How Do You Get Your Business Recommended by AI?
There’s no magic button that puts your business into ChatGPT. So what actually helps AI platforms discover, understand and recommend a business?
The way people search for businesses is changing.
Instead of always heading to Google and scrolling through a list of websites, people are increasingly asking AI tools questions such as:
“Who are the best commercial builders in Staffordshire?”
“Recommend an IT support company near Stoke-on-Trent.”
“Who can design a professional business website in Newcastle-under-Lyme?”
And rather than simply presenting a page of search results, AI platforms can provide direct answers and recommendations.
Which raises an increasingly important question:
How do you get your business included in those answers?
There Isn't a 'Submit My Business to ChatGPT' Button
This is probably the biggest misconception around AI search.
You can't simply register your company with ChatGPT and guarantee that you'll start appearing in recommendations.
Different AI platforms gather and retrieve information in different ways, and their systems continue to evolve.
What you can do is make your business easier for search engines and AI systems to discover, understand and verify.
That's where Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) comes in.
1. Make It Obvious What Your Business Does
This sounds incredibly simple, but it's important.
Your website should clearly communicate:
What your business does
The services you provide
Where you're based
The areas you serve
Who you work with
Why you're qualified to provide those services
Don't assume visitors or search systems will piece it together themselves.
Clear, well-structured information makes it easier to understand exactly what your business should be associated with.
2. Build Authority Around Your Business
Anyone can claim to be brilliant at what they do.
Evidence is much more powerful.
Things such as case studies, genuine customer reviews, accreditations, years of experience, completed projects and recognised clients all help establish the credibility of a business online.
The stronger the evidence surrounding your expertise, the clearer the picture of your business becomes.
3. Keep Your Business Information Consistent
Your website isn't the only place information about your company exists.
Your business might also appear on Google, LinkedIn, industry directories, trade association websites, news articles, supplier websites and other online sources.
Keeping information such as your business name, services, location and expertise consistent helps create a clearer digital footprint.
4. Structure Your Website Properly
Good website structure isn't just about making things easier for visitors.
Clear page hierarchy, descriptive headings, dedicated service pages, FAQs and structured data can all help machines understand the information contained within your website.
This is one of the areas where traditional website development, SEO and GEO increasingly overlap.
5. Answer the Questions Your Customers Actually Ask
AI search is highly conversational.
People don't necessarily search using two or three keywords anymore.
They ask questions.
“How much does a commercial website cost?”
“Do I need SEO and GEO?”
“What should I look for in a health and safety consultant?”
Creating genuinely useful content around the questions your customers ask can help establish what your business knows and the subjects it's relevant to.
That's one of the reasons we publish Insights like this one.
6. Don't Forget Traditional SEO
GEO doesn't mean SEO is dead.
Far from it.
Search engines and AI-powered search increasingly overlap, and many of the fundamentals that make a website strong for traditional search also help create a strong foundation for AI visibility.
Good content, technical accessibility, clear structure, authority and relevance still matter.
The goal isn't SEO or GEO.
It's making your business as visible as possible wherever your potential customers choose to search.
Can You Guarantee Your Business Will Be Recommended?
No and I'd be wary of anyone who says they can.
AI platforms ultimately decide which information and sources they use when generating an answer.
GEO is about improving the signals around your business so that these systems have a clearer understanding of who you are, what you do and why you're relevant.
Much like SEO, it's about improving your chances of being discovered not buying a guaranteed position.
AI Search Is Another Place Your Business Needs to Be Visible
Google isn't disappearing.
But it isn't the only way people discover businesses anymore.
Your customers may find you through Google, social media, recommendations, directories or increasingly through an AI assistant.
Businesses therefore need to think beyond simply “Where do I rank on Google?”
The bigger question is:
“Can my business be found wherever my customers are searching?”
At 33 Creative, we help businesses build a stronger digital presence through professional websites, SEO and GEO helping search engines and AI platforms better understand the businesses behind them.
We build your website. We manage it. We help people find it.
