How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT (UK)

Why this matters

More customers now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews questions like "who's a good electrician in Bristol?" or "best café near me". Instead of ten links, they get a short list of names. If your business isn't on that list, that customer may never find you.

Nobody can guarantee what an AI assistant will say, and anyone promising a guaranteed spot should be treated with caution. What you can do is make sure AI has clear, accurate and consistent information about you. Here's how.

1. Understand where ChatGPT gets its information

AI assistants build answers from two broad sources: what they learned during training, and, increasingly, live web searches. When ChatGPT searches the web it uses search engines including Bing, so being properly indexed by Bing as well as Google matters. Assistants also lean on well-known third-party sources such as review sites, business directories and maps listings.

In practice, that means AI tends to recommend businesses that are easy to find, easy to understand and talked about consistently across the web.

2. Make your website say clearly who you are, what you do and where

Many small business websites never spell out the basics in plain text. Check that your site states, in words rather than only in images:

• Your business name, exactly as you want it to appear
• What you do, in the words customers use ("emergency plumber", not just "solutions")
• The towns, cities or areas you cover
• Your phone number, email and, if you have one, your address
• Opening hours and how to book

Give each main service its own page if you can. A page titled "Boiler repairs in Leeds" is far easier for AI to match to a question than one long page listing everything.

3. Add structured data (schema)

Structured data is a small block of code, usually JSON-LD, that tells machines your business details in a standard format: name, type of business, address, phone, opening hours, area served and so on. It's defined by schema.org and is used by search engines and the tools that feed AI answers. Most small business sites don't have it. Adding a LocalBusiness (or more specific type, such as Plumber or HairSalon) block is one of the most useful technical fixes you can make.

4. Get your Google Business Profile right

Your Google Business Profile feeds Google Maps, Google Search and Google's AI Overviews. Make sure it has the correct primary category, a full list of services, accurate hours, real photos and a description that says what you do and where. Keep it updated, because out-of-date hours or a wrong phone number undermine trust.

5. Keep your name, address and phone consistent everywhere

AI assistants cross-check information. If your business is "Smith Roofing" on your website, "Smith Roofing Ltd" on Yell and has an old phone number on Facebook, that inconsistency makes you look less reliable. Pick one version and use it on your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Facebook, and trade directories such as Checkatrade, Yell or TrustATrader where relevant.

6. Earn genuine reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest signals AI uses when deciding who to suggest. Ask happy customers to leave a review on Google (and on any directory that matters in your trade), make it easy with a direct link, and reply to reviews politely. Never buy or fake reviews: it breaks platform rules and, in the UK, fake reviews are banned under consumer protection law.

7. Answer the questions customers actually ask

AI assistants are answering questions, so give them answers. A clear FAQ page covering prices, areas covered, call-out times, guarantees and qualifications helps both customers and AI. Write it in plain English and, ideally, mark it up with FAQ structured data.

8. Make sure AI and search engines can reach your site

• Check your robots.txt doesn't block search engines or AI crawlers you want to allow
• Have a sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
• Use HTTPS and keep the site reasonably fast on mobile
• Avoid putting key information only inside images or PDFs

9. Get mentioned elsewhere

Beyond directories, mentions on local news sites, community pages, supplier or trade association listings and relevant blogs all help AI see you as an established business. Focus on genuine, relevant mentions rather than volume.

10. Check, then check again

AI answers change with wording, location and time. Ask ChatGPT and other assistants the questions your customers would ask, such as "best [your trade] in [your town]", and note whether you appear. Repeat every month or so, because one check is only a snapshot.

A quick checklist

• Website clearly states name, services, areas and contact details
• Structured data (schema) added
• Google Business Profile complete and accurate
• Same name, address and phone on every listing
• Steady flow of genuine reviews
• Plain-English FAQ page
• Site indexed in Google and Bing
• Monthly check of what AI says about you