How Businesses Get Found in AI Search

Appearing in ChatGPT for local services is the latest hurdle small businesses must overcome. Consider that would-be customers are no longer just relying on Google when searching for nearby businesses. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used as a tool. So, how can small businesses appear in AI search results? How can they rank high? Let's take a closer look.

Understand How AI Gets Its Information

AI pulls its information from public web sources such as business listings, blogs, and recommendation lists. What does this mean for a small business?

• Fully optimize your Google Business profile. (You should have already done so!)
• Verify the consistency of name, address, and phone number (NAP) across directories and profiles.
• Claim and maintain your Google and Yelp profiles.

Position Your Business as an Authority in Its Niche

AI search strategies for local brands focus on content that helps users. Therefore, it is critical to build your authority through helpful content that provides customers with valuable information. Moreover, include location-specific pages that combine mentions of your service area with specific products or services.

Focus on Small Business AI SEO

You already know that search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for being found in Google searches. How can small businesses appear in AI search results? Optimize SEO for AI-powered tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Unlike specific keywords that identify your company's product or service, AI SEO focuses on answering unique queries entered by users. As a result, traditional SEO practices need to be expanded.

For example, a Google search might read, "best widget company in San Francisco." In contrast, an AI search might read, "Who makes the best inexpensive widgets in the San Francisco area?" Your ability to pinpoint Google-friendly SEO must combine with AI-friendly information that makes your company stand out in its niche.

Train AI to Recommend Your Business

How do you persuade AI to recommend your company? In a word: clarity. Let me explain. AI looks for solutions that focus on one or more details of the user's question. So, your online content must meet these specific considerations.

• Content signals expertise. Create content for your online presence that answers real questions your customers might have. If you have blog content on "What is a widget," "How do widgets work," or "What should first-time buyers know about yellow widgets," AI will quickly determine that you are an authority on the topic of widgets in general and yellow widgets in particular.
• Specificity drives discoverability. A typical services page on your website may talk about widgets in a range of areas. Instead, build multiple pages that might read, "Yellow widgets in San Francisco" or "New and used widgets in San Francisco."
• Curate reviews to highlight local relevance. When you are first starting, a review that says, "Great Company" might feel good, but for AI purposes, it is not useful. Highlight reviews on your website that combine the product name, purchase location, and outcome.

For some small business owners, this approach may feel challenging, since so far they have only had to focus on keywords for search engine visibility.

Boost Your Brand Entity Strength

It is time to tie it all together. How can small businesses appear in AI search results? How can you accomplish this goal without completely reworking a website or changing the way you make and sell widgets?

Consistent Business Identity Listings With Clear Topical Associations

Have your NAP identical on the website, Google Business Profile, and any other listings. For example, if you list your phone number as 1-abc-def-ghij on your website, it must appear identically in any other online mentions. Additionally, define your business not just as a widget company, but as a "yellow widget seller, blue widget repair experts, and new and used widget sales."

Display Authoritative Website Content and Trusted Mentions Across the Internet

Authoritative content makes it clear what you do, how you do it, and why customers choose your business over a competitor when buying widgets. Blogs, vlogs, frequently asked questions (FAQ) sections, and curated customer reviews are ideal for this purpose. Additionally, collect third-party references, such as industry association labels, partner company logos, and chamber of commerce listings.

Strengthen Existing Content to Improve Brand Entity Strength

It is noteworthy that repurposing content for reach is perfectly acceptable. Many small businesses that have been online for several years have extensive content, such as blogs or web pages. You do not have to scrap this content; instead, rework it to build digital trust in AI search results.

A typical FAQ about yellow widgets could become a pinpointed example of localized reach when reworked as a question about yellow widgets in San Francisco offices. A happy customer's curated review can serve as a case study in a blog post, a Google Business Profile post, and a local SEO landing page. Similarly, repurpose basic service pages into location pages. If you offer widget cleaning, change it to feature on widget cleaning in San Francisco.

Older content can also benefit from a refresh with semantic enrichment, updated statistics, and new internal links.

Dig Deeper: How to Get Cited by Perplexity?

Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that not only lists links but also provides users with answers as well as citations. Additionally, users can ask follow-up questions. Not surprisingly, you need more than standard Google Business Profile AI optimization. Perplexity thrives on current, fresh, and factual information. If your website is still built solely for keyword ranking, you may need to rework it, as AI search results draw from different datasets. For any content, this means:

• Ask and answer specific questions in short sentences and paragraphs, and do it authoritatively.
• Publish and repurpose evergreen content, such as comparison pages, how-to guides, and product knowledge content. What is the difference from what you have right now? "Why (celebrity name) likes yellow widgets" is a keyword ranking strategy. "Why San Francisco office managers choose yellow widgets," on the other hand, is an authoritative piece of evergreen content.
• Stay relevant by avoiding broken links and outdated content. Statistics are great, but not if they are five years old. Quoting reviews is excellent, but not if they are several years old and nothing new has happened since then.

It is important to realize that you are not actually optimizing your profile for Perplexity. Instead, you are optimizing your profile to be the most trustworthy answer to a user's question. Know your audience, its pain points, and the best solutions to meet customers' needs.

5 Typical AI Mistakes Small Businesses Can Make When Reworking a Website

1. Keyword stuffing. Professional content creators have moved away from keyword stuffing. That said, it can still happen that a business owner creates their own content and includes several keywords to rank higher on Google. What AI is looking for is clarity. If it hurts to read it, AI does not consider it clear.
2. AI-generated content. AI platforms recognize content generated by other AI. It has a generic sound, lacks local relevance, and repeats information that is obvious to anyone. Platforms like Perplexity consider this low-value content because it lacks depth, specificity, and niche authority.
3. Fake reviews. Do not fall for the lure of quick reviews for your business. Unscrupulous vendors may try to sell you this service. AI recognizes the patterns of fake reviews. More importantly, your customers will notice it, too.
4. Duplicate or thin content. It is tempting to copy the page "yellow widgets in San Francisco" 10 times and only change the location, not the content. AI searches will identify this duplication as low-quality content lacking specificity. Instead, create separate pages using the locators for your service territory, with each page featuring a different case study, customer example, and photos.
5. Generic service pages. Without focus, you generically explain that you sell or make widgets. With focus, you say that you sell widgets to San Francisco office managers, retailers, and IT companies. Unless your service pages answer who your target audience is, what makes you different, and what you actually offer, they are too generic.

Of course, you do not have to go it alone. When you consult with an SEO expert, you know that you are giving AI exactly what it is looking for!