It’s Tuesday afternoon and someone’s hosting family this weekend. They’re standing in the kitchen staring at the grout, the baseboards, and the bathroom that “just needs a reset.” They don’t type “cleaning company” anymore. They type “deep cleaning near me” or ask an AI, “Who’s a bonded and insured cleaner that can come Thursday and do a real deep clean?” If your cleaning business shows up in Google results, that’s SEO. If an AI tool recommends you by name (sometimes without the customer ever clicking a website), that’s AEO. For cleaners, understanding both is how you turn “I’m overwhelmed” into booked visits in the $100–$300 range.
First, the two ways customers discover cleaners now
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps you appear when people search on Google and see maps results, website results, and directory listings.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) helps you get named in AI-generated answers (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, etc.) when people ask for a recommendation or a shortlist.
In cleaning, this shift matters because many customers aren’t shopping “someday.” They’re shopping for a time slot, trust, and consistency—especially if they’ve been burned by inconsistent results before.
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Where SEO actually shows up for a cleaning business
When someone searches:
- “house cleaning [city]”
- “move-out cleaning near me”
- “office cleaning [neighborhood]”
- “post-construction cleaning [city]”
- “deep cleaning for allergies”
Google typically shows three major areas where you can win:
1) The map results (the fast lane for local bookings)
This is the map with a few cleaners listed underneath. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) largely determines whether you appear here.
For cleaners, the map results are where “need it soon” searches land—holiday prep in November, move-out season in summer, and the spring cleaning rush.
2) Website results (where you capture specific services)
These are the standard organic listings. This is where service pages like “Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning in [City]” and “Post-Construction Cleaning” can bring in customers who are comparing options and pricing.
3) Trust signals (reviews, photos, consistency)
Cleaning is intensely trust-based: you’re in someone’s home or workplace. Google doesn’t just guess “best.” It uses evidence—review patterns, profile completeness, and real-world engagement—to decide who deserves visibility.
A useful next step if you’re thinking beyond Google is: How to get my Cleaning Business in ChatGPT?
What AEO means for cleaners (and why it’s not just “SEO, but trendy”)
AEO is about being the answer when the question is phrased like:
- “What’s the best cleaner near me for a one-time deep clean?”
- “Which cleaning company is bonded and insured and background-checks staff?”
- “Who does move-out cleaning in [city] and has a satisfaction guarantee?”
- “What cleaner is good for allergies and pet dander?”
Instead of ten blue links, AI tools often give one recommendation or a short list with reasons. That changes how you compete:
- SEO helps you show up among options.
- AEO helps you get picked as the option.
And for cleaning, the “reasons” AIs cite are usually the exact things humans care about: consistent teams, clear scope, proof of insurance, and reviews that mention details like kitchens, bathrooms, and deep cleaning results.
If you want a plain-English explanation of how the AI platforms differ, this helps: ChatGPT vs AI Overviews vs Grok vs Perplexity: What's the Deal?
The overlap: what boosts both SEO and AEO at the same time
A lot of cleaning business owners worry they need a totally separate “AI strategy.” In practice, the winning play is usually:
- Make your business information consistent and complete
- Make your services painfully obvious
- Collect reviews that describe the job
- Publish pages that match what people actually book
Those four actions help Google rank you and help AI systems confidently recommend you.
One cleaning-specific nuance: the average American spends about 6 hours per week cleaning. That means your ideal customer is usually buying back time. Your marketing should reflect that reality—clear promises, clear scope, and clear proof you deliver consistent results.
Cleaning-specific pieces that move the needle (not generic marketing advice)
Build pages around the appointments you want more of
People don’t search “cleaning.” They search the outcome and the situation. If you only have a single “Services” page, you’re making Google and AI guess.
Create dedicated pages (or improve existing ones) for high-intent services like:
- House cleaning (recurring): weekly/biweekly/monthly, what’s included, how you assign teams
- Deep cleaning: first-time clean, detail work, baseboards, blinds, inside appliances (only if you offer it)
- Move-in/move-out cleaning: rental-ready scope, checklist style language, what’s excluded
- Office cleaning: after-hours options, supplies, restrooms, breakrooms, consistency
- Post-construction cleaning: dust control, debris, HEPA vacuums if applicable, safety process
Add service-area clarity on each page. “Serving Phoenix metro” is weaker than naming real cities/neighborhoods you actually dispatch to.
Also, don’t ignore what customers worry about most: kitchens and bathrooms harbor the most bacteria. When your page clearly explains how you approach those areas (products, process, detail work), you become easier to trust—and easier for an AI to summarize accurately.
Turn “bonded and insured” into visible, scannable proof
Cleaning customers often ask about safety before price—especially for recurring service.
Put trust signals where they’re impossible to miss:
- Bonded and insured (and where applicable, what that means)
- Background-checked staff
- Consistent team assigned (if you do that—huge differentiator against rotating crews)
- Satisfaction guarantee (what happens if they’re unhappy, and how fast you fix it)
AI systems tend to repeat what they can verify from your site, profile, and reputable listings. If these claims are buried or missing, the AI may recommend a competitor that’s simply clearer.
Make reviews mention the type of cleaning (not just “amazing job”)
You can’t force customers to write detailed reviews, but you can prompt them.
When you request a review, ask a question that nudges specificity:
- “Would you mind mentioning if this was a deep clean, move-out clean, or recurring service?”
- “If you have a second, mentioning the kitchen/bathroom results helps other homeowners.”
- “If allergies were a concern, feel free to mention whether the home felt less dusty after.”
Why this matters: regular cleaning can reduce allergens by around 50%. If your reviews and pages connect your service to allergy relief, you’ll show up more often for searches like “cleaning service for allergies” and “reduce dust in house.”
Keep your Google Business Profile tight (this is your storefront)
For cleaners, GBP often drives the fastest calls. Make sure these are dialed in:
- Primary category and relevant services (house cleaning, deep cleaning, move-out cleaning, etc.)
- Service area accurately defined (don’t “cover” places you won’t drive to)
- Hours (including holiday adjustments—November is a big season for last-minute prep)
- Photos that look real: teams, supplies, before/after (without violating privacy), sparkling kitchens/bathrooms, finished construction cleanups
- Clear booking/call options and quick replies to messages if enabled
A simple but overlooked win: post seasonal updates. “Spring deep clean openings” in March/April, “move-out slots” in summer, “holiday prep cleanings” in November. That’s not just marketing—it’s relevance.
How SEO and AEO differ in the real world for cleaners
Google cares a lot about proximity; AI cares a lot about clarity
Map visibility is strongly tied to location and searcher proximity. AI recommendations lean heavily on whether it can confidently say:
- what you do (deep cleaning vs recurring vs move-out)
- who you serve (areas and customer type)
- why you’re safe (insured, background-checked, guarantee)
- what people say (review detail and volume)
AI can create “zero-click bookings”
With classic SEO, the customer often clicks your site, reads, then contacts you. With AEO, the customer might get your business name and phone number directly in the answer and call immediately—especially for time-sensitive needs like move-out deadlines.
That’s great if you’re included, brutal if you’re invisible.
If you’re noticing fewer site visits but calls haven’t dropped, that can be a sign AI summaries are answering questions before people click.
A practical routine cleaners can actually keep up with
You don’t need a marketing department. You need consistency.
Every week (60–90 minutes)
- Upload 5 new GBP photos (recent work, team shots, supplies staged professionally)
- Request reviews from 3–5 happy customers, same day as service when possible
- Add one FAQ to your most booked service page (example: “Do you bring supplies?” “Do you use fragrance-free products?” “What’s included in a deep clean?”)
Every month (2–4 hours)
- Improve one service page you want more calls for (often deep cleaning or move-out cleaning)
- Audit your listings: Google, Yelp, Facebook, and any local directories that rank for your name
- Update seasonal messaging (spring, summer move-outs, November holiday prep)
Every quarter (half-day project)
- Standardize your scope checklists so your marketing matches reality (reduces “inconsistent results” complaints)
- Add a short “How we handle quality” section on your site (re-clean policy, inspection steps, feedback loop)
- Publish one helpful article targeting a real question (ex: “Deep cleaning checklist before hosting holidays” or “Move-out cleaning: what landlords actually check”)
If you want to monitor whether you’re showing up across AI platforms—and get a concrete list of what to fix—Pantora is built for that.
How to tell whether AI recommendations are impacting your leads
Look for these patterns:
- New customers say, “I asked ChatGPT who to hire,” or “Google recommended you.”
- Calls mention trust criteria upfront (“Are you insured?” “Do you background check?”) because the AI framed the shortlist that way.
- You’re getting more “ready to book” inquiries and fewer long browsing sessions on your website.
- Competitors with clearer positioning (like “move-out cleaning specialists” or “same team every visit”) are showing up more, even if you’ve been around longer.
If you’re not showing up, fix these common gaps first
Most cleaning companies miss AI recommendations for predictable reasons:
- Your website doesn’t clearly separate deep cleaning vs recurring cleaning vs move-out cleaning
- Your service area is inconsistent between GBP, your website, and directory listings
- Reviews are high-rated but vague (“great!”) and don’t mention the service type
- Your trust signals are implied but not stated (no “bonded and insured” language, no satisfaction guarantee details)
- Your profile looks inactive (few recent photos, old posts, outdated hours)
A simple “starter fix” that works: pick one profitable service (say, move-out cleaning), create a dedicated page for it, update GBP services to match, and drive 10 reviews over the next month that explicitly say “move-out cleaning” (or “deep cleaning”). That single alignment can improve both SEO rankings and AI visibility.
Cleaners who win online over the next few years won’t be the ones with the fanciest websites. They’ll be the ones who make it easy to understand: what they clean, where they clean, why they’re safe, and what customers experience after the visit. When your GBP, website pages, and reviews tell the same clear story, you don’t just “rank”—you get recommended.