How Do I Get My Business To Appear in AI? 15 Proven Tips

To get your business to show up in AI searches, you need to make it easy for AI tools like ChatGPT and Google to find, understand, and recommend your business.

More customers are using these tools to find local service businesses online, so showing up in a regular Google search isn’t the only thing that matters any more.

This guide explains how AI finds and recommends businesses and the practical steps you can take to help your business get found and win more jobs.

And ChatGPT will reply with a reply like this:

This is why AI search recommendations matters for local businesses. When AI recommends your business based on a customer’s specific needs, that customer may be more likely to be a strong fit for your services—and more likely to become a qualified lead.

Google AI Overviews and AI Mode

How Google AI works

Google AI Overviews and AI Mode uses information from Google Search to answer customer questions. It looks at your Google Business Profile, website, online reviews, and other trusted sources to decide whether your business is relevant and trustworthy enough to recommend.

If your business is a good match for the search, Google AI may recommend it directly or cite your website in its AI-generated response. Google AI will often only highlight one to three businesses or sources, making it even more important to have a strong online presence.

How Google AI chooses local businesses

Google’s AI looks at many of the same signals that standard Google Search uses:

• Google Business Profile: Business information, service details, operating hours, and location data from your GBP helps Google surface your business to new customers.
• Customer location: For local search queries, businesses closer to the customer are more likely to appear in both Google AI and Google Search.
• Customer reviews: Google AI looks at the number of reviews your business has received, their overall sentiment, and how recently the review was submitted to determine your search visibility.
• Website pages: Service pages, location pages, and solution-driven content all help Google understand what your business does so it can recommend you.

ChatGPT

How ChatGPT works

ChatGPT gathers data across multiple search platforms—especially Bing—to determine what webpages it will recommend. It looks at your business data, reviews, and how many times your business is mentioned across multiple platforms.

ChatGPT provides links to its sources, and often references list-focused articles and blogs in its responses. If you’re looking to increase your visibility in ChatGPT, look to either get referenced in popular list articles about relevant topics, or publish your own list-based articles.

How ChatGPT finds local businesses

ChatGPT looks at information on multiple platforms to determine its rankings. ChatGPT uses similar signals to Google when creating responses:

• Brand recognition: This is similar to how traditional SEO operates. Is your brand associated with relevant topics? Are third-party websites mentioning your business? Are you publishing helpful content about your services and expertise? All of these factors impact your brand recognition.
• Review sentiment: Are your reviews mostly positive or negative? The overall sentiment of your customer reviews help ChatGPT assess your business.
• Consistent information: Does information on your website match information hosted on third-party websites? If not, how can ChatGPT determine which information is correct? Consistency matters.

Gemini

How Gemini works

Gemini relies on information from Google Maps (including, reviews, photos, and Google Knowledge Graph) when a searcher mentions a specific location—think “grass cutting services in Memphis.” Gemini will often include links within its answers pointing back to the recommended pages.

How Gemini finds local businesses

Gemini recommends businesses based on Google’s Business Profile details. These can include: business hours, service categories, review language and sentiment, recent updates, and photo/video content all contribute to Gemini’s decision-making process.

Perplexity

How Perplexity works

Like Gemini, Perplexity relies on your Google Business Profile data—as well as Yelp and other review platforms—in order to create a pool of sources. Every response in Perplexity includes links, usually two or four URLs.

How Perplexity finds local businesses

Perplexity uses the following signals when surfacing a webpage in AI search:

• The last time your webpage was updated
• Your webpage structure
• Your brand authority and expertise, demonstrated by your published content and mentions on third-party websites
• How closely your webpage topic matches what someone is searching for
• The number of third-party websites referencing your business or brand

Microsoft Copilot

How Copilot works

Copilot relies on information from Bing Places for Business—the same sources that ChatGPT uses. A verified Bing Places listing with your business name, address, phone number, and business hours contribute to your visibility on Copilot.

Copilot includes links to external pages in its responses, so there are opportunities for their AI to recommend your business.

How Copilot finds local businesses

A verified listing on Bing Places has a much higher chance of being mentioned in Copilot, and higher ratings and positive reviews help your website get ranked higher than your competitors.

Grok

How Grok works

Grok pulls information from across the internet and live X (formerly Twitter) posts. Posting about your business on X—including replies and quote posts—can influence whether Grok will mention or link to your website.

Links are less common in Grok replies, as many of its answers rely on X posts rather than external business webpage.

How Grok finds local businesses

Grok uses information primarily from X, so businesses need to maintain a credible, active presence on the website.

To get your business to appear in Grok, you need to maintain a presence on X that aligns with your website—for example, sharing business insights on X that link back to a webpage with more detail.

Your business information isn’t consistent

AI compares information about your business across multiple sources, including your website, Google Business Profile, online directories, and review sites. If your business name, address, phone number, service areas, or hours don’t match, AI has less confidence in your business.

Takeaway: Consistency is key. Keep your business information accurate and consistent everywhere it’s listed.

Your website doesn’t clearly explain what you do

Your website should make it easy for both customers and AI to understand your services, where you work, and who you help.

Takeaway: Create dedicated service and location pages, answer common customer questions, and explain your process using clear, straightforward language.

You don’t have enough reviews

Reviews help AI understand that your business is active, trustworthy, and delivers good service.

Takeaway: Ask satisfied customers for reviews regularly and respond to them. A steady stream of authentic reviews is more valuable than getting many reviews all at once.

AI doesn’t have enough trusted information about your business

AI is more likely to recommend businesses that are mentioned consistently across reputable websites.

Takeaway: Beyond your own website, build your presence on places like your Google Business Profile, industry directories, local business listings, and trusted review platforms.

1. Optimize your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile tells potential customers who you are, what services you offer, and where you work. It includes information like:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Operating hours
• Business category
• Photos (storefront, products, services, images provided by customers)
• Reviews
• Social media posts

It’s also one of the main sources Google uses to understand and recommend your business. To keep your profile complete, accurate, and up to date, make sure you:

• Keep things fresh: Your Business Profile includes links to your social media—so post new pictures, offers, and updates regularly. Profiles inactive for 30+ days will likely experience a sharp drop in AI visibility.
• Photos matter: Make sure photos posted to your Business Profile are high quality and contain correct information. Google’s vision AI scans your images to confirm your business category, services, and location match the information within your Business Profile
• Ask for and respond to feedback: Customer reviews are crucial for boosting your AI search visibility. Encourage your customers to leave detailed and positive reviews, and respond to every review you receive (good or bad)—it shows Google’s AI that your Business Profile is active and that you value your customers.

2. Keep your business information consistent across the web

Make a list of all the websites that feature information about your business—both yours and third-party websites. For example:

• Google Business Profile
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Yelp
• YouTube
• Local business directories
• Review websites
• Competitor websites

AI compares information about your business across multiple websites. If your business name, address, phone number, website, or service areas don’t match, it can make it harder for search engines to trust your information.

For the websites you do control, review the information listed there and refresh any out-dated information. For the websites you don’t control, simply reach out to these websites and request they correct any inaccurate information about your business.

3. Build dedicated service pages

Instead of listing all your services on one page, create a dedicated page for each service you offer. Individual service pages make it easier for Google and AI-powered search to understand your expertise and match your business to specific customer searches.

For each service page, include:

• Photos and examples of completed
• Customer testimonials and 5-star ratings
• Frequently asked questions section
• Clear call to action for a booking, trial, or consultation

Write content specific to your business and include details that only you can provide, like years of experience, certifications, completed projects, or customer results.

For example, “Over 200 local businesses have booked us for their recurring grass cutting services.” Unique information helps your business stand out from competitors.

Use this checklist as a starting point for thinking about your service pages:

• Each of my main services has its own dedicated page.
• Each service page has a descriptive title that includes what I do and where I do it (e.g. “Residential Lawn Care in Memphis”).
• I explained each service in plain language, the way a real customer would search or ask for it.
• Each page includes cities, neighborhoods, or communities I serve.
• Every service page has a clear next step, such as a quote form, booking link, or phone number.
• My pages include real photos (no stock photos), FAQs, and details that help customers understand what to expect.

4. Create helpful content that answers customer questions

Helpful content makes it easier for Google and AI-powered search to understand your expertise and recommend your business. Here are some ideas to get your started:

• Articles that answer questions people ask before hiring a service provider.
• FAQs about your services
• How-to guides and maintenance tips
• Service comparison pages and charts
• Pricing, cost, and buying guides
• Seasonal advice
• Common mistakes to avoid

Think about what problem your business solves for customers, and write about real-world success stories you’ve had in the past.

Not sure what to write about? AnswerThePublic can help you discover common questions people are searching for in your industry.

Site structure

Organize your website to make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. For example, your homepage should link to your service pages, and those pages should link to other relevant pages like pricing, FAQs, customer testimonials or contact information.

Internal linking

Link related pages on your website to one another. For example, a blog post about lawn care can link to your lawn mowing service page, helping customers find more information and making it easier for Google to understand your website.

Metadata

Give every page on your website a clear title, description, and image alt text that accurately describes what’s on the page. This helps Google understand your content and match it to the right searches.

E-E-A-T

Experience, Expertise, Authorativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are the four qualities that great online content demonstrates. Show customers—and Google—that you’re an expert in your field.

Publish helpful content, answer common customer questions, and share completed projects. Include testimonials, certifications, and years of experience to build trust with your readers.

6. Optimize your content structure for AI search

In the age of AI, the best content answers a specific question accurately and concisely. Well-organized content makes it easier for Google and AI-powered search to understand and recommend your content.

When creating new content, follow these best practices:

• Use clear headings that describe what each section is about.
• Write content in a logical order, starting with what your audience needs to know and then adding supporting details and examples
• Keep paragraphs short (two or three sentences max)
• Use lists, charts, and tables to break up long blocks of text and highlight key information.

For a full list of content structuring best practices, check out our guide on growing your Local SEO visibility.

7. Implement structured data (schema markup)

You can think of structured data—which can also be called schema markup—as the invisible map search engines use to navigate your website. Different schema types help you build out your website with detailed information that search engines can use to recommend your website.

If you’re using a website builder or SEO plugin, some schema may already be added automatically. If not, ask your web developer to add schema for your most important pages.

The most useful schema types for service businesses include:

Learn more about available schema types at Schema.org.

8. Collect more customer reviews

Customer reviews provide AI search engines corroborating data about your business. Reviews act as trust signals for search engines: a business with positive reviews will be interpreted as more trustworthy than one with poor (or no) reviews.

With Jobber Reviews, your customers will receive an automated request for a review right after the job is complete.

Don’t forget to respond to every review you receive, positive or negative. For positive reviews, reiterate important information from the review in your response:

“Thanks for your review! We’re thrilled you’re happy with our discount grass cutting services.”

For negative reviews, gently correct incorrect information if a review misrepresents your business:

“We’re sorry you feel that way. Our discount grass cutting service applies only to first-time customers, which is why you were not eligible for the discount this time.”

READ MORE: How to respond to negative reviews

You can easily track all the reviews of your business using Jobber’s Review Dashboard. You’ll see how your rating is trending and get notified when customers post new reviews, so you can reply right away.

9. Showcase testimonials and case studies

Customer testimonials and case studies help potential customers see the quality of your work. They also give Google and AI-powered search unique information about your business that can’t be found anywhere else.

Highlight successful projects by including:

• Customer testimonials
• Before-and-after photos
• Case studies that explain the customer’s problem, your solution, and the final result
• Project details, including the services provided, timeline, and outcomes

Whenever possible, include real quotes, photos, and project details to make your content more credible and helpful.

10. Build local authority with backlinks and citations

When reputable websites mention your business or link to your website, it increases your chances of being recommended in AI search.

Look for opportunities to list your business on:

• Local directories
• Industry directories
• Local listicles

External websites that point back to your website let AI search engines know that your business is an established authority in your field.

Make sure your business name, address, phone number, website, and service areas are accurate and consistent across every listing.

11. Optimize images and videos

Google’s AI will search through your visual content in addition to your written content. To make it easier for AI search engines to navigate, add the following to all of your images:

• Descriptive filenames for images and videos help AI engines understand what’s being displayed. Think about what’s easier to understand: an image of a ride-on mower with the filename “Screenshot2015-25-01.png,” or that same image with the filename “Custom-Grass-Cutting-Services.png.”
• Alt text is a short but insightful description of your visual content—usually including a relevant keyword. Using the same ride-on mower image, you could apply the following alt text: “Our business provides custom grass cutting services for commercial properties.”
• YouTube videos are a great way to increase your visibility in AI search. Create videos that answer common customer questions, showcase your work, or explain your services. Give each video a clear title and description, and include a link to your website in the video description. You can also embed relevant videos on your website to reinforce your expertise and help customers learn more about your business.

12. Improve website performance

If AI search engines struggle to access your website, you’ll be overlooked for websites that load quickly and smoothly.

Google uses a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals to measure your website’s loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. These measure how quickly your website loads and determine whether elements are affecting your visitor’s experience, like:

• Large images that take too long to load
• Broken links
• Ads that don’t load properly
• Fonts that slow down the page
• Too much code running in the background

Don’t forget to make your website mobile-friendly. Many customers will visit your website from their phone. Make sure your site loads quickly, is easy to navigate on smaller screens, and makes it simple to call, request a quote, or book your services.

13. Keep your content fresh and up to date

Regularly review your website to make sure the information is accurate and current. Outdated service pages, old pricing, broken links, or inaccurate business information can make it harder for customers—and search engines—to trust your content.

As your business changes, update your website with new services, pricing, photos, completed projects, and customer reviews. For pages that cover topics that change over time, schedule regular reviews to make sure the information stays accurate.

14. Build authority beyond your website

Find communities and forums that discuss topics related to your business, and respond to questions that you’re confident to answer.

Not only will this create third-party content that supports your expertise, it’s also a great way to reach potential customers that wouldn’t otherwise find your business.

Look for opportunities to answer questions or contribute advice on Reddit, Quora, industry forums, and local community websites where people are asking questions or seeking advice.

Pro Tip: Be sure not to be overtly salesy in your replies—many websites will prevent you from contributing if you are only there for self-promotion. Reply with thoughtful, useful advice. If there is a topic that is directly relevant to your business, you may suggest it, but don’t force it.

15. Make it easy for customers to contact or book you

One of the main functions of your website is to bring in new customers, so provide lots of ways for them to get in touch.

On your website, feature clear and obvious call-to-action buttons that direct visitors to intake forms or contact information. Respond quickly to visitors who reach out to you, and give them a chance to describe what services they’re looking for.

Set up your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is the backbone of your AI visibility efforts. Our Google Manager feature helps you create and automatically optimize and update your Business Profile directly inside of Jobber to keep your information fresh and accurate.

5-star reviews and examples of your work are automatically added to profile to maximize your chances of being discovered in AI search.

Optimize your service pages for AI search

Service pages help AI understand what your business does and where to send people looking for your expertise. With Jobber’s Website Builder, you can easily design and create search-optimized service pages that encourage potential customers to reach out to you:

When a customer lands on a page that directly speaks to their unique pain points, they’re much more likely to stay and engage with that page. That signals to AI that the page it recommended was a good choice.

Collect more customer reviews

Set up automatic review requests in Jobber to automatically send review requests to customers as soon as a job is complete, helping you collect more Google reviews with less effort.

You can respond to reviews directly from your Jobber dashboard so you can respond quickly to new reviews and gather positive reviews to feature on your website.

Using duplicate or generic content

Just like your customers, AI search engines are looking for unique content that provides quality answers to specific questions.

Don’t just publish content for the sake of it—research what your customers are searching for, conduct customer interviews, and see what your competitors are writing about.

Be sure to showcase your expertise on your chosen topic, so potential customers can see that you know your stuff.

Relying on AI-generated content

AI tools are a great starting point for your website content—tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can help you get ideas and research topics you want to write about.

But overly relying on AI tools, like generating an entire piece of content and then publishing it without review, can hurt your rankings in AI search.

Google and other AI search engines prioritize unique, expert-driven content—so think about the best way to demonstrate your expertise for a great chance to get found in AI.

Ignoring your Google Business Profile

If you want to be discoverable in search engines, your Google Business Profile needs to be complete with accurate information and updated whenever information changes.

Ensure that all the information in your Google Business Profile is accurate and matches the information listed on your website.

Not updating content

Outdated service pages, old pricing, broken links, and inaccurate business information can make it harder for customers—and search engines—to trust your website. Review your content regularly and update it as your business changes.

Forgetting schema

Your website’s schema markup needs to be accurate and effective. You could have a beautiful, up-to-date website with great content, but without the proper schema markup you make it harder for Google and AI to scan your website.

Adding the right schema helps search engines identify your services, business information, reviews, and FAQs—improving how your website appears in results search.

Having inconsistent business information

Ensure all the information you publish about your business (business name, address, phone number, website, business hours, etc.) are the same everywhere your business is listed. Inconsistent information can confuse both customers and search engines.

Ignoring reviews and local trust signals

Reviews help build trust with both potential customers and search engines. Respond to every review—whether it’s positive or negative—to show that you value customer feedback and are actively engaged with your customers

Negative reviews can really impact your business’ credibility. Take a two-pronged approach to reviews: respond to reviews of your business, either thanking the customer for positive feedback or responding to customer with negative feedback about how you can help.

In addition to responding to reviews, be sure to use Jobber to automatically request feedback from customers who have just used your service.

Track website traffic from AI platforms

Tools like Google Analytics allow you to track how people are finding your website, including from AI sources like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more. You can analyze how many people are finding your site through AI search, and what devices they’re using to find you.

Learn how to set up Google Analytics for your business.

Monitor brand mentions and AI citations

There are two main ways you can be found within AI search engines: mentions and citations.

• Mentions: AI recommends your business by name when answering a customer’s question. For example, if someone searched “I’m looking for a list of grass cutting services in Memphis for commercial properties,” ChatGPT may create a list of businesses that includes yours.

• Citations: AI links to your website as a source for the information in its response. A citation doesn’t always include your business name. AI may link to your website as the source of its information without explicitly recommending your business.

Tools like Ahrefs can help you track where your business is being mentioned or cited across AI search. You can also set up Google Alerts to monitor mentions of your brand.

Compare your visibility against competitors

Getting mentioned in AI search can be competitive, so it’s important to always monitor how your competitors are ranking as well as your own website.

Use the test described in the “Search for your business using AI platforms” section, but try searching for your competitors instead. Where do they rank on search engines? How often are they getting mentioned in various AI search engines?

You can also use tools like Ahrefs to get more detailed information about your competitors’ search visibility, and how your business compares.

Measure local search visibility

Regularly check how your business appears in local search results for the services you offer. Search for terms that include your city or service area, such as “roofing company in Dallas” or “lawn care near me,” and see how your business compares to local competitors.

Pay attention to which businesses consistently rank well. Review their websites, Google Business Profiles, and customer reviews to identify opportunities to improve your own online presence.

Monitor your customer reviews

Customer reviews play an important role in building trust with both potential customers and search engines. Check your reviews regularly, respond to customer feedback, and look for common themes that can help you improve your service and strengthen your online reputation.