How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT

Make it easy for AI tools to understand who you are, trust you and quote you.

That means a clear website that answers real questions, the same details everywhere you’re listed, genuine reviews and mentions on other websites, and proof that you know what you’re doing. None of it is a trick. It’s the same work that wins on Google, done more deliberately.

Why this matters now

More and more buyers skip the search results and ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity directly: “Who’s the best web designer near Cambridge?” or “Which installer should I use for a heat pump?” The AI gives them a handful of names, sometimes just one.

If you’re not one of those names, you don’t get a chance to compete. You weren’t even in the room.

How AI tools decide who to recommend

When someone asks a question like that, the AI searches the web, reads what it finds and sums it up. ChatGPT’s search leans on Bing, Google’s AI on Google, and Perplexity on its own index.

So the businesses that get recommended are the ones those tools can find, understand and trust: a clear answer on their own website, backed up by other websites saying the same thing.

Seven steps to get recommended

1. Find out where you stand. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your buyers ask, like “best [what you do] in [your town]”. Note who they recommend, and what they say about you.
2. Make your website the clearest answer. Say what you do, who it’s for, where you work and what it costs, in plain English. Give each service its own page, and answer the questions people actually ask.
3. Keep your details the same everywhere. Your business name, address and phone number should match on Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, LinkedIn and every directory you’re listed on.
4. Earn mentions on other websites. Google reviews that mention the service and the town, trade directories, partners, local press and podcasts all tell AI tools you’re real and respected.
5. Show real experience. Case studies with real numbers, photos of real work and articles written by a named person beat generic copy every time.
6. Make your website easy for machines to read. A fast site, a sitemap, structured data that says who you are, and no settings blocking AI crawlers. It’s worth checking your hosting, as some block AI tools by default.
7. Check it every month. Ask the same questions, track who gets recommended, and keep improving the answers.

What not to bother with

You can’t pay an AI tool to recommend you in its answers, and stuffing your website with keywords won’t help. Fake reviews are worse than none. The businesses that win are the ones that are genuinely useful and easy to vouch for.

We’re doing this ourselves

Our own new website was built with every step above: clear answers on every page, prices shown, structured data, and nothing blocking AI tools. It’s the same work we do for clients through our AI search optimisation, which starts from £750 + VAT a month and is included in every SEO and Enquiry Engine plan.

Quick answers

How long does it take? Fixing your website and your details can make a difference within weeks. Reviews and mentions build up over months.

Does SEO still matter? More than ever. AI tools lean on the same signals Google does. Read Is SEO dead? for more.

Where should I start? With step one. Or let us do it for you: every free Growth Audit starts with what AI tools say about your business.