How the platforms find information
When ChatGPT uses search, it can turn a question into targeted web queries and use search partners. Location can influence local results. OpenAI tells site owners to allow OAI-SearchBot and its published IP addresses if they want their websites eligible for inclusion. Eligibility does not guarantee placement. Source: OpenAI Search documentation.
Claude can use web search and provide citations to supporting sources. That makes public web information relevant to an answer, but does not supply a published formula for winning a business recommendation. Source: Anthropic.
Google says the established SEO fundamentals apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. A page must be indexed and eligible for a search snippet to appear as a supporting link. Google does not require special AI files or special schema. This guidance concerns Google Search features, not every answer in the standalone Gemini app. Source: Google Search Central.
What a business can improve
Check that important service information appears as readable text, pages are reachable through internal links, and crawlers are not inadvertently blocked by robots rules or hosting controls. Describe the actual service, location, process, contact details, and limitations. Match structured data to the visible page instead of adding unsupported claims.
For a local business, maintain a complete and accurate Google Business Profile. Google describes local ranking in terms of relevance, distance, and prominence, with reviews and links contributing to prominence. Those are local Google factors; they should not be presented as universal weights across AI platforms. Source: Google Business Profile Help.
Make customer evidence useful
Show specific examples of completed work with customer permission. Explain what was delivered, where relevant, and what the customer can verify. Ask customers for honest feedback without manufacturing reviews. Keep qualifications, operating hours, pricing statements, and service-area claims current.
Relevant independent coverage and accurate industry listings can help people verify a business. Whether a specific mention changes AI visibility must be tested. Buying a generic placement is not proof that a platform will recommend you.
How to test whether you appear
Choose a fixed set of questions based on actual buyer needs. Include the service and location where appropriate. Record the exact wording, date, platform, search mode, cited sources, and whether the business was named. Repeat observations: one favorable answer is a snapshot, not a stable ranking.
Keep website referrals, qualified calls, forms, appointments, and won work separate. Some customers may see a business in an answer and contact it through another route. Asking how they heard about the business can supplement attribution, but neither self-reporting nor analytics captures every journey.
What to ask before paying an agency
- Which exact pages, profiles, and workflows will you change?
- What sources support your findings?
- How will you distinguish work completed from customers acquired?
- Who approves claims and owns the accounts?
- What costs are outside the service fee?
Be cautious about guaranteed AI placements, scores with no published method, and reports that cannot connect recommendations to specific work. See FLP’s measurement method or explore our managed visibility service.
After someone finds you
Discovery is only the first step. A useful service page and a clear contact path still matter. These practical guides cover what a booking page needs and what happens after an inquiry.