How to get your business mentioned by ChatGPT, Claude and Google’s AI answers

Search is changing, not disappearing

People still search Google. But more and more, they also ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Google’s own AI answers things like "who’s a good web designer for a small business?" or "what should a dental website include?". Instead of ten blue links, they get a short answer that mentions a handful of businesses and sources.

If your business isn’t one of them, you’re invisible in that moment. The good news is that AI tools mostly pull from the same signals good SEO has always relied on: clear, trustworthy information that’s easy to find and easy to quote.

This guide explains how AI tools choose what to mention, what you can do about it this month, and how to keep track of whether it’s working.

How AI answers actually work

Most AI assistants answer questions in one of two ways. Sometimes they rely on what they learned during training, which is a snapshot of the web from months or years ago. Increasingly, they also search the web live, read a handful of pages and summarise them, often with links to their sources.

That second part is where you can make a difference quickly. When an AI tool searches, it tends to pick pages that already rank reasonably well and that answer the question clearly. So good SEO and good AI visibility are mostly the same work, with a stronger emphasis on clarity and trust.

How AI tools decide who to mention

There’s no secret ranking list, but the pattern is consistent. AI answers lean on:

• Pages that answer a question directly and clearly, near the top
• Businesses that are mentioned consistently across the web, not just on their own site
• Reviews and ratings on platforms like Google
• Structured information about who you are, where you are and what you do
• Content that shows real experience, with specifics a generic article wouldn’t have

Write pages that answer real questions

Think about the questions your customers ask before they buy. "How much does it cost?" "How long does it take?" "Do you work with businesses like mine?" Then answer them on your site, plainly, in the first couple of sentences of a page or section.

AI tools love a clear answer they can quote. A page that rambles for three paragraphs before getting to the point is much less likely to be used.

A before and after

Before: "At our firm, we believe every client deserves a tailored approach, which is why our pricing reflects the unique needs of each engagement."

After: "Most small business bookkeeping clients pay between $300 and $800 a month, depending on transaction volume and payroll. We give you a fixed monthly price after a free review."

The second version answers the question, gives specifics and can be quoted in a single sentence. That’s what gets picked up. Our guide to website copy that converts has more on writing this way.

Use FAQs and structured data

FAQ sections are one of the easiest wins. Each question becomes a neat, self-contained answer an AI tool can lift. Mark them up with FAQ schema so search engines understand the structure.

While you’re there, make sure your site has organisation or local business schema: your business name, address, service area, contact details and social profiles. It’s invisible to visitors but helps machines understand exactly who you are.

Be consistent everywhere

If your business name, address, phone number and description vary between your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and directories, AI tools have less confidence in any of it. Pick one version and use it everywhere. Our Google Business Profile checklist covers the profile side.

Be clear about where you work

If you serve customers across Australia, say so plainly on your website, and explain how it works, such as video calls and remote collaboration. If you serve a specific region, name it. AI tools answering "who can help me with X in Perth?" need to be able to tell from your site that Perth is somewhere you work.

Get mentioned on other sites

AI answers favour businesses other people talk about. That means:

• Reviews on Google, from real customers, mentioning what you did. See how to get more Google reviews
• Listings on reputable directories for your industry
• Mentions in local media, industry blogs, podcasts and partner websites
• Case studies or testimonials published on your clients’ sites

You can’t fake this, and you shouldn’t try. But you can make it a habit to ask for reviews, say yes to interviews and share your work.

Show real experience

Generic content is everywhere now, partly because AI made it cheap to produce. What stands out is first-hand detail: real numbers, real projects, real opinions. A post that says "here’s what happened when we rebuilt a café’s website" is far more quotable than "five tips for a better website".

That’s also why AI-generated filler rarely helps. We cover the wider point in why designers matter more in the age of AI.

Don’t block the bots you want

Some websites accidentally block AI crawlers in their robots.txt file, or hide content behind scripts that never load for them. Check that your important pages are crawlable and that your content appears in the page itself, not only after someone clicks.

It’s your choice which AI crawlers to allow. Some businesses block tools that only use content for training while allowing those that search live and link back. Either way, make it a deliberate decision rather than an accident of your platform’s default settings.

Keep your site fast and accessible

AI tools and search engines both favour pages that load quickly and are built with clean, well-structured HTML: real headings, real text rather than images of text, and descriptive links. The same things help people using screen readers. See our guides to website speed and accessibility.

How to check how you show up

• Ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google the questions your customers ask, with and without your location
• Note which businesses get mentioned and which sources are cited
• Look at what those sources have in common: often a clear answer, reviews, or a mention on a well-known site
• Repeat every month or two and keep a simple log

Results vary from one session to the next, so look for patterns over time rather than reacting to a single answer.

Common myths

• "You need a special AI SEO strategy." Mostly, you need excellent SEO with very clear answers. The fundamentals haven’t changed.
• "AI tools only recommend big brands." They often mention small, specialist businesses when those businesses answer the question best.
• "Publishing lots of AI-written content will help." It usually does the opposite. Volume without substance is easy for both people and machines to ignore.

What to do this month

• Add a short FAQ to your three most important service pages
• Check your Google Business Profile is complete and matches your website
• Ask your five happiest recent clients for a Google review
• Rewrite your homepage intro so it says exactly what you do, who for and where
• Search for your business in ChatGPT and Claude and see what they say

If you want a broader foundation, our local SEO checklist and free SEO guide cover the basics, and our SEO service covers AI search visibility too.