How to make AI tools recommend your business

More and more customers don't start with a Google search. They ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI results: "Who's a good accountant near me?" or "Which agency should I hire for my website?"

If AI tools recommend your business, you're on the shortlist. If they don't, you're not even on the list. The good news: there are no secret tricks. Google itself says the same basics that help you in normal search also help you in its AI features. What changes is how clear and consistent you need to be.

Here's what a large study tells us, and what you can do about it.

What the research found

Meltwater and LinkedIn analysed 9.5 million citations in AI answers to business questions, across six AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot and Google's AI results. A few findings stand out:

- LinkedIn was the second most cited source, right after YouTube.

- 75% of LinkedIn citations came from personal profiles, and only 25% from company pages.

- More than half came from people with fewer than 10,000 followers. You don't need to be famous.

- The most cited content was clear and practical: lists, clear headings, real data and concrete examples.

A separate study by Nimza, across 591 US cities, found that the #1 business on Google Maps was named by an AI assistant in only 18% of cities. Ranking on Maps doesn't guarantee you'll be recommended.

1. Make your website easy to understand

AI tools read your website the way a new customer would, only faster. Make sure each page answers simple questions:

- What do you do?

- Who is it for?

- Where do you work (city or area)?

- How can someone contact you?

Use clear headings and short paragraphs. If you offer three services, give each one its own clear section or page.

2. Answer the questions your customers really ask

Write down the questions clients ask you in emails and meetings. Then answer them on your website, in plain words. For example:

- "How long does it take?"

- "What do I need to prepare?"

- "Do you work with businesses outside the city?"

A short, honest answer is more useful than a long sales page.

3. Keep your details the same everywhere

Your name, address, phone number, hours and description should match on your website, Google Business Profile, social media and directories. When details don't match, both people and AI tools get confused about whether it's really you.

4. Post from your own profile, not only your company page

The study is clear: on LinkedIn, personal profiles are cited three times more than company pages. If you run a business, share what you know under your own name:

- Lessons from real projects.

- Answers to common client questions.

- Simple tips, with lists and examples.

Your company page still matters, but people trust people, and AI tools seem to as well.

5. Be present where your industry looks

Get listed in the directories and platforms people in your sector use, and keep those listings up to date. Honest reviews from real customers also help people choose you.

A simple checklist to start this week

1. Read your homepage as if you were a new customer. Is it clear what you do and where?

2. Check that your name, phone and hours match on Google, your website and social media.

3. Add one page or section that answers your three most common client questions.

4. Write one LinkedIn post from your own profile with a practical tip and a real example.

None of this is a trick. It's simply making your business easy to understand, for people and for the tools they now use to find you.

Sources: Meltwater, LinkedIn; Nimza; Google Search Central.