People now ask ChatGPT and AI search for recommendations instead of Googling. Here is how to make sure your local business is the one they suggest.
More and more people no longer type "electrician near me" into Google. They ask ChatGPT: "who is a good electrician in Fuengirola?" And the AI gives them a short list of names. If your business is on that list, you win. If it is not, you never even knew the customer existed.
This is new, and most local businesses have done nothing about it. Here is how it works and what you can actually do.
Why this is different from normal Google
Normal search gives you ten blue links and lets you choose. AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers do the choosing for you. They read the web, decide who to recommend, and hand the customer two or three names, not a page of options.
That makes being one of the recommended few far more valuable, and being invisible far more costly. People sometimes call this GEO or AEO (generative or answer engine optimisation), but do not get lost in the acronyms. The goal is simple: be the business the AI trusts enough to name.
Where AI assistants get their information
They do not invent recommendations. They pull from the same public web you can see: your website, your Google Business Profile, reviews, local directories, and mentions of you on other trusted sites. If those sources are clear, consistent and positive, the AI has something confident to say about you. If they are thin or contradictory, it skips you.
What you can actually do about it
1. Make your website say plainly who you are, what you do and where. AI reads text, not vibes. A page that clearly states "we are electricians covering Marbella, Fuengirola and Mijas" is far easier to recommend than a stylish site that never quite says it. This overlaps with everything that already helps you in Google's AI Overviews.
2. Keep your details identical everywhere. Same business name, address and phone number on your site, your Google Business Profile and every directory. AI cross-checks these. Mismatches make it unsure, and an unsure AI stays quiet.
3. Fill out your Google Business Profile properly. It is one of the strongest signals for local recommendations. Our guide to the Google Business Profile for local trades walks through it.
4. Get genuine reviews and answer questions in plain language. Reviews feed the AI's sense of whether you are any good. A FAQ section that answers the real questions customers ask gives the AI ready-made, quotable answers about your service.
5. Get mentioned on other trusted local sites. A listing in a reputable local directory, a mention in a local news piece, an entry in a trade association: each one is another source telling the AI you are real and established.
What not to waste time on
You cannot pay ChatGPT to recommend you, and anyone promising to "guarantee" a spot in AI answers is selling smoke. There is no secret code. The businesses AI recommends are, overwhelmingly, the ones that already did the boring fundamentals well: clear website, strong profile, real reviews, consistent details.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything special for ChatGPT specifically?
No. The same clear website, Google Business Profile and reviews that help you in Google also feed the AI assistants. You are strengthening the sources they read, not gaming a separate system.
Is this replacing Google search?
Not yet, but it is taking a growing slice of it, especially for "recommend me someone" questions. Ignoring it means quietly losing customers you never see.
My website is old. Does that matter?
Yes. If it is slow, unclear or missing your service area, it is a weak source for the AI to draw on. A clean, clear site is the single biggest lever you control.
Want your business to be the one the AI names? Get in touch and we will make sure your website and profile give it every reason to recommend you. It starts with a website that says clearly who you are and where you work.