VL Studio / SEO + AI search / Get recommended by ChatGPT
AI search for local business · GEO
How ChatGPT picks which local business to recommend.
AI assistants don't have a secret list of businesses. When someone asks for “the best plumber near me,” they search the web and read what they find. If your business is easy to find, consistent and well reviewed in those places, you're far more likely to be named. Here's how it works, and what to fix.
Based on OpenAI and Google documentation · Last updated October 2026
Where the answers come from
AI search is still search.
We stick to what the platforms document publicly. Nobody outside these companies knows the exact ranking logic, and anyone promising a guaranteed AI recommendation is guessing.
Third-party search providers
OpenAI says ChatGPT search draws on third-party search providers plus content from partners; Microsoft Bing is widely reported to be one of them. It also runs its own crawler, OAI-SearchBot; OpenAI states that sites opted out of it won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers, though they can still appear as navigational links.
AI Overviews & AI Mode
Google says a page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet to appear as a supporting link, and that no special optimization, AI text file or schema is required. It recommends keeping your Business Profile up to date.
Their own crawlers
Perplexity and other assistants run their own crawlers and search. If your robots.txt or firewall blocks them, they can't read your site — a surprisingly common mistake.
What others say about you
Assistants read the web, not just your site: review platforms, directories, local news and industry lists. Consistent details and real reviews across those sources make you easier to recommend.
The checklist
What we check for every customer.
Most of this is classic local SEO done properly. The AI-specific part is small — making sure assistants can read you and quote you.
Crawlers allowed
robots.txt, CDN and firewall rules let Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot and other search crawlers through.
Indexed in Google and Bing
Your key pages are in both indexes. Bing is often neglected — Bing Webmaster Tools is free and worth setting up.
Business profiles complete
Google Business Profile, Bing Places and Apple Business Connect with the same name, address, phone, hours and categories.
Reviews, earned and answered
A steady flow of genuine reviews on the platforms your customers use, with replies. No buying, no gating.
Pages that answer questions
A page per service and area, stating plainly what you do, where, for whom and from what price — easy to quote in one sentence.
Structured data that matches
LocalBusiness and Service markup consistent with what's visible on the page. It helps machines read you; it isn't a magic switch.
An honest note on llms.txt
Optional, not a ranking factor.
llms.txt is a proposed file that summarizes a site for language models. Google says you don't need AI text files to appear in its AI features, and no major assistant has said it ranks businesses by it. We add one free with any audit, because it costs nothing — but we won't sell it to you as the secret.
| Tactic | What's publicly documented | Our take |
|---|---|---|
| Allow AI search crawlers | OpenAI: blocking OAI-SearchBot keeps you out of ChatGPT search answers | Do it first — it's a one-line fix |
| Index in Bing | Bing is widely reported to be among ChatGPT's third-party search providers | High value, often skipped |
| Google Business Profile | Google recommends keeping it up to date | Essential for any local business |
| Special AI schema | Google: no special schema needed for AI features | Use normal schema, correctly |
| llms.txt | Proposed standard; not required by Google | Free add-on, not a strategy |
Price
$750 audit
New customers: $600 · Monthly SEO + GEO from $1,500/mo ($1,200/mo for new customers)
Start with a free AI visibility check: we ask ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity about your service and area and show you where you appear today. The paid audit turns that into a prioritized fix list; the monthly plan does the fixing.
Get an AI visibility check →- Crawler access and indexing in Google and Bing
- Business profiles and listing consistency
- Review profile and reply process
- Service and area pages that answer real questions
- Structured data and technical SEO fixes
- llms.txt included free
No one can guarantee an AI recommendation, and we won't. What we can do is remove the reasons you're being skipped and track how your visibility changes.
FAQ
Questions,
answered.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Make sure its search crawler can read your site, get indexed in Bing as well as Google, keep your business profiles complete and consistent, earn genuine reviews, and publish clear pages about your services and area. ChatGPT search draws on third-party search providers and the web, so the same signals that make you findable there make you recommendable.
Can you guarantee ChatGPT will recommend us?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Answers vary by question, location and time. We fix what's in your control and show you where you appear before and after.
How do I show up in Google AI Overviews?
Google says there are no extra requirements: your page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet. Good local SEO, helpful content and an up-to-date Business Profile are what matter.
Do I need an llms.txt file?
It's optional and not a ranking factor that any major platform has confirmed. We add one free with every audit, but it's not where results come from.
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimization: making your business easy for AI assistants to find, understand and quote. In practice it builds on SEO — crawlability, indexing, listings, reviews and clear content — with a few AI-specific checks.
What's in the free AI visibility check?
We ask the main assistants the questions your customers would ask, note whether and how you appear, and check whether AI crawlers can reach your site. You get a short summary and a recommendation — no obligation.
Next step
See where you stand
in AI search.
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