How to get your business recommended by AI

How do I get ChatGPT and Google's AI to recommend my business?

AI tools recommend the businesses they can find described clearly, and the same way, in several places. Say plainly on your website what you do, where and for whom. Complete your Google Business Profile, collect reviews that describe the work, and get listed where your customers already look. Nobody can guarantee a mention.

A woman in Plettenberg Bay who needs a massage therapist used to type three words into Google and scroll. Now she is just as likely to ask ChatGPT, or Google's own AI Mode, "Who does lymphatic drainage massage in Plett?" and get three names back. A woman in Johannesburg looking for a coach asks the same way. If your business is not one of the names, she never sees the list you used to be on.

This is already happening here. In South Africa, monthly Google searches for "AI mode google" went from about 2,400 in October 2025 to 8,100 in September 2026, and searches for "AI overview" more than tripled over the same year (Google Ads data, pulled through DataForSEO in October 2026).

How does ChatGPT decide which businesses to recommend?

ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot do not know your business. They read about it. When someone asks for a recommendation, the tool looks at what it can find online (your website, your Google listing, your reviews, directories, articles about you) and names the businesses it can describe with confidence.

That confidence comes from three things: what you do is said plainly, it is said the same way in several places, and other people say it too. Everything below is one of those three.

What should my website say so AI understands it?

Read your homepage as a stranger would. Within the first two lines, could she tell what you do, where you do it and who it is for? "Healing for body and soul" tells an AI nothing. "Lymphatic drainage and sports massage in Plettenberg Bay, for women recovering from surgery" tells it everything it needs.

• Give each service its own page, or at least its own heading, in plain words.

• Answer the questions clients ask you on WhatsApp: what it costs, where you work, how long a session takes, whether you work online.

• Keep your words as text on the page, not only inside pictures, Canva graphics or PDFs.

• Ask whoever built your website to check that it is not blocking AI tools from reading it. Some security settings do this on their own.

What if I don't have a website?

You can still be found, but every other place has to work harder. Fill in your Google Business Profile completely (more on that below), write your Instagram and Facebook bios the same way you would write a homepage, and make sure your GWEN listing says exactly what you do and where. A website is still the one place you fully control, so put it on the list for later.

Why does my Google Business Profile matter for AI?

For local questions, Google's AI answers draw on what Google already holds about your business, and much of that comes from your Google Business Profile. It is free, and it is easy to leave half done.

Fill in every field: your categories, every service, the towns you serve, your hours and photos of your real work. Write the description the way you would explain your business to a new client over coffee. If you work from home, you can hide your address and show the areas you serve instead. Then do the same on Bing Places, because Microsoft's Copilot draws on Bing.

How do reviews help AI recommend me?

An AI gives more weight to what other people say about you than to what you say about yourself. Reviews help most when they describe the work, like "she helped me price my coaching packages and I doubled my rate", because they tell the AI what you do and for whom. When you ask a happy client for a review, ask her to mention what you did for her.

Beyond reviews, look for places where someone else describes your business: a podcast interview, an article in the Knysna-Plett Herald or the George Herald, a market you sell at, a member listing in a network like GWEN's business directory. Each one that uses the same name, the same services and the same towns makes the picture clearer.

How do I check what AI says about my business?

Once a month, open ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot and ask the question your client would ask: "Who does lymphatic drainage in Plett?" or "Can you recommend a money coach for women in business?" Then ask directly: "What do you know about [your business name]?" Write down what is wrong or missing.

Then fix the source. If it has your old phone number, it read that somewhere: find that page and correct it. If it never mentions your best service, your website and profiles probably do not say it clearly enough yet.

Can anyone guarantee I'll be recommended?

No. Nobody outside these companies controls what ChatGPT or Google's AI says. If someone offers you "number one in ChatGPT", ask how they would prove it. What you can control is whether everything written about you is clear, consistent and current. It is slower work, and it is the same work that helps Google and your clients understand you.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my business listed on ChatGPT?

There is no form to fill in for a service business. ChatGPT learns about you from what is published online, so the way to be "listed" is a clear website, a complete Google Business Profile, reviews and mentions on other sites.

Do I need a physical address for a Google Business Profile?

You need to meet clients in person, at your premises or theirs. You can hide your home address and show the areas you serve. If you only ever work online, Google's rules say you do not qualify, so put your effort into your website, LinkedIn and other people's sites instead.

How long does it take before AI mentions my business?

There is no fixed time. Each AI tool updates what it knows at its own pace, and some changes show within weeks while others take months. Check once a month rather than every day.

Does any of this cost money?

Google Business Profile, Bing Places, asking for reviews and checking ChatGPT are all free. What it costs is a few hours to get right, then half an hour a month to keep current.

I do this work with small businesses at Afinuit. If you would like a second pair of eyes on what AI says about yours, my details are on my listing.