Instead of searching on Google, many people now ask an AI assistant: “Which business near me does …?” Whether and how your business appears in the answer can’t be controlled, but it can be well prepared.
Where the answers come from
Assistants with web search draw on search indexes and read the pages they find. On top of that comes what they learned about the web during training. Businesses that rank well on the major search engines and are mentioned in several places online therefore have better chances.
What you can do
- Clear facts on your website: who you are, what you offer, where and for whom. Short and phrased the same way everywhere.
- Your customers’ common questions with honest answers, right on your website.
- Structured data, so machines can reliably read details like services, location and contact.
- Keep your website accessible to search engines and AI crawlers, and register it with the webmaster tools of the major search engines.
- Mentions on other sites: directories, associations, partners and reviews.
Search engines and assistants are connected
Many assistants search the web themselves when asked a question and summarise the pages they find. Which search engine they use varies. That is why it pays to be registered not only with Google but also with Bing. Both providers' webmaster tools are free and show whether your pages are being indexed.
What helps assistants on a website
- A clear statement of what the business does, right at the start of the page.
- Separate pages for individual services instead of one long page for everything.
- Concrete details: location, service area, contact person, languages, process.
- Answers in full sentences that make sense even without context.
- A date on posts, so it is clear how current the information is.
Structured data
Structured data is additional information in the website's code that uses a shared standard (schema.org) to describe what is on the page: a business with name, address and services, an article with author and date, frequently asked questions with answers. It is invisible to visitors. But search engines and other programs can read the details reliably instead of having to guess them from the text.
The llms.txt file
A still young proposal is a file called llms.txt in the root directory of the website. It summarises in plain text what the website is about and points to the most important pages. Whether and how much assistants use it is open. But it is quick to create and does no harm.
Mentions outside your website
Assistants don't like to rely on a single source. If your business is described the same way in several places, such as your Google Business Profile, business directories, associations, partners and reviews, the information seems more reliable. How to set up the Google profile is covered in the post Setting up a Google Business Profile.
Access for AI crawlers
Some hosting and security providers now block AI crawlers by default. That may be intended if you don't want your content used to train language models. But it can also prevent assistants from reading your site during a search. Many AI providers distinguish between crawlers for training and crawlers for search. Check in your robots.txt file and with your host which access is allowed, and decide deliberately.
How to check what AI assistants say about you
- Ask different assistants about your business, with name and location.
- Also ask the way customers would, for example for a recommendation for your service in your city.
- Note which details are wrong or missing, and which sources are cited.
- Repeat this every few months. The answers change over time.
What doesn’t help
- Hidden text or long lists of search terms.
- Fake reviews or exaggerated promises.
- Many near-identical pages that only differ in the place name.
AI assistants rely on the same foundations as search engines: clear content, reliable details and a good reputation. Getting these right makes both more likely to describe you correctly.
If you'd rather not handle this yourself: with AI visibility, I prepare your website for it and regularly check what common assistants say about your business.
Is a profile enough, or do I need my own website?
Profiles in directories and on social networks help, but your own website is the source you fully control. Your details are there in full and up to date, and other sources can point to it.
How quickly does what an assistant says about me change?
It varies. Assistants with web search can find new content as soon as search engines have indexed it. What a model learned during training only changes with a new version. That is why it is worth checking regularly.
Do I need to write differently than for Google?
Hardly. Clear, well-structured copy that answers real questions helps people, search engines and assistants alike. It helps to phrase important statements so they remain understandable when quoted on their own.
What if an assistant says something wrong about me?
Check where the information might come from: an old directory listing, an outdated page or a profile with wrong details. Correct the source. You usually cannot change an answer directly with the provider, but some offer a way to give feedback on answers.
There are no guarantees: what an assistant answers is up to the assistant. But with good foundations, the chance increases that it knows your business and describes it correctly.
