Ask ChatGPT for the best plumber in Henderson or the best dentist near Plano, and it will usually name a short list of businesses and leave the rest out. Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode can do something similar. Naturally, every local business owner wants to know how to get on that list.
Here is the honest starting point: nobody outside these companies can see exactly how the answers are chosen, and a lot of advice online presents guesses as facts. What can be said with confidence is this: make your business easy for these systems to reach, consistent everywhere it appears online, and backed up by independent sources, then test the results with real prompts. This guide walks through each step and flags what is documented and what is only suspected.
Start by Knowing What You’re Actually Optimizing For
There is no single “AI ranking.” Three different systems are involved, and they work differently.
- ChatGPT search: OpenAI says any public website can appear in ChatGPT search, and that to be included in summaries and snippets you should not block its search crawler, OAI-SearchBot.
- Google AI Overviews and AI Mode: these are built into Google Search. Google says there are no additional requirements or special optimizations beyond being indexed and eligible to appear with a snippet.
- Gemini: Google’s assistant. Google does not publish separate requirements for it that I can point to, so the sensible assumption is that the same foundations apply.
Results also vary by person, location, and the exact wording of the question, and Google notes that AI Overviews often do not appear at all. Treat any claim that one specific directory supplies most of ChatGPT’s local answers as a theory. Published studies disagree, with different researchers pointing to Bing Places, Yelp, business websites, and other sources. That disagreement is the best argument for the approach below: be solid everywhere, not perfect in one place.
If you want the underlying concepts first, see our guides to generative engine optimization and how GEO differs from SEO. This post focuses on what a local business should actually do.
Step 1: Make Sure the Systems Can Reach You
You cannot be recommended from a page that cannot be fetched. Check these basics first:
- Your robots.txt allows Googlebot and OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI treats its search crawler and its training crawler (GPTBot) as separate, so you can allow search and still opt out of training. OpenAI’s crawler documentation says changes can take about 24 hours to take effect.
- A firewall, security plugin, or CDN is not blocking these crawlers by accident.
- Your important pages are indexed and not set to nosnippet, since Google says a page must be eligible to appear with a snippet.
- Key facts such as services, service areas, hours, and phone number are written as text on the page, not locked inside images or PDFs.
A robots.txt rule that allows OpenAI’s search crawler looks like this:
User-agent: OAI-SearchBot
Allow: /Step 2: Build One Consistent Identity Everywhere
AI tools pull from many places, so contradictions create doubt. Your business name, address, phone number, hours, categories, and service descriptions should match on your website, your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, and the major directories in your industry.
Google specifically lists keeping your Business Profile information up to date among the practices that remain worthwhile for its AI features. Our guide to optimizing your Google Business Profile covers the profile itself, and why NAP consistency matters explains the rest.
There is no special AI markup to add. Google says you do not need new machine-readable files, AI text files, or special schema. Ordinary LocalBusiness structured data is still good practice, as long as it matches what is visible on the page.
Step 3: Earn Corroboration From Independent Sources
Think of an AI assistant as a cautious friend asked for a recommendation. The easiest businesses to recommend are the ones several independent sources agree on. Consider this illustration, not a real case. Dentist A calls itself a family practice on its website, a cosmetic dentist on Google, and lists an old phone number on Yelp, with a few dozen reviews on a single platform. Dentist B describes itself the same way everywhere, has reviews on Google and one other relevant platform, and is mentioned by a local newspaper and a dental society. Dentist B is far easier to describe with confidence.
In practice, that means:
- Collecting genuine, detailed, recent reviews on Google and on one or two platforms that matter in your industry. Our post on how to increase Google reviews has practical methods. Never buy or fake reviews.
- Earning real mentions from local news, chambers of commerce, trade associations, and community organizations.
- Responding to reviews, which adds fresh, specific detail about what you do.
Step 4: Publish Pages That Answer Real Questions
Service pages that name the city, describe who you help, and answer common questions directly give AI systems clear material to quote. Lead each section with a plain answer, and include concrete facts like service areas, credentials, and how the process works. Avoid vague claims that anyone could make. For writing guidance, see our guide to optimizing content for AI search results.
What Not to Waste Time On
- AI text files or special AI schema, which Google says are not needed.
- Anyone selling guaranteed placement. Neither OpenAI nor Google documents a way to buy an organic recommendation.
- One-directory silver bullets, since the research disagrees.
- Exact review-count targets. Numbers like “you need 200 reviews” are not supported by anything OpenAI or Google has published.
How to Test Whether It’s Working
Run the same set of prompts regularly and record the results. Try prompts such as “best [service] in [city],” “who can help with [problem] near [neighborhood],” and “[service] open now in [city].” Use different wording, and test in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode.
| Prompt | Tool | Named? | What it said | Sources cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| best [service] in [city] | ChatGPT | |||
| who can help with [problem] near [area] | Gemini | |||
| [service] open now in [city] | Google AI Mode |
Repeat monthly and expect some variation. When an answer is wrong, fix the source it came from, whether that is your website, your Google Business Profile, or a directory listing.
For measurement, OpenAI says ChatGPT adds utm_source=chatgpt.com to referral links, so you can find that traffic in Google Analytics. Google says AI feature traffic is included in the overall Web search data in the Search Console Performance report, with no separate AI report. Our post on how Google AI Overviews affect website traffic explains how to read the numbers.
Want Help Getting Found in AI Search?
Brooks Internet Marketing helps local businesses get found in Google, Maps, and AI search. If you want a second pair of eyes on your crawl access, listings, and reviews, talk to our SEO company that works on both traditional and AI search. Call (949) 940-5295 or request a free website audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay to get recommended by ChatGPT?
Be skeptical of anyone selling guaranteed placement. Neither OpenAI nor Google documents a way to buy an organic recommendation in an answer. The reliable work is access, consistency, and corroboration.
Does ChatGPT use my Google Business Profile?
Neither company publishes the full list of local data sources, and studies disagree. Your profile still matters, because Google lists accurate Business Profile information among the practices that stay worthwhile for its AI features.
Do I need special schema or an llms.txt file?
No. Google says you do not need new machine-readable files, AI text files, or special schema to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
How long does it take to appear in AI answers?
It varies. Crawl access changes can take effect within about a day for OpenAI, while reviews and mentions build over months. No one can promise a timeline.
How do I know if ChatGPT is sending traffic to my site?
Look for referral traffic with utm_source=chatgpt.com in Google Analytics, which OpenAI says it adds to referral links.
What if an AI tool shows wrong information about my business?
Fix the source. Update your website, your Google Business Profile, and any directory listings, then retest after the sources have been recrawled.
