The short answer
There’s no secret trick: Google says AI answers need nothing special. Say plainly what you do and where, keep your Google profile and website right, let the search bots in and earn real reviews.
“What’s a good physio near Coquitlam Centre that does direct billing?”
A few years ago that was a Google search. Now plenty of people type it into ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, or read an AI answer at the top of Google before any links. The answer usually names a few businesses. The question every owner asks us is: how do I become one of them?
The honest answer is less exciting than the sales pitches. Here’s what the research shows the AI tools quote, what Google itself says you need, and where I’d start.
What the AI tools are looking for
Google’s own guide to AI features says there are no extra requirements to appear in its AI answers, and no special optimizations. You don’t need new files or new code. What it lists instead are the basics: pages Google can crawl, important content in text, a good page experience and an up-to-date Business Profile.
BrightLocal’s study of nearly 2 million citations in local AI answers shows where the tools actually get their facts. Business websites were 42% of everything cited. Google Business Profiles were 28.6%, Yelp 9.5% and Facebook 2.2%.
1Say plainly what you do and where
Somewhere near the top of your homepage, write one sentence a stranger could repeat: “Harbour & Pine is a family-run plumbing company in Port Coquitlam serving the Tri-Cities, with same-day repairs and 24-hour emergency calls.” It feels obvious. It’s also exactly the kind of sentence AI assistants quote.
2Answer the questions people ask
People ask assistants long, specific questions: prices, parking, whether you take their insurance, whether you work weekends. If the answer is on your website in plain words, a tool can find it. Service pages and a genuinely useful FAQ do more here than clever slogans.
3Get your website and Google profile right first
Between them, websites and Google profiles were about 70% of what the AI answers in BrightLocal’s study cited. Google also tells site owners to keep their Business Profile information up to date for its AI features.
4Keep your details identical everywhere
Your name, address, phone number, hours and services should match across your website, your Google profile, Facebook, Yelp and any directories. Conflicting details make a tool less sure, and a less sure tool recommends someone else.
Want a second opinion on yours? Our free Site Check looks at your website and your Google listing. Good news first.
Get my free Site Check5Don’t block the robots you want
Some websites turn AI crawlers away by accident, often through a security setting that blocks “AI bots” in one click. Google says crawling has to be allowed in your robots.txt file and by your hosting or security service.
It helps to know the crawlers do different jobs. OpenAI’s own list says OAI-SearchBot is for search, so sites that block it don’t appear in ChatGPT’s search answers, while GPTBot collects content for training its models. The settings are separate: you can let one in and keep the other out.
6Add structured data, and keep it honest
Structured data is a small block of code that tells machines, unambiguously, “this is a local business, this is its address, these are its hours.” Google says there’s no special code needed for AI answers, but your structured data should match what’s visible on the page. We add it to every site we build.
7Earn a few good mentions
AI tools notice when trustworthy sites mention you: local news, your chamber of commerce, industry associations, community sponsorships, a supplier’s list of recommended installers. One real mention from a respected local site is worth more than a pile of low-quality directory listings.
8Let reviews describe the work
“They fixed our furnace the same afternoon and explained everything” tells people and machines far more than “Great service!” But you can’t ask for that. Google’s review policy says businesses shouldn’t request specific content in reviews. Do memorable work, ask every customer, and let them say it their way. More in our guide to Google reviews.
What about llms.txt?
You may hear about llms.txt, a plain text file that summarizes a website for AI tools. Google’s guide says you don’t need new machine-readable files or AI text files to appear in its AI answers.
What I’d do first
- Today: ask ChatGPT and Google the three questions your customers ask most. Note who gets named, and which sites they quote.
- This week: put your one plain sentence near the top of your homepage, and check every detail on your Google profile.
- This month: check your robots.txt and security settings, and answer your top ten customer questions on your website.
- From then on: keep asking every customer for a review, and keep your details matching everywhere.
Our free website check includes a look at how search engines and AI assistants see your website. If something is blocking them, we’ll say so. Want it done for you? Local SEO is our Gold plan.
Key takeaways
- Google says AI answers need no special files or tricks, just the basics done well.
- Your website and Google profile were 70% of what AI tools cited for local searches.
- Say plainly what you do, where and for whom, and answer real questions.
- Let the search bots in; blocking AI training is a separate choice.
- Earn reviews in customers’ own words: never ask for specific wording.