A homeowner does not search “entity resolution.” They type “AC is out” or ask ChatGPT for a plumber who can come today. The tool answers with a name. That name either belongs to you or it belongs to the shop whose pages were easier to read.
Trades already fight Maps packs, lead mills, and review games. AI search adds one more layer: the model will name someone even when the public facts are thin.
The cost of a wrong name
One emergency call on a 110-degree afternoon pays for a year of a clean public file. One call that goes to the contractor down the road does not show up in your analytics. You just notice the phone is quiet.
Lead sites sell the same job to a stack of vans. The customer gets six calls. You pay for a maybe. A public identity file does not sell that lead. It publishes who you are so a person or a model can stop guessing.
What to match, in order
Legal name and the name on the van. City and service area. Phone. Website. Primary trade — roofer, plumber, electrician, HVAC — not a junk drawer of every tag Google offered.
If you hold a state contractor licence, the public file can point at the official lookup when the owner has attested it. That is different from a directory badge you rented for the month.
Category pages are not “top 10” lists
AI Verified groups contractors by city and trade when enough classified records exist. The page is a collection of public files. It is not Angi. It is not a paid “best of.” On this site, “best” means the file is attested, not that someone bought the first row.
Gold is $297 a year for the company file after the website is proved. Extra physical locations are listed separately. That is the product. It is not a ranking package.
Read why this exists, then open the registry for your city and trade.