How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT: A GEO Guide

If you're wondering how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT, you're asking the right question at the right time. AI search is fundamentally changing how people discover businesses. But here's the thing: the strategies that worked for Google don't translate directly to AI recommendations.

AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude don't crawl websites and rank them. They pull from training data and retrieval systems. That's a completely different game. And honestly, most businesses are still playing by the old rules.

This guide breaks down what actually works for generative engine optimisation, or GEO. We'll cover the technical differences, practical strategies, and how to measure whether your efforts are paying off.

What's the Difference Between Traditional SEO and Getting Recommended by AI?

Traditional SEO focuses on ranking for keywords through backlinks and on-page optimisation. GEO prioritises being cited by AI systems through authority signals, verified information, and comprehensive content that AI retrieval systems select as trustworthy sources.

The fundamental shift: your goal isn't to rank for “best coffee shop in Manchester” - it's to be the business that ChatGPT mentions when someone asks for coffee shop recommendations in Manchester.

Traditional SEO rewards keyword optimisation. AI search rewards being cited, verified, and authoritative. You can rank first on Google and still be invisible to AI recommendations if you're not in the right sources.

The Three Pathways to AI Visibility

There are three distinct ways your business can appear in AI recommendations. Understanding these pathways is essential for any GEO strategy.

Training Data Inclusion

If your business was well-established before the training cutoff, you might already be in the model's knowledge. Businesses that existed before 2023 and had a significant online presence are overrepresented in AI training data. Newer businesses need to focus on content creation and authority building to close the gap.

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

This is where real-time web access comes in. Platforms like Perplexity use a retrieval-augmented generation approach that prioritises authoritative, recent sources. Businesses with strong domain authority and fresh, relevant content are more likely to be cited.

This pathway rewards recency and authority. Outdated content won't get retrieved. The mechanism works by searching the web in real-time, evaluating source credibility through domain authority signals, and selecting the most relevant, trustworthy content to cite. This means your content needs both technical SEO fundamentals and genuine expertise signals to pass the retrieval filter.

Direct Integration

Some AI platforms allow direct business submissions or integrations. ChatGPT's recommendations are based on training data combined with retrieval from web sources when using plugins or web browsing. Businesses need visibility in both channels. The most effective GEO strategy addresses all three pathways simultaneously.

How Do AI Models Decide Which Businesses to Recommend?

AI systems are increasingly sophisticated at evaluating trust. They use multiple signals to determine which businesses deserve recommendation. Google's E-E-A-T guidelines apply here too: AI systems increasingly use the same trust signals as Google, including verified business information, expert credentials, and citation patterns.

AI models cross-reference multiple sources to validate claims, evaluate domain authority, assess content freshness, and verify business credentials. Inconsistent information across directories triggers scepticism in these systems. The businesses appearing most frequently in AI recommendations combine verified profiles, authoritative content, and consistent information across multiple platforms.

Building Trust Signals That AI Systems Actually Use

Many of these signals overlap with traditional SEO best practices. The difference is how AI systems weight them.

Verification First

Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile. Ensure your business information is consistent across directories. Verified businesses appear more trustworthy to AI systems than unverified mentions because AI models cross-reference multiple sources to validate claims. Inconsistent information triggers scepticism in these systems.

Schema Markup

How important is schema markup for AI visibility? Structured data helps AI systems understand your business accurately and significantly improves your chances of being retrieved and cited. Implement LocalBusiness schema, add organisation markup, and include FAQ schema where relevant.

You can add schema manually using JSON-LD in your website's header. Google's Structured Data Testing Tool validates your implementation. For smaller sites, manual checking works fine; for larger sites with multiple pages, automated schema audit tools can identify gaps across your entire domain.

Authority Building

This is the long game. Get cited in industry publications. Contribute expert commentary. Build topical authority through comprehensive content on your core subjects. Having a well-optimised official presence is critical because AI platforms prioritise direct business sources (official websites, verified profiles) over third-party mentions.

What Role Do Backlinks Play in AI Recommendations?

Backlinks matter for AI visibility, but differently than traditional SEO. AI retrieval systems use backlinks as authority signals. They indicate which sources other websites trust. However, the quality and relevance of backlinks matter more than quantity.

A single backlink from a highly authoritative, relevant source (like an industry publication or news outlet) carries more weight than dozens of low-quality links. AI systems also evaluate whether backlinks come from verified, trustworthy domains. The most effective backlink strategy focuses on earning citations from authoritative sources in your industry rather than pursuing volume-based link building.

Content Strategy for AI Discoverability

Not all content is equally likely to be retrieved by AI systems. This is where GEO overlaps with answer engine optimisation (AEO). Here's what works.

Original research and data. AI systems love citing original statistics and research. If you can produce unique data about your industry, you become a source worth citing. AI models are trained to attribute claims to primary sources, and original research represents the highest form of primary source material.

Expert credentials. Content attributed to named experts with verifiable credentials performs better. Include author bios. Link to professional profiles. Make expertise visible.

Comprehensive coverage. Topical depth matters. A single blog post won't establish authority. A content cluster covering every aspect of your expertise signals you're a go-to source. This is what we build for clients at Copylabs: not one-off articles, but a content system that compounds authority over time.

Recency. AI retrieval systems prioritise fresh content. Update your key pages regularly. Add publication dates. Remove outdated information. The businesses seeing the fastest results are those creating content that answers specific questions comprehensively. Not keyword-stuffed articles. Genuinely useful resources that demonstrate deep understanding of user intent and industry nuances.

Can I Directly Submit My Business to ChatGPT or Perplexity?

Direct submission isn't typically available for most AI platforms like ChatGPT or Perplexity. Instead, focus on being cited in authoritative sources AI systems already trust, maintaining verified business profiles across directories, and creating comprehensive content that retrieval systems naturally select when answering relevant queries. OpenAI and Perplexity don't maintain traditional business directories. Your visibility comes from being mentioned in sources these platforms retrieve and cite, not from direct submissions.

How Long Does It Take to Get Recommended by AI Search Engines?

Most businesses observe initial AI mentions within 3-6 months of implementing GEO strategies. Consistent recommendations across multiple AI platforms typically require 6-12 months of sustained effort building authority, creating quality content, and maintaining verified business profiles. This isn't a quick fix. But businesses that invested early in GEO are now seeing consistent AI recommendations. The timeline depends on your starting point - established businesses with existing authority see faster results than newer businesses building from scratch.

Optimising Across AI Platforms

Different AI platforms have different retrieval preferences. Here's a framework for approaching each.

• ChatGPT relies heavily on training data plus web browsing when enabled. Focus on being cited in authoritative sources likely included in AI model training data. Wikipedia, major news outlets, and industry publications matter here.
• Perplexity is more retrieval-focused. It actively searches the web and cites sources. SEO fundamentals still help, but authority signals matter more than keyword rankings.
• Claude prioritises official sources. Your website and verified profiles carry more weight than third-party mentions.
• Gemini naturally integrates with Google's ecosystem. Your Google Business Profile and Google-indexed content matter significantly here.

How to Track If AI Is Recommending Your Business

There's no dashboard showing your AI recommendation performance, so you'll need to track this manually. Ask ChatGPT directly: “What are the best [your service] providers in [your location]?” and note whether you're mentioned. Do this weekly and track frequency, context, and which sources get cited.

Check Perplexity for similar queries and note which sources it cites. Set up Google Alerts for your brand name appearing in AI-generated content discussions.

What to Track

• Frequency of AI mentions (are you appearing more often?)
• Context of mentions (are you recommended positively?)
• Competitor comparison (who else gets mentioned?)
• Source citations (which of your content gets retrieved?)

Adjusting Your Strategy

If you're not appearing, focus on authority building. Get cited in more sources. Create more original content. If you're appearing but competitors appear first, analyse what they're doing differently. Often it's depth of content or strength of verification.

Moving Forward

Getting your business recommended by AI search isn't about gaming a system. It's about genuinely becoming an authoritative, trustworthy source in your industry.

The businesses winning at AI search visibility are those creating genuinely useful content, maintaining verified business information, and building real authority over time.

Start with verification. Build your content foundation. Track your progress. And remember: this is a long game. The businesses that start now will have a significant advantage as AI search becomes the default way people discover services. Your competitors are probably still focused entirely on traditional SEO. That's your opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions About AI Search Optimisation