AI search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI are becoming a primary way consumers discover local businesses. But most businesses aren't optimized for how AI finds and evaluates them. The rules are different from traditional SEO, and the businesses that adapt fastest will capture a growing channel of high-intent customers.
This guide gives you ten specific, actionable things you can do to improve your chances of being recommended by AI. Each tip includes the difficulty level and expected impact so you can prioritize based on your resources.
The average local business scores 34 out of 100 on AI visibility. Most of these tips can be implemented in a weekend, and together they can move your score by 20-30 points.
Claim and complete every directory listing
EasyAI systems build confidence in recommending a business based on how many independent sources confirm its existence and quality. Every directory listing functions as a "citation" that validates your business in the eyes of AI.
At minimum, claim and fully complete your profiles on:
- Google Business Profile — This is non-negotiable. Fill out every single field.
- Yelp — Heavily represented in AI training data.
- Better Business Bureau — Strong trust signal.
- Angi / HomeAdvisor — Essential for home service businesses.
- Thumbtack — Growing data source for AI.
- Industry-specific directories — Houzz for remodelers, Avvo for lawyers, Healthgrades for healthcare.
- Local directories — Chamber of commerce, city business directory, local trade association.
"Complete" means every field is filled out, photos are uploaded, services are listed, and hours are accurate. A claimed but half-empty listing is almost as bad as no listing at all.
Fix every NAP inconsistency
EasyNAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. AI systems cross-reference your business information across multiple sources, and inconsistencies erode their confidence in your data. If your business name is "Smith Plumbing LLC" on Google but "Smith's Plumbing" on Yelp, AI may not connect them as the same business.
Search for your business name on Google and check every result. Look for variations in:
- Business name (including "LLC," "Inc.," abbreviations)
- Street address (Suite numbers, "St" vs "Street," "Ste" vs "Suite")
- Phone number (make sure the same primary number is listed everywhere)
- Website URL (www vs non-www, http vs https)
Pick one canonical version of each and update it everywhere. This is tedious but has outsized impact. Businesses with perfect NAP consistency are recommended by AI 2.4x more often than those with inconsistencies.
Add Schema.org structured data to your website
MediumStructured data is code embedded in your website that makes your business information machine-readable. While humans see your website's design and text, AI systems parse the underlying structured data to quickly understand what your business does, where it operates, and how to contact you.
The essential structured data types for local businesses:
- LocalBusiness (or a more specific subtype like
Plumber,Electrician,RoofingContractor) — Includes your name, address, phone, hours, price range, service area, and payment methods. - Service — Describes individual services with descriptions, pricing, and areas served.
- FAQPage — Marks up your FAQ content so AI can pull answers directly.
- AggregateRating — Communicates your overall rating and review count in a machine-readable format.
If you're using WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or Schema Pro make this relatively painless. For custom websites, your developer can add JSON-LD structured data to the <head> section of each page. Google's Structured Data Testing Tool lets you verify everything is working correctly.
Create an llms.txt file
Advancedllms.txt is a newer standard, similar to robots.txt, that provides AI-specific instructions about your business. While still emerging, early adopters report measurable improvements in AI recommendation rates.
Your llms.txt file goes at the root of your website (e.g., yoursite.com/llms.txt) and contains:
- A clear description of your business and what you do
- Your service area and specialties
- Contact information and preferred contact method
- Any certifications, licenses, or awards
- Key differentiators that should be mentioned in recommendations
Think of it as a brief, machine-readable pitch for your business. When an AI system crawls your site, this file gives it a structured summary of exactly what to communicate about you.
Write dedicated service-specific pages
MediumMany businesses have a single "Services" page that lists everything they do. For AI visibility, this is a missed opportunity. AI matches queries to specific services, and a dedicated page for each service gives it much more to work with.
Instead of one page that says "We offer plumbing, drain cleaning, water heater installation, and emergency service," create separate pages for each:
- /services/drain-cleaning/ — What it includes, pricing approach, when to call, FAQ
- /services/water-heater-installation/ — Types you install, brands, timeline, warranty
- /services/emergency-plumbing/ — Hours, response time, what qualifies as emergency
Each page should be 500+ words of genuinely useful content. Include the specific questions customers ask about that service. When someone asks AI "Who can install a tankless water heater in [city]?", your dedicated page on tankless water heater installation makes you dramatically more likely to be recommended.
Build a comprehensive FAQ section
EasyAI systems frequently source answers from FAQ content. When a consumer asks ChatGPT "How much does a roof replacement cost in Phoenix?", the model looks for clear, direct answers to that exact question. A well-structured FAQ section on your website provides exactly that.
Write your FAQ based on the real questions customers ask you. Not what you think they should ask, but what they actually ask. Common categories include:
- Pricing — "How much does X cost?" "Do you offer financing?" "Do you provide free estimates?"
- Process — "How long does X take?" "What's the process?" "Do I need to be home?"
- Qualifications — "Are you licensed?" "Do you carry insurance?" "What certifications do you have?"
- Guarantees — "What's your warranty?" "What if I'm not satisfied?" "Do you guarantee your work?"
- Logistics — "What areas do you serve?" "Do you offer weekend service?" "How quickly can you come?"
Add FAQPage schema markup to this content so AI can parse it as structured Q&A rather than just regular text.
Actively cultivate detailed, specific reviews
MediumGeneric five-star reviews ("Great job, highly recommend!") are nearly worthless for AI visibility. AI reads review content looking for specific signals about your services, reliability, and quality. Detailed reviews give AI the evidence it needs to confidently recommend you.
After completing a job, guide customers toward detailed feedback:
- "Would you mind mentioning what service we performed?" (service specificity)
- "If you could share how the experience was from start to finish, that really helps" (process description)
- "We'd love it if you mentioned our response time" (differentiation)
You're not asking customers to write fake reviews. You're helping them write useful ones. A review that says "Smith Plumbing came out on a Sunday afternoon for an emergency pipe burst. They arrived within 45 minutes, fixed the issue in about two hours, and the cost was fair at $380" gives AI specific, factual information it can use in recommendations.
Aim for reviews on multiple platforms, not just Google. AI cross-references review data from Google, Yelp, and industry-specific platforms. Strength across multiple platforms compounds your visibility.
Respond to every single review
EasyReview responses signal active business management to AI systems. A business that responds to reviews (both positive and negative) demonstrates engagement, accountability, and customer focus. AI interprets this as a quality signal.
For positive reviews, a brief thank-you that references the specific work done is sufficient: "Thank you, Sarah! We're glad the water heater installation went smoothly. Enjoy the unlimited hot water!"
For negative reviews, a professional, non-defensive response that acknowledges the issue and describes how you addressed it actually improves your AI visibility. It shows accountability. AI systems can parse the difference between a business that ignores complaints and one that actively resolves them.
The key metrics: aim for a 90%+ response rate within 48 hours. Businesses that respond to reviews are recommended by AI 1.8x more often than those that don't.
Keep your digital presence fresh and current
MediumAI systems use recency as a signal of business viability. A website last updated in 2023, a Google Business Profile with two-year-old photos, and social media accounts that haven't posted in months all signal to AI that your business might not be actively operating.
Establish a simple maintenance cadence:
- Weekly — Respond to reviews. Post a Google Business Profile update or social media post.
- Monthly — Update or add photos to your GBP. Check for and fix any new NAP inconsistencies.
- Quarterly — Review and update your website content. Add new FAQ questions based on recent customer interactions. Update your service descriptions and pricing.
- Annually — Full audit of all directory listings. Update structured data. Review and refresh all photos.
This doesn't need to consume hours every week. A 15-minute weekly routine of responding to reviews and posting an update is enough to maintain strong recency signals.
Monitor your AI visibility score
EasyYou can't improve what you don't measure. Just as you'd track your Google ranking or website traffic, you need to track your AI visibility over time. This means regularly checking how AI systems perceive your business and whether your optimization efforts are working.
Practical ways to monitor:
- Test AI recommendations directly. Ask ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI to recommend businesses like yours in your area. See if you appear. Note what competitors appear and what information AI cites.
- Track your visibility score. Tools like Get Found provide an AI visibility score that you can monitor over time to see if your efforts are moving the needle.
- Audit your data consistency. Periodically search for your business across directories and verify everything is still accurate and consistent.
- Monitor review velocity. Track not just your star rating but how many new reviews you're getting per month and how detailed they are.
Set a monthly reminder to run these checks. AI visibility is not a one-time optimization. It's an ongoing practice, like maintaining your trucks or managing your crew. The businesses that treat it as a routine part of operations will consistently outperform those that treat it as a one-time project.
Ready to get optimized?
Get Found handles all of this for you. From directory management to structured data to review optimization, we get your business recommended by AI. See our plans and pricing.
View pricingThe bottom line
AI search optimization isn't rocket science. It's a discipline of consistency, completeness, and clarity. The ten tactics above cover the most impactful actions you can take, roughly ordered from easiest to most involved. If you only do three things, make them tips 1 (claim directories), 2 (fix NAP data), and 7 (get detailed reviews). Those three alone can dramatically improve your AI visibility.
The businesses winning with AI right now aren't the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones with the cleanest data, the most detailed reviews, and the most complete digital presence. That's accessible to any business willing to invest the time.
Start with your free AI visibility report to understand where you stand today, then work through these tips systematically. The sooner you start, the further ahead you'll be when AI search becomes the default way consumers find businesses like yours.