Insights · Get found · AEO and GEO
How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT
By Stacey G, Senior SEO and Account Manager
Published · 3 minute read
The short answer
ChatGPT recommends businesses it can describe confidently from several sources that agree with each other. To be recommended, state clearly on your website what you do, for whom and where; keep those facts identical across Google, Bing, LinkedIn and directories; earn genuine reviews; get mentioned on trusted sites in your sector; and make sure ChatGPT's crawlers can read your site.
More of your clients now ask ChatGPT before they ask Google. "Which accountant in Leeds is good for contractors?" "Who are the best family solicitors near me?" ChatGPT answers with a handful of names. Here is how to give it every reason to include yours.
How does ChatGPT choose which businesses to recommend?
When ChatGPT searches the web to answer a question, it reads pages from search indexes, including Bing, and pulls passages that answer the question. It favours businesses that are described clearly and consistently across several sources. If your website says one thing, your Google listing another and a directory a third, it has little reason to be confident about you.
Step 1: ask ChatGPT about yourself
Open ChatGPT in a private window and ask the questions your clients ask. Note whether you are named, how you are described and which sources are cited. Then ask "What do you know about [your business]?" Anything wrong or missing is your to-do list.
Step 2: make your website quotable
- Under each service heading, write one or two sentences saying what you do, for whom and where.
- Use question headings that match how people ask, such as "How much does conveyancing cost?"
- Name your people and their qualifications.
- Add structured data for your organisation, services and FAQs.
Step 3: make your facts identical everywhere
Your name, services, locations and description should match on your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, LinkedIn and the directories in your sector. Fix old addresses and services you no longer offer at the source; AI tools repeat what they read.
Step 4: get into Bing
Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools, submit your sitemap and claim Bing Places. Many businesses have never looked at Bing, which is a missed opportunity when ChatGPT search draws on it.
Step 5: let the crawlers in
Check that robots.txt and your firewall do not block OAI-SearchBot, which ChatGPT uses for search, or GPTBot. Some security settings block them without anyone noticing.
Step 6: earn mentions elsewhere
- A steady flow of genuine reviews on Google and the platforms in your sector.
- Listings in the trade and professional directories that matter.
- Inclusion in relevant local and industry "best of" lists.
- Expert comment in local press and trade publications.
About the author
Stacey G, Senior SEO and Account Manager. Stacey leads organic growth: SEO, local SEO, AEO and GEO. She gets clients found and chosen on Google, in Google Maps and in AI answers from ChatGPT and Google.
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