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How to Get Your Local Business Recommended by ChatGPT

By Justin, founder of Top Search Local · Published October 29, 2026 · 8 min read

Why this matters now

Asking an AI assistant for a recommendation has gone mainstream fast. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults, 45% said they had used an AI tool to find a local business in the past year, up from 6% the year before. ChatGPT was the most used, at 31%.

The same survey found that 88% of those people double-check what the AI tells them, most often by looking at reviews. So AI doesn't replace your reputation. It decides whether customers ever get far enough to look at it.

How ChatGPT finds local businesses

When someone asks ChatGPT something like "best plumber in Peabody," it searches the web, reads what it finds, and answers with a short list of businesses. A September 2026 study of 3,160 ChatGPT answers found it showed a list of business cards in 95% of "best [service] in [city]" answers, averaging about 12 businesses per list.

The sources behind those answers fall into two groups:

• Business websites. Studies of AI citations in 2026 found business websites were the most-cited source type for both ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, close to half of all citations.
• Directories and review sites. In the September study, the sites ChatGPT cited most often next to local lists included Expertise.com, Birdeye review pages, Angi and the Better Business Bureau.

That's why getting recommended takes work in both places: on your own site, and on the sites AI reads about you.

Eight steps to get recommended

1. Let ChatGPT's search crawler read your site

OpenAI says a site has to allow its search crawler, called OAI-SearchBot, to appear in ChatGPT's search answers. Most website builders allow it by default, but some security settings or old robots.txt files block it. Ask whoever manages your site to confirm it's allowed. Blocking OpenAI's training crawler (GPTBot) is a separate choice and doesn't affect search.

2. Get your site into Bing and Google

Set up free accounts with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap. AI assistants search the web to answer local questions, and a site search engines haven't indexed is hard for them to find.

3. Make your business details match everywhere

Your name, phone number, address (or service area) and hours should be identical on your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Facebook and every directory. Mismatched details make it harder for AI to be sure the listings are all the same business.

4. Say what you do, and where, in plain words

AI can only repeat what it can read. Give each main service its own section or page, name the towns you serve, and state the facts customers ask about: emergency service, evening hours, free estimates, price ranges, parking, booking. If you do 24/7 emergency work, say "24/7 emergency service" in words on your site and listings, not just in a photo.

5. Collect reviews that describe the job

A review that says "Fixed our burst pipe in Danvers within an hour" tells AI far more than "Great service!" When you ask customers for reviews, it's fine to suggest they mention what you did and where. Reply to every review. Never buy or write fake reviews: they break platform rules and federal law.

6. Get onto the lists AI already cites

Check which sites ChatGPT cites when it answers questions in your trade and town (it shows its sources). Common ones are directories like Angi and the BBB, review sites, local "best of" roundups and your chamber of commerce. Make sure you're listed on each, with complete, matching details.

7. Keep your profiles active

Post updates and photos on your Google Business Profile, keep holiday hours current, and answer questions. It shows you're open for business. Google's own guidance for its AI features says to keep your Business Profile up to date.

8. Check what ChatGPT says, every few weeks

Ask the questions your customers ask, the same way each time, and note whether you're named. Our 15-minute guide shows exactly how.

What doesn't work

• Stuffing keywords or repeating town names in a list at the bottom of a page.
• Fake or paid reviews. They can get your listings penalized, and they're illegal.
• Magic files. Google says no special AI files or markup are needed to appear in its AI features. Files like llms.txt don't hurt, but they're not a shortcut.
• Expecting a guarantee. AI answers change from one ask to the next. Anyone promising you the #1 spot can't control it.

Common questions