Last updated: October 5, 2026 · 3 min read · By Ali Raza
To get your business recommended by AI assistants: make sure your site is crawlable and indexed in Google and Bing, allow the AI search crawlers, state what you do, where and for whom clearly on your homepage and service pages, keep your business details consistent across listings, earn reviews and third-party mentions, publish helpful answers to buyer questions, and track the questions that matter each month.
Ask an AI assistant “Who are the best web developers for small businesses in Toronto?” and it will name a handful. Those names are not random: they come from sources the assistant can find and trust.
These are the steps we follow to help businesses earn a place in those answers.
The AI recommendation checklist
1. Be reachable
- Check your important pages are indexed in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Assistants rely on search indexes, and some use third-party search providers.
- Allow search-related AI crawlers such as OAI-SearchBot, Claude-SearchBot and PerplexityBot in robots.txt and your firewall or CDN. OpenAI says sites that opt out of OAI-SearchBot will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers. See our AI crawlers guide.
- Keep key information in HTML text, not only in images or scripts.
2. Be clear about who you are
On your homepage, about page and service pages, state plainly: business name, what you do, who you serve, where, since when and what makes you different. Use the same wording consistently. Add Organization or LocalBusiness schema. Our schema guide explains which types help.
3. Be consistent everywhere
Make sure your name, address, phone, website, services and description match across Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, industry directories, LinkedIn and social profiles. Conflicting facts make systems less confident.
4. Be proven
- Reviews on Google and relevant platforms, with detail about the work.
- Case studies with the problem, solution and results.
- Named experts with credentials and author pages.
5. Be mentioned on trusted sites
AI answers often cite “best of” lists, directories, review sites, industry publications and community discussions. Get listed where your buyers look, contribute expert answers, partner with complementary businesses and pursue genuine press coverage. Never buy fake reviews or spam links.
6. Answer the questions buyers ask
Publish guides that answer cost, comparison and “how to choose” questions honestly, with your service page linked. Clear, specific answers are easier for assistants to quote and cite.
7. Measure every month
Keep a list of 20 to 50 questions buyers ask and check them across assistants monthly. Our guide to measuring AI search visibility explains the method. For background, start with what GEO and AEO are, or ask our AI search optimization team for a free visibility check.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my business to show up in ChatGPT?
Make sure your site is indexed and allows OAI-SearchBot, state clearly what you do and where, keep business details consistent, earn reviews and mentions on trusted sites, and publish helpful answers.
Does Google Business Profile help with AI search?
Yes. Accurate, complete business listings with reviews help search engines and AI systems understand and trust local businesses.
Can I pay to be recommended by AI assistants?
Organic AI answers cannot be bought. Some platforms are introducing ads, which are labelled separately from organic answers.
Do reviews affect AI recommendations?
Reviews on trusted platforms are one of the signals AI systems use to judge reputation, along with case studies and third-party mentions.