How to Make Your Business Show Up in ChatGPT and Google AI Search

Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash.

Here's the thing most business owners don't realise: your customers aren't just Googling you anymore. They're asking ChatGPT where to get the best accountant in Manchester, or telling Google's AI to find them a reliable plumber nearby. And if your business isn't optimised for AI search, you're invisible to a massive chunk of potential customers.

Welcome to AI Search Optimisation (ASO), the next evolution of SEO. Traditional search engine tactics still matter, but AI tools like ChatGPT, Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), and Bing's AI chat are changing how people discover businesses. The good news? Most of your competitors haven't caught on yet, which means there's a massive opportunity right now.

Let's get you visible in the AI-powered search world.

Why AI Search Actually Matters for Your Business

When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommendation, these systems pull from specific data sources, not just random websites. They prioritise businesses with consistent online listings, structured website data, and authoritative mentions across the web. According to OpenAI's research, ChatGPT uses Bing for 92% of its live web searches, which fundamentally changes where you need to focus your efforts.

If you've been ignoring business directories or thinking "nobody uses Bing," it's time to rethink that strategy. AI search doesn't care about your personal preferences, it cares about data quality and consistency.

Step 1: Claim Your Bing Places Listing (Yes, Really)

This might sound counterintuitive, but Bing Places is your secret weapon for ChatGPT visibility. Since ChatGPT relies on Bing's search infrastructure for the vast majority of its queries, having an optimised Bing Places listing gives you a direct line to ChatGPT's recommendation engine.

Here's what to do:

1. Head to Bing Places for Business and claim your listing
2. Fill out every single field: don't leave anything blank
3. Add high-quality photos of your business, products, or services
4. Include detailed service descriptions using natural language (more on that later)
5. Verify your listing through Bing's verification process

Most businesses skip this step because they assume nobody uses Bing. That assumption is costing them AI search visibility. As The Verge reported, AI-powered search is fundamentally reshaping how people discover local businesses, and Bing's integration with ChatGPT puts it at the centre of this shift.

Step 2: Get on Mapbox (ChatGPT's Map Source)

When ChatGPT provides map-based local recommendations, it pulls from Mapbox: not Google Maps. If you're not on Mapbox, you won't show up in these visual recommendations.

Use Mapbox's Contribute Portal to add or update your business listing. Make sure your business name, category, and address match exactly what you've listed elsewhere online. Consistency is everything in AI search.

Step 3: Keep Your NAP Consistent Everywhere

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. It sounds basic, but this is where most businesses mess up. If your business is listed as "The Digital Academy" on Google, "Digital Academy" on Bing, and "The Digital Academy Ltd" on Yelp, AI systems get confused.

Here's your checklist:

• Google Business Profile (your foundation: if you're making common SEO mistakes, this is priority number one)
• Apple Maps
• Yelp
• Facebook Business Page
• LinkedIn Company Page (especially critical for B2B businesses)
• Industry-specific directories relevant to your sector

Format your NAP identically across all platforms. That includes your phone number format (07123 456789 vs 07123456789), address abbreviations, and even punctuation. AI systems are literal: they won't understand that "St." and "Street" are the same thing.

Step 4: Let AI Crawlers into Your Website

This might be the easiest fix with the biggest impact. Many websites accidentally block AI crawlers in their robots.txt file, which means AI systems can't read or cite their content.

Check your robots.txt file (usually found at yourdomain.com/robots.txt) and make sure you're allowing these crawlers:

• GPTBot (OpenAI's crawler for ChatGPT)
• OAI-SearchBot (OpenAI's search indexing bot)

If you've blocked these crawlers: either deliberately or through a default setting in your website platform: you're essentially invisible to AI search. According to Google's Search Central documentation, allowing legitimate crawlers is essential for any modern search visibility strategy.

Step 5: Add Schema Markup to Your Website

Schema markup is like a translation layer between your website and AI systems. It's code that tells search engines and AI exactly what your content means: not what it might mean.

For local businesses, focus on these schema types:

• LocalBusiness schema (your name, address, phone, opening hours)
• Service schema (what you actually offer)
• FAQPage schema (questions and answers)
• Review schema (customer ratings and reviews)

You can implement schema using JSON-LD (the format Google and AI systems prefer). If that sounds technical, plugins like Yoast SEO or RankMath can help, or you can hire a developer for a few hours. Use Google's Rich Results Test to verify your implementation works correctly.

The investment is worth it. Schema markup makes your business "readable" to AI systems, which dramatically increases your chances of being recommended.

Step 6: Write Content AI Can Actually Use

AI systems love clear, structured content. They hate marketing fluff and vague descriptions. When you're writing website copy, blog posts, or service descriptions, think about how someone would ask an AI assistant about your business.

Instead of: "We provide innovative solutions that leverage cutting-edge technology to transform your digital presence."

Write: "We help small businesses in the UK improve their Google rankings through SEO audits, website optimisation, and content strategy."

Here's how to structure your content for AI:

1. Put answers at the top of each section: don't bury your main point
2. Use clear headings (H2, H3) that match natural questions
3. Add bullet points and numbered lists (AI systems extract these easily)
4. Create an FAQ section that mirrors how people actually ask questions
5. Keep paragraphs short (3-4 sentences maximum)

If you're not sure what questions your customers are asking, start by looking at your Google Business Profile questions or the "People also ask" section in Google search results. Those are gold mines for AI-optimised content ideas.

Want to see how well your website is set up for modern search? Try our digital assessment tool to identify gaps in your AI search readiness.

Step 7: Optimise Your Site Speed and Mobile Experience

AI systems factor in real-time performance when recommending businesses. If your website loads slowly or looks broken on mobile, you're less likely to be suggested: even if everything else is perfect.

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to test your site and get specific recommendations. Focus on:

• Image compression (large images kill load times)
• Mobile responsiveness (most AI searches happen on phones)
• Core Web Vitals (Google's measures of page experience)

This isn't just about AI search: it's about keeping the customers you do attract. A slow website means lost business, regardless of how they found you.

Step 8: Build and Monitor Your Online Reputation

ChatGPT and other AI systems evaluate businesses based on their review profiles and third-party mentions. A business with 50 five-star Google reviews and mentions in local news articles will rank higher in AI recommendations than a business with no social proof.

Here's your reputation-building strategy:

1. Actively request reviews from happy customers (Google, Yelp, Facebook)
2. Respond to all reviews: positive and negative
3. Get mentioned on authoritative sites in your industry (local news, trade publications, reputable blogs)
4. Monitor your brand mentions using Google Alerts or a tool like Mention

According to research from Search Engine Journal, businesses with consistent positive reviews and authoritative backlinks see significantly higher visibility in AI-powered search results.

The Bottom Line

AI search optimisation isn't some futuristic concept: it's happening right now. Your customers are already asking ChatGPT and Google's AI for recommendations, and if you're not optimised for these platforms, you're losing business to competitors who are.

The good news? Most businesses haven't adapted yet, which means early movers have a massive advantage. Start with the basics: claim your Bing Places listing, ensure NAP consistency, allow AI crawlers, and add schema markup. Those four steps alone will put you ahead of 90% of your competition.

Then build from there with AI-friendly content, strong reviews, and technical optimisation. This isn't a one-time project: it's an ongoing strategy that will define business visibility for years to come.

Ready to see where your business stands? Check out our SEO and digital marketing resources to keep learning, or get a comprehensive view of your current digital presence with a proper audit.

The AI search revolution is here. Make sure your business is part of it.