Business owners have spent years thinking about whether their company appears on Google. They may now need to ask a second question: does it appear when somebody asks ChatGPT?

People are beginning to use AI tools to research suppliers, compare services and create shortlists. Instead of searching for “accountant Birmingham” and opening several websites, a potential client might ask for accountancy firms in Birmingham that specialise in helping construction businesses improve their cash flow.

ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity can respond with a direct answer, sometimes mentioning particular companies and providing links to the sources they have used.

This is often described as AI search, generative engine optimisation or GEO. The terminology may be new, but the basic challenge is familiar. Your business needs to be visible, clearly understood and supported by enough credible information for somebody, or something, to recommend it.

There is no simple way to guarantee that ChatGPT will mention your company. However, there are practical steps that can improve your chances while also making the business easier for human customers to find and trust.

What is AI search?

Traditional search engines usually respond to a question with a list of results. The user reviews the options, visits several websites and decides which sources appear most relevant.

AI search attempts to bring that information together. It may search the web, review several sources and produce a summary that answers the question more directly.

This changes the way businesses can appear during the research process. A company does not necessarily need to occupy the first traditional search result to be included in an AI-generated answer. It does, however, need to provide information that the system can find, understand and support using other sources.

The company website remains important, but it is not the only consideration. Business listings, reviews, directories, trade publications, news coverage and other websites may all contribute to the picture.

Research published by Yext found that company websites accounted for 44 per cent of the citations in its study, while business listings accounted for a further 42 per cent. The study was based on millions of citations generated across several AI platforms and industries, so the percentages should not be treated as a fixed rule for every business. They do suggest that much of AI visibility is influenced by sources businesses can improve themselves.

Why might ChatGPT overlook your business?

The most common reason is not that the business has been deliberately excluded. It is that the information available online does not provide a clear enough reason to mention it.

Many company websites still rely on broad phrases such as “tailored solutions”, “trusted expertise” and “a personal approach”. These statements may sound professional, but they do not explain exactly what the company does, who it helps or when somebody should choose it.

The business may also be described differently across the web. Its website lists one set of services, Google Business Profile uses an older description and an industry directory includes an address from several years ago. A human visitor might recognise that some of the information is outdated, but an AI system is being presented with several conflicting versions of the same company.

There may also be very little evidence supporting the claims being made. A business says that it specialises in a particular sector, but has no relevant case studies, articles, client examples or independent mentions. Existing clients may understand its expertise, but somebody researching the company for the first time has little to verify it.

In other cases, the website contains useful information but makes it difficult to access. Important text may sit inside graphics, service pages may be extremely short or the site may prevent search tools from accessing parts of its content.

AI search therefore does not create an entirely new marketing problem. It exposes weaknesses that may already be making the company harder for ordinary customers to understand.

Test whether your business appears

Before changing the website or commissioning a new AI search strategy, carry out a simple test.

Open ChatGPT and ask a question that a genuine potential customer might use. Do not begin by entering the company name because that only tests whether ChatGPT can find a business it has already been told to look for.

Instead, describe the service, problem, customer and location.

An accountancy practice could ask:

“Which accountancy firms help growing construction companies in Leeds with forecasting and cash flow?”

A solicitor could ask:

“Which law firms in Bristol advise owner-managed businesses on shareholder disputes?”

A manufacturer could ask:

“Which UK companies produce short-run recycled packaging for independent food brands?”

Try several versions of the question and record what happens. Note which companies are mentioned, how they are described and which sources are used to support the answer.

Repeat the exercise in Gemini and Perplexity. Different AI platforms may rely on different sources and produce different answers, so appearing in one does not mean the business will automatically appear in another.

You should also look for incorrect information. Being mentioned is not necessarily helpful if the system describes an old service, uses the wrong location or presents the company as suitable for work it no longer wants.

The results will vary over time, and a single test does not provide a definitive AI ranking. It does offer a useful view of how clearly the wider internet currently explains your business.

How to improve your AI search visibility

1. Make the company easier to understand

Start with the main pages of the website. A visitor should be able to understand what the business does, who it works with and where it operates without having to interpret vague marketing language.

A general statement such as “we help businesses unlock their potential” offers very little useful information. A clearer explanation might say that the company helps owner-managed manufacturers improve production efficiency and reduce waste.

This does not mean filling every page with awkward search phrases. It means using the language that customers would naturally use to describe their needs.

Review the homepage, about page and main service pages together. They should present a consistent version of the company rather than describing three slightly different businesses.

2. Create stronger service pages

Many businesses give each service a few sentences and assume that anybody interested will make an enquiry. That may not provide enough information for either a potential client or an AI system to understand when the service is relevant.

A useful service page should explain the problem, the type of customer affected, the support available and the outcome the business is trying to create.

It should also address the questions that arise before an enquiry. These might include cost, timing, suitability, process, common risks and how the service differs from other available options.

The purpose is not to produce an enormous page for its own sake. It is to remove uncertainty and give the reader a clear reason to believe that the company understands their situation.

3. Answer the questions customers actually ask

AI searches are often longer and more conversational than traditional Google searches. People ask complete questions and include more context about the problem they are trying to solve.

This creates an opportunity for businesses with genuine expertise. Speak to the sales team, customer service staff and people delivering the work. Identify the questions customers repeatedly ask and create useful content around them.

A good article might explain how to prepare for a particular change, compare two approaches or help the reader recognise when specialist support is needed.

This content should be written to help a real person make a better decision. Publishing large quantities of generic material simply because a keyword tool has identified a phrase is unlikely to make the business more useful or convincing.

4. Check your business listings

Review the company information held by Google Business Profile, Bing Places and any important industry or local directories.

Check the business name, address, telephone number, website, opening hours, service categories and description. Remove old services and add missing information where it is genuinely relevant.

The details do not have to be written identically everywhere, but they should agree with each other. Several credible sources describing the same business clearly are more useful than a collection of neglected profiles containing conflicting information.

This is particularly important for companies with several offices or service areas, where outdated location details can quickly create confusion.

5. Support your claims with evidence

If the website says that the business understands a sector, show that understanding.

Publish case studies that explain the client’s problem, the work completed and the result. Include testimonials that describe a specific experience rather than offering general praise. Add relevant accreditations, qualifications and professional memberships where they help customers assess the company.

Useful articles can also demonstrate expertise, particularly when they are clearly attributed to somebody with direct knowledge of the subject.

Independent mentions are valuable too. Coverage from trade publications, professional bodies, local media, partners and reputable directories can help confirm information that would otherwise appear only on the company’s own website.

6. Check the technical basics

Your website does not need a collection of mysterious new AI files or special AI schema to appear in search features. Google’s current guidance says that its normal search requirements still apply and that there is no special structured data required specifically for generative AI results.

The important content should be visible as text, pages should load properly and search systems should not be prevented from accessing them unnecessarily.

OpenAI uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to discover and link to website content in ChatGPT search. Whoever manages your website can check whether it has been blocked through the site’s technical settings.

These checks should support good content rather than replace it. Technical changes cannot make an unclear offer more convincing.

Avoid the temptation to chase shortcuts

A new marketing term usually creates a new collection of shortcuts. Businesses are already being offered special AI pages, mass-produced articles and guaranteed inclusion in ChatGPT answers.

There is no dependable method for guaranteeing that an AI platform will recommend a particular company. The answers depend on the user’s question, location, available sources and the way each platform retrieves information.

Creating hundreds of weak articles or almost identical location pages may add more content to the website, but it will not necessarily add useful information. It may simply make the company appear less trustworthy to potential customers.

The aim should not be to manipulate one answer. It should be to build a stronger and more consistent online presence that gives search tools good reasons to include the business.

A practical 30-day starting point

During the first week, test the business using ten realistic customer questions across ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Record the companies and sources that appear, along with any inaccurate information about your own organisation.

During the second week, review the main company listings and correct old or inconsistent details. Check the homepage and important service pages to make sure they explain the business clearly.

During the third week, improve one priority service page. Add the information a potential client would need before deciding whether the service is relevant and include evidence supporting the company’s claims.

During the fourth week, publish one useful article based on a genuine customer question. Promote it through the channels your audience already uses and make sure related pages link to it where appropriate.

The results are unlikely to change overnight, but the business will finish the month with clearer information, stronger evidence and fewer contradictions across the web.

AI search is another route into the business

AI search is developing quickly, but businesses do not need to rebuild their entire marketing strategy every time a new platform appears.

The fundamentals remain recognisable. Explain the company clearly, answer useful questions, maintain accurate information and support important claims with evidence.

These improvements can help a business appear in AI-generated answers, but their value extends much further. They also make the website more persuasive, improve traditional search visibility and give referred prospects greater confidence when they research the company.

The route to the customer may be changing, but the customer still needs to understand what you do and why they should trust you.

Rebellion Marketing helps businesses improve how they appear across websites, search engines and AI platforms. From positioning and content to websites, listings and GEO strategy, we make companies easier to find, understand and choose.

Book a clarity call and let’s find out whether your business is visible where your customers are looking.