How to Get Your Business Found in ChatGPT and AI Search

By Sasha Mason
Founder and Marketing Strategist, Local Lab Digital

Your next customer may not start with Google.

They might ask ChatGPT to recommend a family-friendly tour in Port Douglas. They might use an AI search tool to find a reliable electrician who services their suburb, a restaurant that can handle a large group, a wellness practitioner with experience in a specific treatment, or an accountant who works with businesses like theirs.

The answer they receive may name a handful of businesses. The customer can compare those options, ask follow-up questions and make a decision without scrolling through a traditional page of search results.

If your business is missing from that answer, the problem usually goes deeper than ChatGPT. AI search systems need enough reliable information to understand what you do, where you operate, who you help and why your business is a credible recommendation.

That is what AI search visibility is really about.

This guide explains how ChatGPT and other AI search tools find business information, what makes a business easier to recommend, and what booking-based businesses should work on first.

What does it mean to be found in AI search?

Being found in AI search can mean several things:

• Your business is named when someone asks for recommendations.
• Your website is cited as a source in an AI-generated answer.
• Accurate information about your services, location, pricing or availability is included in a response.
• Your business appears in a local result, map, comparison or booking option.
• An AI tool can answer follow-up questions about your business without getting the details wrong.

These results are not the same as holding position one in Google.

Traditional search usually presents a list of links. AI search often builds one answer from multiple sources. It may interpret the customer’s question, run several searches, compare information and present a short list of options that fit the request.

OpenAI explains that ChatGPT Search can rewrite a user’s prompt into more targeted searches and may use general location information to improve local results. Its answers can include citations and other relevant links. For a booking-based business, that means AI visibility depends on more than using the right keyword on one web page. Your whole online presence needs to give the system a consistent, credible picture.

How does ChatGPT find information about a business?

AI search platforms do not all work in exactly the same way, and their systems continue to change. In broad terms, they can draw from:

• pages on your website
• search engine indexes
• business profiles and map listings
• directories and industry platforms
• review websites
• booking platforms
• media coverage and other third-party websites
• information retrieved directly from a page when a user asks a question

For ChatGPT Search specifically, OpenAI uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to surface websites in search results. OpenAI says a site that opts out of this crawler will not appear in ChatGPT search answers, although it may still appear as a navigational link. OpenAI also states that search inclusion and placement are not guaranteed.

OAI-SearchBot is separate from GPTBot, which OpenAI uses for content that may help train its generative AI models. A business can allow OAI-SearchBot while blocking GPTBot. Appearing in ChatGPT Search does not require you to make your site available for model training.

This is an important distinction. Allowing a crawler gives your site the chance to be considered. It does not make your business recommendable by itself.

AI systems still need to work out:

1. Is this business relevant to the question?
2. Is the information current and specific?
3. Does the business genuinely serve this location or type of customer?
4. Is there enough evidence to trust the claims?
5. Can the information be confirmed elsewhere?

Your AI search strategy needs to address all five.

The foundations of AI search visibility

There is no button that puts a business at the top of ChatGPT. Anyone promising guaranteed AI rankings is selling certainty that does not exist.

What you can do is make your business easier to access, understand, verify and recommend. That work falls into four connected areas.

1. Access

Can search engines and AI crawlers reach your website and important pages?

2. Understanding

Can they clearly identify what your business does, where it works and who each service is for?

3. Trust

Do your website, reviews, profiles and third-party mentions support the claims you make?

4. Relevance

Does your online content properly answer the questions potential customers ask when they are choosing who to book?

If one of these foundations is weak, publishing more content will rarely fix the underlying issue.

1. Make sure AI search tools can access your website

Start with the technical basics. Your website needs to be crawlable, indexable and easy to navigate.

Check that:

• important pages are not blocked in your robots.txt file
• your website allows OAI-SearchBot if you want to be eligible for ChatGPT Search results
• your hosting provider or security system is not blocking OpenAI’s published crawler IP addresses
• your pages are not accidentally marked noindex
• your site has a current XML sitemap
• important pages are linked from your navigation or other relevant pages
• the mobile version of the site loads properly
• essential information is visible as text, rather than hidden inside images or complicated interactive elements
• booking buttons, menus and forms have clear labels that browsers and accessibility tools can interpret

It is also worth setting up Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. These platforms can show whether search engines are finding and indexing your pages. IndexNow can notify participating search engines, including Bing, when a page is added or updated, although submission does not guarantee that the page will be indexed or selected for an answer.

This part is technical, but the principle is simple: a page cannot become a useful source if the systems producing the answer cannot reliably access it.

2. Be specific about what you do and who you do it for

Many business websites rely on broad language that sounds polished but says very little.

Phrases such as “tailored solutions”, “exceptional experiences” and “quality service” do not help a person or an AI system understand when to recommend you.

Your website should answer these questions in plain language:

• What do you offer?
• Who is it for?
• What problem does it solve?
• Where is it available?
• What makes the service suitable for a particular need?
• How does someone enquire or book?

For example, “electrical solutions for every need” is vague. “Residential electrician servicing Cairns northern beaches, specialising in switchboard upgrades, smoke alarms and urgent fault repairs” gives both customers and search systems something concrete to work with.

The same applies across booking-based industries:

• A tour operator should state where tours depart, trip length, group size, accessibility, inclusions and the type of traveller each experience suits.
• An accommodation business should make room types, location, facilities, policies and suitability for families, couples or groups easy to find.
• A restaurant should publish its location, current menu, cuisine, opening hours, dietary options, group capacity and booking details.
• A wellness business should explain each treatment, who provides it, relevant qualifications, the concerns it may help with and who it may not suit.
• A professional service should name the clients, industries, locations and situations it is equipped to handle.

Specificity helps you qualify for more relevant recommendations. It also helps customers rule your business in or out without wasting your time.

3. Build a clear page for every important service or experience

One generic services page makes it harder to match your business to a specific request.

Create a useful standalone page for each core service, treatment, tour, room type, dining experience or professional engagement. Each page should cover one main topic and include the information a customer needs to decide whether to take the next step.

A strong service page usually includes:

• a clear service name
• the outcome or need it addresses
• who it is for
• where the service is available
• what is included
• price or a realistic pricing explanation, where appropriate
• duration or expected time frame
• your process
• relevant qualifications or experience
• common questions and genuine limitations
• reviews, examples or proof specific to that service
• a clear booking or enquiry action

This is useful for people first. It also gives AI systems a focused page that can stand on its own as a source.

If you serve several locations, avoid creating dozens of near-identical suburb pages with the place name swapped out. Build location pages only when each page can offer genuinely useful local information, such as service coverage, travel fees, local examples, meeting options or information specific to that area.

4. Answer the questions customers ask before they book

People use AI search conversationally. Their questions are often detailed and tied to a real decision.

They do not only ask, “plumber near me” or “Port Douglas tours”. They ask things such as:

• Which Port Douglas reef tours are suitable for young children?
• Can an electrician replace a switchboard in an older Queenslander?
• Where can I book dinner in Cairns for 14 people with gluten-free options?
• What should I expect at my first lymphatic drainage appointment?
• Do I need a bookkeeper or an accountant for my small business?
• Which accommodation near Macrossan Street has parking and rooms for a family of five?

Your content should answer the real questions that come up during enquiries, sales calls and bookings.

Useful formats include:

• detailed service pages
• comparison articles
• pricing and cost guides
• “what to expect” guides
• suitability and eligibility information
• local planning guides
• case studies
• original checklists
• well-structured frequently asked questions on the relevant page

Use the language customers actually use. Give the answer early, then add context, conditions and examples. A reader should not have to dig through 800 words to find out whether you service their suburb or can accommodate their dietary requirement.

The goal is not to manufacture a page for every possible prompt. Google’s guidance for generative AI search specifically warns against producing large numbers of pages for query variations. Strong content adds first-hand knowledge, useful detail and a point of view that a generic AI-written summary cannot provide.

5. Strengthen the evidence around your business

Your website is your own claim about your business. AI search tools may also look for information that supports that claim elsewhere.

That evidence can include:

• detailed customer reviews
• relevant directory listings
• industry association profiles
• tourism organisation listings
• booking platform profiles
• local media coverage
• supplier or partner pages
• awards and accreditations
• interviews, podcasts and expert contributions
• links and mentions from credible local or industry websites

Quality matters more than collecting as many listings as possible. A complete profile on a respected industry or local platform is more useful than a hundred thin directory entries created only for a link.

Reviews are particularly useful when they contain specifics. “Great service” adds little context. A genuine review that mentions the service, location, customer need and outcome gives future customers far more information.

You should never script a positive review or ask customers to include keywords they do not naturally use. Make the request straightforward: ask them to describe what they booked, what they needed help with and what stood out about the experience.

6. Keep your business information consistent and current

Conflicting details make your business harder to understand and easier to overlook.

Check that your business name, address, phone number, service areas, opening hours and website address are accurate across the places that matter. Depending on the business, that may include:

• your website
• Google Business Profile
• Bing Places
• Apple Business Connect
• Facebook and other active social profiles
• tourism and industry directories
• booking and reservation platforms
• professional association listings

Consistency does not mean copying the same description everywhere. It means the factual details agree.

For local businesses, your Google Business Profile still matters. Google says complete and accurate information helps it match a business to relevant local searches, while links, reviews and prominence also contribute to local visibility. AI search does not replace this work. It increases the value of having it done properly.

Set a recurring check for hours, categories, menus, services, images and booking links. Outdated information is especially damaging for restaurants, accommodation, tourism and seasonal businesses, where availability and operating details change regularly.

7. Add structured data to help machines interpret the page

Structured data is code that labels information on a web page in a standard format. It can help search systems identify details such as:

• the business name and type
• address and service area
• phone number
• opening hours
• menu
• services
• events
• author
• frequently asked questions
• booking or reservation actions, where supported

For a local business, this will often include the most accurate available LocalBusiness subtype, such as Restaurant, Electrician or HealthAndBeautyBusiness. Google recommends using the most specific relevant type and making sure the marked-up information matches what visitors can see on the page.

Structured data improves machine readability. It does not compensate for vague content, poor positioning or weak proof. It also does not guarantee a rich result or an AI citation.

There is currently no special “AI schema” required for Google’s generative search features. The same rule applies to llms.txt, a file sometimes promoted as essential for AI visibility. Google says it does not use this file for Search. Treat either one as a complete solution and you will miss the larger job.

Have it implemented and tested properly. Incorrect or misleading markup can be ignored and, in some cases, cause search issues.

8. Show who is behind the information

Trust becomes more important when the service involves a customer’s money, health, safety, property or business.

Make the people behind the business visible. Depending on your industry, include:

• a useful About page
• named authors on expert articles
• qualifications, licences and professional memberships
• relevant experience
• original photos of the team, premises or work
• clear contact information
• policies, terms and cancellation details
• case studies with enough context to be credible

For a tradie, licence details, service areas and examples of completed work matter. For a wellness provider, qualifications and appropriate boundaries matter. For a professional adviser, experience with a particular type of client or issue matters.

Do not bury this information in a footer or assume customers already know it. Make the evidence easy to find on the pages where someone is deciding whether to trust you.

9. Make booking information easy to find and use

Being mentioned in an AI answer has little commercial value if the next step is confusing.

Every important page should make it obvious:

• whether the service can be booked online
• how to check availability
• how to request a quote
• what information is needed to enquire
• what happens after an enquiry
• how quickly the business normally responds
• what the main terms or booking conditions are

Where relevant, keep profiles on booking and reservation platforms complete. OpenAI currently supports restaurant reservation information from selected providers in some markets, and availability varies by provider and location. The broader direction is clear: accurate, machine-readable availability and booking information is becoming more useful.

Do not force every customer into the same call to action. A traveller may be ready to check dates. A homeowner may need to request a quote. A professional services client may need an initial conversation. Match the next step to the way the service is actually bought.

10. Measure whether your visibility is improving

AI search results can vary by platform, wording, location, timing and the context of the person asking. One manual search is not a reliable measurement system.

Start with a defined set of questions that reflect real buying situations. Test them across the AI search platforms that matter to your customers and record:

• whether your business is mentioned
• which competitors appear
• which sources are cited
• whether your business details are accurate
• which services or locations are understood correctly
• what evidence appears to influence the answer
• whether visits and enquiries arrive from AI platforms

Website analytics can identify some referral traffic from AI tools. OpenAI says referrals from ChatGPT Search include utm_source=chatgpt.com, which can help with reporting. This will not capture every influence on a booking. Add a simple “How did you hear about us?” field or ask during the enquiry process. Customers may have discovered the business in ChatGPT and returned later through Google or directly.

Google Search Console includes traffic from Google’s AI search experiences within its performance reporting. Bing Webmaster Tools also provides AI Performance reporting for citations and cited pages across selected Microsoft AI experiences. Use the data that is available, but do not confuse clicks with total visibility.

Repeat the same core tests after meaningful changes. You are looking for patterns over time, not a flattering screenshot from one prompt.

What will not get your business recommended by ChatGPT

AI search has attracted plenty of shortcuts. Most distract from the work that makes a business genuinely easier to recommend.

Be cautious of:

• guarantees that your business will rank first in ChatGPT
• hundreds of low-value articles generated to target slight variations of the same question
• copying competitors’ content and changing a few words
• stuffing “best”, service names and locations into every heading
• creating fake reviews or vague directory profiles
• adding structured data for information that is not visible or true
• treating one technical file or website plugin as a complete AI search strategy
• checking one prompt once and calling it an audit

The strongest strategy is less exciting and more useful: make the business specific, publish information customers genuinely need, keep the facts current and build credible proof across the web.

A practical AI search checklist for booking-based businesses

Use this as a starting point:

Website access

• Important pages can be crawled and indexed.
• OAI-SearchBot is allowed if you want ChatGPT Search visibility.
• The site has a clean XML sitemap and useful internal links.
• Key information is visible in readable page text.

Business information

• The website clearly states what you offer, who it is for and where it is available.
• Each core service or bookable experience has a detailed page.
• Contact, location, hours and service-area information are current.
• Business details agree across important profiles and platforms.

Content and trust

• The site answers real pre-booking questions.
• Claims are supported with qualifications, examples, reviews or third-party evidence.
• Authors and business owners are clearly identified where relevant.
• Content contains useful first-hand information, rather than generic summaries.

Technical meaning

• Appropriate organisation or local business structured data is installed.
• Service, article and other relevant markup is accurate and tested.
• Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are set up and monitored.

Conversion and measurement

• Every important page has a suitable next step.
• Booking, quote or enquiry information is easy to find.
• A repeatable set of AI search questions is monitored.
• Enquiry forms or staff ask how customers found the business.

Where should you start?

Start with the business information closest to a booking decision.

Choose your most important service or experience and review the page as if neither the customer nor the search system knows anything about you. Can they quickly understand what it is, who it suits, where it is available, what it costs or how pricing works, why they should trust you and how to book?

Then check whether the same facts are supported across your business profiles, reviews, directories and other credible sources.

That work is rarely glamorous. It is also where many businesses have the biggest gap.

Find out how your business appears in AI search

An AI Search Strategy looks at how your business currently appears across ChatGPT and other AI search experiences, what those systems can understand about you, which competitors are being recommended and what is affecting your visibility.

You will leave with a practical order of work based on your business, rather than a generic list of AI marketing tactics.

Book an AI Search Strategy

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Suggested sources and further reading

• OpenAI: Overview of OpenAI crawlers
• OpenAI: Searching the web with ChatGPT
• OpenAI: Publishers and Developers FAQ
• Microsoft Bing: Webmaster Guidelines
• Microsoft Bing: AI Performance reporting
• Google: Guide to succeeding in AI search experiences
• Google: Local business structured data
• Google: Tips to improve local ranking

Sasha Mason is the founder and marketing strategist behind Local Lab Digital. With more than 20 years’ experience in marketing, she helps booking-based businesses across Australia improve how they’re found across Google, Maps and AI-powered search, and turn that visibility into more enquiries and bookings.