Is AI Recommending Your Business? How to Make It Do So
A couple of years ago, if someone wanted to find your business, they'd probably Google you. Now? They might just ask an AI.
A couple of years ago, if someone wanted to find your business, they’d probably Google you. Now? They might just ask an AI. And just like that, tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity AI are doing the recommending.
But that’s okay. It’s a sign of the times. What’s not okay is if your business isn’t showing up there. It simply means that you’re invisible to a big part of your market.
A 2024 report from Gartner predicts that traditional search engine traffic could drop by 25% before the end of 2026 as users shift to AI-powered answers. That’s not a small shift. People are moving over to AI platforms for all their search needs. The question is, will your business be found there?
If not, let’s discuss how to fix that.
Why AI Recommendation Matters
So, why should you even care about AI recommendations?
Simple. Search behavior is changing fast. People are leaning more toward AI tools than traditional search engines. And the businesses that adapt early will have a serious edge.
But adapting isn’t just about “being online” anymore. It means making sure your business actually shows up when AI tools respond to real user questions.
Here’s why that matters:
- People trust AI answers a lot. In fact, it’s the new word-of-mouth. If a tool like ChatGPT recommends your business, it’s almost like getting a referral from an expert.
- We’re living in a zero-click world. People are clicking fewer links on the search engine results page because AI overviews already give them what they need.
- AI levels the playing field. A smart local business with a strong online presence can outrank a big, slow-moving corporation if the AI decides it’s more relevant.
To put things into perspective, AI activities are now estimated to equal 56% of global search activity. That’s a huge shift in how people find businesses.
The message couldn’t be clearer. If you want a real competitive advantage today, you need both AI visibility and traditional search rankings working together.
That said, you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
An AI discovery system for local businesses can help you get found where customers are already searching, on Google and inside AI assistants. The key is doing your homework before choosing a tool.
As AI RankPilot puts it, “ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are becoming the new search engines. You want to make sure they can find and recommend YOUR business.”
Key Strategies to Get AI Recommendations
Whether you’re doing it yourself or working with a GEO expert, here are some of the key elements that will help your business appear in AI search results.
Establish E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Google has always said that sites that want to rank well must meet its E-E-A-T requirements. While this applies to every content, it holds particular importance for sites in the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) categories. Incidentally, AI also looks for the same E-E-A-T signals. It wants to know you’re legit.
How do you build this? Stop writing just any blog posts. Write for industry sites and be sure to show that you’re an expert in that field. Publish some original data, while you’re at it, even if it’s just a survey of your own customers.
When you are seen as an authority by real humans, the AI takes notice. Pages with strong E-E-A-T signals have a much higher chance of ranking in the top spots.
Leverage Localized SEO and Reviews
You need to make sure that people in your local area who actually need the products and services you offer know about you. And to do that, you need local SEO backed by a solid Google Business Profile.
But it’s not just about having a profile. It’s about the reviews. You need a steady stream of 4+ star reviews.
And don’t just stick to Google. Be on Yelp, industry-specific platforms, and so on. When an AI tries to find the “best” something, it looks at every source, including review data. If you have a solid local presence online with real, impressive reviews, you’ll stand out.
Implement Schema Markup
Schema markup is code you insert into your website that communicates with search engines and AI. It’s the physical version of raising your hand and saying, “Over here! I’m a plumber, this is my service area, here are my hours, and look at these great reviews.”
CMSWire reveals that at least 72% of websites on the first page of Google search results use some type of schema. Don’t forget that AI overviews pull content from the most relevant and credible sources, so it all connects together.
Talk to your SEO partner about implementing this code on your website so that you can enjoy its benefits.
Optimize for Conversational Search (Q&A)
AI engines appreciate content that sounds exactly like how real people talk. They know content like this is easier for users to grasp.
Think about it. How do you talk when looking for something? You ask questions. So do your customers. In that case, you need to structure your content to answer questions your customers will likely ask directly.
You don’t even need to create this content out of thin air. Look at your sales emails or support tickets. What are people constantly asking you? “How much does a new roof cost?” “Do you offer free consultations?”
Take those questions and build out FAQ sections on your site. Use them as headings in your blog posts. When you mirror that conversational language, you’re feeding the AI exactly what it wants, and that can help you become visible in AI answers.
Utilize Third-Party Platforms
AI tools like Perplexity and even Google’s AI overviews are pulling more and more from places like Reddit and Quora. In fact, according to Search Engine Journal, Reddit is now one of the top sources for both LLMs and search engines. Brands mentioned positively in subreddit threads tend to show up in AI answers.
The bottom line? Be active where the conversation is happening.
Create “Anti-AI” Content
AI loves original content. It prefers work that it can’t easily replicate. And that’s a good way to leverage the system. For example, while AI can rewrite a Wikipedia article in seconds, it can’t create a genuine video testimonial of your happy client.
So, lean into that. Film customer stories. Record yourself working on a project. Write opinion pieces with a strong point of view. Fresh, original, human-centric content is the gold AI is looking for. Give it to them.
If AI Can’t Find You, Customers Won’t Either
Here’s the honest truth. AI is quietly deciding which businesses get attention and which ones don’t.
Search engine rankings still matter, no doubt about that, but AI is where the attention is right now. If AI can’t find your business, your customers may not either.
Hopefully, this guide has shown you how to get your business on AI engines.
You don’t need to do everything at once. Start small, but start.
Surviving in 2026 and beyond is about staying visible where your customers are already looking. And that place is AI.
