How AI assistants decide who to recommend
When someone asks ChatGPT “who’s the best roofer in Des Moines?”, it doesn’t consult a ranked list. It pulls together what it can find about roofers in Des Moines (business listings, reviews, websites, local articles, and “best of” lists) and names the businesses that show up consistently and positively.
Two things decide whether you make the cut:
- Can it identify you? Your business needs to look like one clear entity: the same name, address, phone, and services everywhere.
- Does anyone vouch for you? Reviews, directory listings, and mentions on other sites act as votes of confidence.
Six fixes, in order
1. Make your name, address, and phone identical everywhere
Check your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Facebook, and your industry directories. An old address or a second phone number on a few listings splits the signals AI uses to match you.
2. Complete your Google Business Profile
Pick the right primary category, fill in every service, upload real photos, set your hours (including holiday hours), and post regularly. A thin profile gives AI little to work with.
3. Earn recent reviews, and reply to them
Ask every happy customer, ideally shortly after the job, with a direct link. Reply to every review, good or bad. Recent, detailed reviews are among the strongest trust signals for both Google and AI assistants.
4. Add LocalBusiness schema to your website
Schema markup is code that tells machines exactly who you are, where you are, what you offer, and when you’re open. It removes the guesswork for AI systems reading your site.
5. Answer real questions on your site
AI assistants love clear, direct answers. Add a FAQ page and service pages that open with a plain answer to the question a customer is asking, like “How much does a new roof cost?” or “Do you offer emergency repairs?”
6. Get on the lists AI already cites
Search for “best [your service] in [your city]” and note which articles and directories come up. Those are the sources AI assistants lean on. Ask to be included, or earn a spot with a standout review profile.
Check where you stand
The quickest way to know is to ask: run your top three customer questions through ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google, and see who gets named. Or get a free Local Growth Snapshot: it scores your AI search visibility alongside the five other pillars that drive local rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
No. There's no way to buy a place in ChatGPT's organic recommendations. They come from the information available about your business across the web, which is why consistency, reviews, and third-party mentions matter so much.
Does ChatGPT use Google reviews?
AI assistants draw on many sources, and reviews are one of the strongest trust signals among them. A steady flow of recent, detailed reviews on Google and the directories in your industry makes your business easier to recommend.
How long does it take for AI assistants to start mentioning my business?
It varies by platform and how often each one refreshes its sources. Expect to see changes over one to three months after fixing the basics, which is why we check AI visibility monthly.