More and more searches now end with an AI-written answer: Google's AI Overviews at the top of the results, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity and others. For a local business, the question is simple: when someone asks one of these tools for a recommendation, does your business get mentioned?
There's no secret trick. But there are clear, practical steps that make it more likely.
How AI answers find businesses
Most AI search tools work in a similar way:
- They search. When a question needs current or local information, the tool runs searches, using its own crawler, a search engine index or both.
- They read the top sources. They pick pages that look relevant and trustworthy.
- They summarise and cite. The answer combines what those sources say, often with links.
That means the businesses that show up are, mostly, the ones that are easy to find, easy to understand and well regarded across the web. Good SEO is the foundation.
What Google says about AI Overviews
Google's guidance is straightforward: there's no special markup or trick for AI Overviews. A page can be used as a source if it's indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a snippet. The same fundamentals apply: helpful content, a site Google can crawl, and good page experience. Clicks from AI features are included in your Search Console performance reports.
The practical steps
1. Be properly indexed in Google and Bing
- Set up Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
- Set up Bing Webmaster Tools too: you can import your site from Search Console in a couple of minutes. Several AI tools draw on Bing's index as well as their own, so being invisible to Bing can mean being invisible to them.
- Check that no important pages are blocked or marked "noindex".
2. Let the right crawlers in
If you want to be recommended, don't block search-related crawlers in your robots.txt. The main ones are Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT search) and PerplexityBot. Some website builders and security tools block "AI bots" by default, so it's worth checking.
Blocking Google-Extended affects whether Google can use your content to train its Gemini models; it doesn't remove you from Google Search or AI Overviews.
3. Describe your business clearly and consistently
AI tools piece together facts from many places. Make them easy to join up:
- Your website: a clear About page that says, in the first lines, who you are, what you do and where you work. For example: "[Business] is a [type of business] in [town], serving [areas]."
- Your Google Business Profile: accurate name, categories, services, areas and hours.
- Directories and social profiles: the same name, website and description everywhere.
- Structured data: Organization or LocalBusiness markup on your site, with links to your official profiles. It must match what's visible on the page.
Inconsistent details, such as different names, old addresses or out-of-date services, make it harder for any system to be confident about you.
4. Answer questions directly
AI answers quote content that answers a question clearly. On your service pages and guides:
- Put the answer first. Start a section with a clear one or two sentence answer, then explain.
- Use the question as a heading where it reads naturally: "How much does a boiler service cost in Lisburn?"
- Use lists and tables for steps, options and comparisons.
- Add FAQs that answer what customers genuinely ask.
5. Be specific and original
Generic text that could describe any business anywhere is rarely cited. Specifics are:
- the areas you actually cover and how quickly you can get there;
- what's included in your service, and what isn't;
- how your process works, step by step;
- typical price ranges, if you're comfortable sharing them;
- real photos, real examples and case studies, with permission.
6. Build your reputation off your website
AI tools look for signs that you're real and well regarded:
- Reviews on Google and other platforms, with replies.
- Mentions in local news, association member lists, supplier pages and community sites.
- Directory listings in the main UK and Irish directories for your sector.
- Genuine discussion in local groups and forums, from real customers.
See link building for Northern Ireland businesses for safe ways to earn mentions.
7. Keep it current
Show when pages were last updated, and keep prices, services and opening hours accurate. AI tools favour information that looks current, and out-of-date details can be repeated back to customers.
What doesn't work
- Writing for robots. Stuffing pages with keywords or phrases you think AI wants makes them worse for people and no better for AI.
- Mass-produced AI content. Pages generated in bulk without real knowledge or checking add little, and Google's spam policies cover scaled, low-value content.
- Fake reviews or mentions. They break the platforms' rules and can backfire badly.
What about llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed plain-text file that summarises a website for AI tools. It's not an official standard and support varies between tools. It's quick to add and does no harm, but it's a small extra on top of good pages, not a replacement for them.
How to measure it
- Search Console: clicks and impressions from Google, which include AI features.
- Your analytics: visits referred from AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot.
- Ask the tools. Every so often, ask ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity and Google's AI Mode the questions your customers would, such as "best [service] in [town]", and note whether and how you're described.
- Enquiries: ask new customers how they found you. "ChatGPT recommended you" is becoming a real answer.
Related reading: the complete guide to SEO in Northern Ireland and how to write service pages that rank.
If you'd like help making your business easier for search engines and AI tools to understand and recommend, see our SEO service or get in touch.
