How to write service pages that AI engines can recommend

Ask an assistant "who does commercial EPCs in East Sussex and what does it cost" and watch what it does: it finds a page that states the service, the area and a price, and quotes it. If your page says "we offer a comprehensive range of energy assessment services, contact us for a quote", it has nothing to work with and moves on to a competitor or a directory. In our audits, weak service pages are the most common content reason a business with a decent site is missing from AI recommendations.

The structure below is the same one a good salesperson uses on the phone. Put it on the page.

Step 1: One service per page, named plainly

The H1 names the service and, for local businesses, the area: "Commercial EPC assessments in East Sussex". The URL matches. A single overview page links to each service page, but each service has its own URL so an engine can match a question to a page.

Step 2: Open with the one-paragraph answer

The first paragraph answers what the service is, who it is for, where you do it and what it costs: "We carry out commercial EPC assessments for offices, shops and industrial units across East Sussex, usually within five working days of booking. Prices start at £X for units under 500 square metres." Everything a first-time visitor or an assistant needs is in the first 60 words.

Step 3: Say who it is for, and who it is not

A short block: the situations, business sizes and sectors you suit, and the ones you do not (too small, too far, outside your accreditation). Engines match on these attributes when a customer asks for something specific, and stating the "not" builds trust with both the engine and the reader.

Step 4: Publish the price or the range

A price table by size, tier or scenario, or a "from" price with the three things that move it. Include what is included and what costs extra. If you cannot publish exact numbers, publish typical ranges from real recent jobs. The engine will quote a number from somewhere; make it yours.

Step 5: Describe the process and the timeline

Numbered steps from enquiry to completion, with realistic durations: "1. Call or book online (same day). 2. Site visit (within five working days). 3. Report issued (within 48 hours of the visit)." This answers "how does it work" and "how long does it take" in one liftable block.

Step 6: Add proof that can be checked

Named clients or anonymised but specific case studies with numbers ("a 1,200 square metre warehouse in Newhaven, assessed and lodged in four days"), accreditation names and numbers, review count and average, and two or three quoted reviews. Photos of your own work, not stock. Proof is what separates a recommendation from a mention.

Step 7: Answer the phone questions in a short FAQ

Three to six questions you get on every call, answered in 40 to 90 words each, in plain HTML. "Do you charge for travel?", "Do I need to be on site?", "How long is the certificate valid?" These are the exact shape of the questions customers put to assistants.

Step 8: Add Service schema and connect it

A Service block with name, description, provider (your Organization @id), areaServed and offers with the price or price range, plus BreadcrumbList. Keep the schema consistent with the visible page.

Step 9: Link it, date it, maintain it

Link to the page from the homepage, the services overview, relevant guides and the footer. Show published and updated dates and keep them honest. Review quarterly: prices, timelines, accreditations, examples.

How to know it worked

Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Mode "how much does [service] cost in [area]" and "who does [service] in [area]". Your page should be the source, and the price quoted should be yours. Enquiries should arrive pre-qualified, already knowing the range.

Common mistakes

• "Contact us for a quote" as the entire pricing section.
• A services page that lists everything you do in one paragraph each.
• Stock photos and no named examples.
• Key content in tabs or widgets that are not in the HTML.