AI search · 5 min read
How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT and AI search
By Locaris ·
People now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity questions like 'who's a good dentist near me?' or 'best coffee shop downtown'. These tools pull from what's published about businesses online. Nobody can promise an AI will recommend you, but you can make sure the information it finds is accurate, clear, and convincing.
AI tools summarise what already exists
AI assistants draw on websites, review sites, directories, maps data, and articles. If your business is barely mentioned, or the details conflict, there's little for them to work with. The groundwork is the same as good local visibility: be easy to find and easy to understand.
Make your useful pages accessible
OpenAI documents OAI-SearchBot as its search crawler. Check that your public pages can be reached without signing in and that your crawler settings allow the search tools you want to appear in. Google says its usual SEO fundamentals also apply to its AI features; there is no special markup that guarantees inclusion.
Sources: Google Search Central: AI features and your website · OpenAI: Search crawlers and website access
Say clearly what you do, where, and for whom
Your website should state your services, your area, and who you help in plain sentences. 'We're a family-run plumbing company serving north Calgary, specialising in water heaters and emergency repairs' is far more useful than a vague slogan. Give each main service its own section or page.
Answer the questions customers actually ask
Add an FAQ covering prices or price ranges, opening hours, booking, parking, and what to expect. AI tools often look for direct answers, and so do customers. Write the answers the way you'd say them on the phone.
Reviews carry weight here too
Recent, detailed reviews across Google and other platforms give AI tools real descriptions of your business from customers. A review that mentions 'quick same-day repair' says more than a single word. Keep asking every customer, and reply to what they write.
Get mentioned beyond your own site
Local news, community sites, supplier pages, and industry directories all add to the picture. Helpful articles on your own blog can build authority over time. Check occasionally by asking an AI tool about your type of business in your area, and see what it says and which sources it cites.
Put this into practice
- Read your main service page and check that it names the service, the area you actually cover, and the customers you help.
- Write down three questions customers asked recently, then publish accurate answers on the relevant service page. Use only prices, hours, and promises your business can support.
- Ask an AI search tool about your service in your area, record any sources it cites, and check those sources for incorrect business details. Treat the answer as a spot check, not a stable ranking.
Conclusion
Clear service information, useful answers, and consistent details give search tools better material to work with. These foundations help customers too, but they cannot guarantee an AI recommendation.
Your next step
Get a free visibility audit as a starting point for understanding your current Google and AI search presence.
Get a Free Visibility Audit
