August 2026 AEO Roundup: How UK Garages Are Showing Up in AI Search

Every month we analyse how UK independent garages and MOT stations are showing up when drivers ask AI engines for a recommendation. Here's what August 2026 told us.

The headline: visibility is still patchy

Across the 20,602 garages in our DVSA-verified database, the average AI Visibility Score remains low. Most independent garages are invisible to ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews when a driver asks something like "best MOT garage near me". The garages that are getting cited share three things: a verified Google Business Profile, structured FAQ content, and schema markup on their site.

Which engines cite garages most

Perplexity continues to be the most likely engine to cite a local garage, followed by Google AI Overviews. ChatGPT tends to lean on directory-style results unless a garage has published clear service and FAQ content. Claude and Copilot are citation-light for local services generally.

What moved this month

Garages that published at least one new piece of structured content (a service description, an FAQ, or a local page) saw the largest score lifts. Garages relying only on a GMB listing were largely flat.

What to do in September

1. Verify your Google Business Profile is complete and accurate.
2. Publish a short FAQ answering the 5-10 questions your customers actually ask.
3. Add schema markup so AI engines can read your services and location.

Claim your free RecallIQ profile to get your current AI Visibility Score and the exact content AI engines need to recommend you.