Guide · Updated 31 October 2026
How AI assistants choose which local business to recommend
What ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity tend to rely on when someone asks for a local recommendation, and what a local business can do about it.
More people now ask an AI assistant for recommendations. There's no secret trick to appearing in its answers. Nobody publishes the formula, but Google's guidance and the AI companies' documentation point to the same basics.
What they rely on
- Your Google Business Profile and other major listings.
- Reviews on Google and trusted local directories.
- Mentions of your business on other websites, not just your own.
- A clear, fast website that says what you do, where, and for whom.
What you can do
- Keep your name, address area and phone number identical everywhere.
- Earn steady, recent reviews that mention the service and suburb naturally.
- Write clear service pages and answer real customer questions on your site.
- Get listed on relevant Australian directories and industry associations.
What doesn't work
Hidden text aimed at AI, stuffing keywords, or creating dozens of near-identical suburb pages. Search engines treat these as spam.
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