Google's AI Mode is changing how people find plumbers, electricians and other local services, but Search Console hides the query data by default. Here are four practical methods to uncover which AI searches are landing on your site and how to use that intelligence to get found more often.
Search Console now hides AI Mode query data by default, but UK service businesses can extract it using four methods detailed in a new Search Engine Journal breakdown published 19 August 2026.
If you run a plumbing, electrical, dental or fitness business, you need to know which AI-powered searches are finding your website. Google's AI Mode is changing how people ask questions and which businesses appear in the answer. The problem: Search Console buries that data, so most business owners have no idea whether AI search is working for them or sending traffic to competitors.
AI Mode is Google's conversational search experience. Instead of typing 'emergency plumber Nottingham' and clicking ten blue links, people ask full questions like 'which plumber near me can fix a burst pipe tonight?' Google's AI reads the question, scans the web, and surfaces a short list of businesses with an explanation.
For service businesses, this changes everything. If your website content does not answer the specific questions people ask, you will not appear in the AI answer. If you do appear, you need to know which questions triggered your listing so you can write more content around those themes and capture more enquiries.
Search Console records every query that brought a visitor to your site, including AI Mode queries. The catch: Google groups AI Mode data separately and does not show it in the default Performance report. You have to extract it manually.
The Search Engine Journal article compares four extraction methods. The first is a free machine-learning tool that automates the process. The second involves filtering Search Console by appearance type. The third uses the Search Console API to pull raw data into a spreadsheet. The fourth combines manual filtering with regular expression patterns to isolate conversational queries.
Each method has trade-offs. The free tool is fastest but requires sharing limited Search Console access. The API method gives you full control but needs basic scripting knowledge. Manual filtering works for small sites but becomes impractical once you publish dozens of pages.
The key point: you cannot improve what you do not measure. If you are publishing blog posts, service pages and FAQ content but never check which AI searches are finding that content, you are guessing. Once you see the actual queries, you can double down on the topics that work and stop wasting time on the ones that do not.
Start by exporting your AI Mode queries for the past three months. Look for patterns. Are people asking about price? Availability? Qualifications? Emergency call-outs? The questions tell you what matters to your market right now.
Next, map each high-volume query to a page on your site. If the query 'how much does a new boiler cost in Manchester' brought ten visitors last month but you have no page that answers that question directly, write one. If 'dentist open Saturday Birmingham' appears repeatedly and your opening hours are buried in a footer, create a dedicated page with a clear headline and your weekend schedule.
AI search rewards specificity. A page titled 'Boiler Installation Manchester' that lists prices, timescales and financing options will outperform a generic 'Services' page every time. The AI reads your content, decides whether it answers the query, and either includes you in the answer or moves on.
This is where Rosie, The AIgency's rankings and visibility Agent, makes the difference. Rosie publishes optimised content to your website every week, targeting the exact questions your market is asking. She monitors which topics drive enquiries, which pages rank in AI search, and which keywords your competitors are missing. Instead of guessing what to write about, you get a steady stream of content built around real search behaviour.
Rosie also keeps your Google Business Profile updated, your local citations consistent, and your site structure clean so Google's AI can parse your content quickly. When someone asks 'electrician near me available today', Rosie makes sure your business appears in the answer with the right information at the right time.
The majority of UK plumbers, electricians, dentists and fitness studios have websites that were built five or ten years ago and have not been touched since. The content is generic. The FAQ section has three questions. The blog has not been updated since 2019. There is no page answering 'how much does X cost' or 'do you cover Y area' or 'are you available at the weekend'.
AI search exposes that gap immediately. When Google's AI scans your site looking for an answer to a specific question and finds nothing, it moves on to the next business. You do not get a second chance. The enquiry goes to the competitor who bothered to write a 400-word page explaining their emergency call-out process.
Tracking AI Mode queries in Search Console shows you exactly where you are losing. Once you see the questions people are asking and the pages they are not finding, the fix is straightforward: publish the missing content, keep it updated, and monitor the results.
Log into Search Console and export your query data for the past 90 days. If you have access to the API or want to try the free ML tool mentioned in the Search Engine Journal article, use that. If not, filter your Performance report by search appearance and look for patterns in longer, conversational queries.
Pick the top five queries that brought AI Mode traffic to your site. Check whether each query lands on a page that directly answers the question. If not, write that page this week. If the page exists but the content is thin, expand it with specifics: prices, timescales, areas covered, qualifications, before-and-after examples.
Repeat the process every month. AI search behaviour changes as Google refines its algorithms and as your market asks new questions. The businesses that win are the ones that treat content as an ongoing system, not a one-time project.
Rosie handles that system for you. She tracks which queries are finding your site, which pages are underperforming, and which topics your competitors are ranking for. She publishes fresh, optimised content every week so you stay visible as search behaviour evolves. You focus on running your business. Rosie makes sure people can find you when they need you.
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