Content was written for traditional SEO rather than AI-driven answers, so it lacked concise, fact-based structures. This made platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini less likely to surface it in responses.
Insufficient Presence in External References :
Mentions in local directories, review platforms, community forums, and trade association listings were limited. This reduced third-party validation, weakening credibility in AI evaluations.
Lack of Machine-Readable Expertise Signals :
Important signals such as schema markup, structured data, and author credentials were missing. These give AI systems the context they need to interpret information correctly. Without them, platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini struggled to recognize expertise and relevance.

About the Client

The client is a plumbing and HVAC company based in San Jose with more than 35 years of industry experience. They provide residential and commercial services including repair, installation, and 24/7 emergency support throughout the Bay Area.

What Is the Main Objective?

The main objective was to secure strong visibility in AI-driven search platforms, particularly ChatGPT and Gemini. The focus was on gaining recognition within these results to capture missed traffic, build credibility, and grow brand awareness.

How Do We Monitor Performance and Visibility on ChatGPT & Gemini?

Monitoring visibility in AI-driven platforms requires a different approach than traditional SEO tracking. Since ChatGPT and Gemini deliver direct answers rather than rankings, we track how often the company is mentioned, the accuracy of those mentions, and the visibility impact on customer searches. This approach provides a reliable picture of brand presence in conversational search.

Analyzing AI Answer Visibility on ChatGPT & Gemini

To measure visibility, we analyze how often and how well the company is mentioned in ChatGPT and Gemini results. The process focuses on three main areas:

Testing Relevant Queries
We ask ChatGPT and Gemini common plumbing and HVAC questions to check if the company is included in the answers. This shows whether AI systems recognize the brand.
Tracking Mentions and Accuracy
It is not enough to just appear. The details must be correct. We track how frequently the company shows up and whether its services are described accurately.
Benchmarking Against Competitors
We run the same queries for competitors to see who AI platforms highlight more often. This helps identify authority gaps and opportunities for improvement.

Monitoring Current AI Chat Visibility

We built a process to regularly track how CPI Service appeared in ChatGPT and Gemini. This helped us measure consistency and identify changes in visibility over time.

1. Setting a Fixed Monitoring Schedule
We selected a set of plumbing and HVAC service questions and tested them in ChatGPT and Gemini on a weekly basis. Running these checks regularly gave us comparable data instead of random results.

2. Recording Results With Screenshots and Logs
Every test was documented in a tracking sheet, supported with screenshots of ChatGPT and Gemini answers. This created a clear record of whether CPI Service was mentioned, how it was described, and which competitors appeared.

3. Analyzing Shifts Over Time
By reviewing the records week by week, we could see whether CPI Service’s visibility was improving, holding steady, or dropping. For example, if mentions appeared consistently in HVAC queries but not in plumbing ones, we knew where to focus optimization efforts.

Tracking AI Chat Traffic in GA4

Tracking AI-driven traffic in GA4 matters because it allows us to:

Separate AI traffic from regular organic traffic to measure the real contribution of ChatGPT and Gemini.
Identify which service pages attract AI-driven visitors, such as plumbing, HVAC, or emergency services.
Evaluate engagement and conversions to confirm whether AI visibility results in meaningful leads.

To capture this data, we followed a structured process:

1. Access Traffic Acquisition and Apply Referral Filter
Go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition and filter results by Referral & affiliate traffic.

2. Apply Session Source/Medium Filter With Regex
Choose Session Source/Medium as the filter and enter the following regex:

3. Check Engagement Reports
In Engagement > Pages and Screens, review which pages are receiving visits from AI-driven referrals.

Our Strategy for AI Chat Ranking

To secure visibility in ChatGPT and Gemini for CPI Service, we implemented a targeted AI SEO strategy built around four key areas:

Research Question-Centric Keywords : We optimized content in a Q&A format to match how users interact with AI chat platforms. Instead of relying only on short service keywords like plumbing repair San Jose or HVAC installation Bay Area, we expanded coverage with customer-focused questions such as Who provides 24/7 plumbing repair in San Jose? and What is the cost of HVAC installation in the Bay Area? This approach aligned content with how ChatGPT and Gemini process queries and improved recognition.

Content Structure for AI Recognition : We restructured service pages using natural language triples (Subject–Verb–Object), which makes it easier for AI models to extract accurate details. Clear headings (H1, H2, H3), concise answers, and fact-based statements were used throughout. This structure allowed ChatGPT and Gemini to interpret information correctly and cite it as part of their responses.

Enhanced AI Reputation & Brand Authority : To strengthen authority signals, we secured citations in trusted local directories that AI platforms frequently reference for service recommendations. In addition, we contributed valuable insights on community platforms such as Reddit and Quora, where genuine discussions help conversational AI models identify credible sources. These external mentions reinforced the brand’s authority and improved recognition within ChatGPT and Gemini responses.

Establishing Content Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) : We demonstrated Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust by embedding facts, evidence, and author credibility into service pages. Certifications, years of experience, and qualified authorship were clearly highlighted. We also showcased customer reviews and testimonials, providing real-world validation that reinforced the client’s trustworthiness in AI-driven answers.

Results & Achievements

Through our optimization efforts, CPI Service achieved strong visibility across multiple high-value plumbing and HVAC queries in both ChatGPT and Gemini. These results show how the brand is now consistently recognized as a trusted service provider in conversational search.

ChatGPT Visibility