More and more customers skip the search results and simply ask: "Who's the best interior designer in Pune?" or "Which CA firm handles GST for small businesses?" ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers reply with a short list of names.
You can't pay to be on that list. ChatGPT ads appear separately, below the answer, and are labelled as sponsored. But you can make it much more likely that your business is one of the names. People call this AEO (answer engine optimisation) or GEO (generative engine optimisation). In practice, it's mostly good SEO with a few extra habits.
How ChatGPT decides which businesses to mention
When ChatGPT searches the web, it looks pages up, reads them and summarises what it finds. Its search is widely reported to lean on Bing's index, alongside OpenAI's own crawler. It tends to mention businesses that:
- appear in several trustworthy places besides their own website
- are described clearly and consistently everywhere they appear
- have pages that directly answer the question being asked
There's no "position one" in an AI answer, and the same question can return different names on different days. The goal is to give the AI as many good reasons as possible to include you.
1. Let the AI crawlers in
If a bot can't read your site, it can't recommend you. Check your robots.txt file and make sure you're not blocking OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT search), Bingbot, PerplexityBot or Googlebot. Some security plugins and firewalls block "unknown bots" by default, so check those settings too.
OpenAI's GPTBot is a different crawler, used for training its models. Blocking it is a separate choice and doesn't remove you from ChatGPT search.
2. Get into Bing as well as Google
Most businesses set up Google Search Console and forget Bing. Add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools, submit your sitemap, and switch on IndexNow if your website platform supports it. It takes ten minutes and can make a real difference to AI search visibility.
3. Say exactly what you are, in plain words
AI tools need to understand what your business is before they can recommend it. Your homepage and About page should say it in one sentence: what you do, for whom, and where. "We're a family-run pest control company serving homes and offices in Hyderabad" is far more useful than "Excellence in every service".
Use exactly the same business name, address and phone number on your website, Google Business Profile, social profiles and directories. Adding Organization schema to your site, a small block of code that labels these details, helps too.
4. Answer the questions your customers actually ask
Collect the questions people ask on calls, WhatsApp and in person, and answer them on your site. Put the direct answer in the first sentence, then add detail: prices or price ranges where you can, timelines, what's included, and how you compare with alternatives.
AI tools quote clear, specific answers. "Most kitchen renovations take three to five weeks" gets used. "Timelines vary depending on many factors" doesn't.
5. Get mentioned on other websites
This is the step most businesses skip, and it matters most. AI tools trust what other people say about you more than what you say about yourself. Aim for:
- reviews on Google and on platforms your industry uses
- listings on reputable directories in your field
- mentions in local news, industry blogs, partner websites and "best of" roundups
- answers on forums and communities where your customers ask questions
6. Collect reviews that describe the work
"Great service, highly recommend" tells an AI very little. "Fixed our office AC the same evening and explained the problem clearly" tells it what you do, how fast, and why people like you. When you ask for reviews, ask customers to mention what you did for them.
7. Keep your information fresh and consistent
Out-of-date hours, old prices and services you no longer offer confuse people and AI alike. Update your website and profiles when anything changes, date your articles, and remove old pages that contradict newer ones.
8. Check what AI says about you today
Open ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity and ask the questions your customers ask. Note which businesses get named and which websites are cited as sources. Those sources show you where you need to appear. Do this once a month, because answers change.
What doesn't work
- Calling yourself "the best" everywhere. AI tools look for proof from others, not claims.
- Publishing hundreds of thin AI-written pages. They add noise, not trust, and can hurt your rankings.
- Fake or bought reviews. They break platform rules and can get your profile penalised.
- One secret file or trick. No single setting gets you recommended. It's the combination that works.
Where SEO fits
Almost everything above also helps you rank on Google, so you're not choosing between SEO and AI search. For how traditional search is changing, read Is SEO dead? How to get found when AI answers first. If you're also wondering about the paid side, we've covered whether ChatGPT ads are worth it.
Questions people ask
Can I pay ChatGPT to recommend my business?
No. ChatGPT ads appear separately below the answer and are labelled as sponsored. Being named inside the answer can't be bought.
How long does it take to start appearing in ChatGPT answers?
Fixing crawler access and getting indexed in Bing can take days to weeks. Building mentions and reviews on other websites usually takes a few months.
Does ChatGPT use Google search results?
ChatGPT's search is widely reported to rely on Bing's index alongside OpenAI's own crawler. Google's AI answers use Google's own index, so it's worth being well indexed in both.
Does a Google Business Profile help with AI search?
Yes. It feeds Google's own AI answers directly, and consistent business details across the web help every AI tool understand who you are.