Customers are changing how they search. Instead of typing “plumber near me” into Google, more people ask AI assistants like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft Copilot, or Perplexity questions like “Who’s a reliable plumber in Rockville?” or “What should a small business website cost?”
These tools summarize information from across the web. The businesses they mention tend to be the ones with clear, consistent, trustworthy information online. Here’s how to improve your chances.
How AI Search Tools Find Information
AI assistants generally draw on a mix of their training data and live web search results, often from search engines like Google and Bing, plus sources like business directories, review sites, and well-known publications. That means the fundamentals of SEO and local SEO still matter. AI search builds on them rather than replacing them.
1. Make Your Website Crystal Clear
AI tools need to understand exactly what you do. Your website should state plainly:
- What services you offer, each on its own page.
- Who you serve and where.
- Your business name, address, phone number, and hours.
- What makes you different.
Vague marketing language like “innovative solutions for tomorrow” gives AI nothing to work with. Clear statements like “We install and repair residential HVAC systems in Howard and Montgomery County, MD” do. Our guide to writing homepage copy can help.
2. Answer Real Questions in Your Content
AI assistants are built to answer questions. Pages that directly answer common questions, with clear headings and concise answers, are easier to cite.
- Add FAQ sections to service pages.
- Publish helpful guides on cost, process, timelines, and comparisons.
- Put the direct answer near the top, then explain in more depth.
Use keyword research and “People Also Ask” results to find the questions your customers ask.
3. Strengthen Your Google Business Profile and Listings
For local recommendations, AI tools often lean on business listings and reviews. Keep your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, and industry directories complete and consistent.
4. Earn Reviews That Mention Specifics
Reviews that mention the service, location, and experience (“They fixed our AC the same day in Laurel”) give AI tools concrete details. Ask happy customers for reviews regularly. See how to get more Google reviews.
5. Get Mentioned on Other Trusted Sites
Mentions in local news, industry associations, chamber of commerce directories, podcasts, and respected blogs help establish that your business is real and reputable. Learn how to get backlinks as a local business.
6. Use Structured Data
Schema markup (like LocalBusiness, Organization, Service, and FAQ schema) helps search engines understand your business details. Most SEO plugins, such as All in One SEO, Yoast, or Rank Math, can add the basics.
7. Keep Your Site Technically Healthy
AI tools can only use content that search engines can crawl and index.
- Make sure important pages aren’t blocked in robots.txt.
- Keep your XML sitemap up to date and submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
- Make pages fast and mobile-friendly. See how to speed up your WordPress website.
- Consider publishing an llms.txt file that summarizes your site for AI tools. It’s an emerging convention, not yet an official standard.
8. Show Real Expertise
Content written by real people with real experience, with author bios, credentials, examples, and original insights, is more likely to be trusted and referenced than generic content.
How to Check Whether AI Mentions You
Periodically ask several AI assistants questions your customers would ask, such as “best [service] in [city],” and note which businesses they mention and which sources they cite. Those sources show you where to strengthen your presence.
What Not to Do
- Don’t publish mass-produced, low-quality content. It can hurt your credibility.
- Don’t create fake reviews or listings.
- Don’t stuff pages with keywords.
AI Search Is Built on Good SEO
The businesses that do well in AI search are usually the same ones doing SEO well: clear websites, strong local signals, great reviews, and helpful content. Wondering where to invest first? Read SEO vs. Google Ads.
Get Help Showing Up in AI Search
CDD Services helps small businesses build websites, content, and SEO strategies that work for both traditional search and AI search. Book a free consultation.
