How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
How AI assistants choose which local businesses to recommend, and the practical steps that improve your chances of being mentioned.
Key takeaways
- AI assistants recommend local businesses using information they find online: profiles, websites, reviews and mentions.
- Google says its AI features use the same core ranking systems as Search, so strong SEO is the foundation of AI visibility.
- Clear service and area pages, direct answers, consistent listings and genuine reviews all help.
- Nobody can guarantee an AI recommendation. Be wary of anyone selling shortcuts.
More customers now ask an AI assistant instead of scrolling through search results. "Who is a good HVAC company near me?" "Which dentist in Leeds is best for nervous patients?" Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews answer with a short list of names. If your business is not on that list, the customer may never see you.
You will hear this called AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) or AIO (AI Overview Optimization). The names are new, but the foundations are not.
How AI assistants choose which businesses to mention
AI assistants do not have a secret list of businesses. When they answer a local question, they generally search the web and summarize what they find. That usually includes:
- Google Business Profiles and other business listings
- Your own website, especially pages that clearly describe your services and areas
- Reviews on Google and other review sites
- Mentions of your business on local news sites, directories, associations and forums
Google has said that its AI features, like AI Overviews, are built on the same core ranking and quality systems as regular Search, and that there is no special markup or file needed to appear in them. In other words, good local SEO is the foundation of AI visibility.
Seven steps that improve your chances
1. Make your Google Business Profile complete
Categories, services, service areas, hours, photos and description. AI tools draw on this information directly. Our Google Business Profile checklist covers every field.
2. Give each service and area a clear page
An AI tool cannot recommend you for "emergency roof repair in Plano" if nothing online says you do emergency roof repair in Plano. A dedicated page for each main service, naming the areas you cover, removes the guesswork.
3. Answer common questions directly
Add a short FAQ to your service pages that answers what customers really ask: prices, timing, what is included, whether you offer emergency call-outs. Lead with the answer in the first sentence. AI tools favor clear, quotable statements.
4. Keep your business details consistent
Your name, address, phone number and website should match everywhere they appear. Conflicting details make it harder for any system, human or AI, to be confident about your business.
5. Earn genuine, detailed reviews
Reviews that mention the specific service and area, like "they fixed our leaking roof in Frisco the same day", give AI tools useful detail to work with. Ask for honest reviews and never buy them.
6. Get mentioned on trusted local websites
Local news coverage, chamber of commerce listings, industry associations, suppliers and partners all count. Real mentions in trusted places build the prominence that both Google and AI tools look for.
7. Check what AI tools say about you
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your customers would ask, for example "best plumber in [your town]". Note who they recommend and what sources they cite. That shows you where the gaps are.
Be realistic about guarantees
No one can guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend your business. Answers change, tools differ and each one decides for itself. What you can do is make your business easy to understand and easy to trust. That improves your chances in Google Search, Google Maps and AI tools at the same time.
See what AI tools say about your business
Our free GMB audit includes a check of whether ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity and others mention your business today, along with the profile improvements most likely to help.