More and more people ask AI assistants for recommendations: “who is a good electrician in Hyannis?” or “best Brazilian steakhouse near Quincy”. The answer usually names a few businesses and links to a few websites. Here is how those tools find their information and what a local business can do to be part of the answer.
Where AI assistants get their information
The details change from tool to tool, and the main sources are the same ones you already know:
- Google’s own index and Business Profiles, used by Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google says there is no special markup for these features: the same practices that help in regular Search apply.
- The Bing index, used by ChatGPT search and Microsoft Copilot.
- Websites crawled directly by the AI companies’ own search bots.
- Reviews, directories and mentions across the web, which help the tools judge which businesses are real and trusted.
In practice, being easy to find on Google and Bing is the foundation of being found by AI.
1. Keep your Google Business Profile complete
Name, categories, services, service area, hours, phone, website, photos and reviews. A complete profile gives every tool the same clear facts about your business.
2. Write pages that answer real questions
AI tools pull short, direct passages from pages. Each service page should open with a clear paragraph saying what the service is, who it is for and where you offer it. Add a frequently asked questions section with the questions customers really ask, answered in plain words.
3. Make your website readable and fast
- Content in the page itself, without depending on heavy scripts to appear.
- One page per service, with clear titles and headings.
- Structured data that describes the business, the services and the FAQ.
- Fast loading on phones.
4. Let the search bots in
Check that your website does not block search and citation bots, like OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT), PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot and Bingbot. Some security settings block them by accident.
5. Register on Bing Webmaster Tools
Many businesses register on Google Search Console and forget Bing. Since ChatGPT and Copilot rely on the Bing index, submitting your sitemap there is a quick win.
6. Earn real mentions and reviews
Reviews on Google, a listing in local directories, your chamber of commerce, partners and local news. The more consistent and real your presence is across the web, the easier it is for any tool to trust and recommend you.
What to avoid
- Writing separate content “for AI” that customers never see.
- Making up numbers, testimonials or awards to look more credible.
- Creating dozens of thin pages for every town without real content.
How to check where you stand
Once a month, ask the main assistants the questions your customers would ask, like “best house painters in Falmouth”. Repeat each question a few times, because answers vary, and note whether your business shows up.
At Leader, every website we build follows these steps, and our clients’ Google profiles, websites and social media are kept consistent with each other. Want to know how your business appears in AI answers today? Ask for a free audit.