A new kind of search is quietly growing. Instead of typing keywords into Google, people ask an AI tool a full question. “Which agency in Dubai is good for Shopify stores?” “What is the best CRM for a small real estate team?” “Recommend a reliable laptop repair shop near me.”
The AI replies with a short list. If your business is on that list, you are in front of a buyer at the exact moment they are deciding. If you’re not, you might never know you were left out.
There is a lot of noise about how to “rank in ChatGPT”, and much of it is guesswork. Here is what we know, what is hype and what you can do about it today.
How AI Tools Decide What to Recommend
Each tool works a little differently, but they draw from similar places.
- Search results. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode all look things up on the web for many questions, and they lean heavily on pages that already rank well
- What others say about you. Reviews, directory listings, news mentions, Reddit threads, YouTube videos and comparison articles all shape the picture
- Your own website. Clear service pages, about pages and FAQs help the AI understand exactly what you do and for whom
- Training data. The models also learn from large amounts of text gathered over time, which favours brands that have been talked about widely and consistently
The common thread is simple. AI tools repeat what the web already says about you. If the web says very little, or says confusing things, the AI has nothing to work with.
What Is Hype
Before the practical steps, a few things to ignore.
The llms.txt File
Many people have been told they need an llms.txt file for AI visibility. In June 2026 Google updated its guidance to say its Search features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode, don’t use these files. An Ahrefs study the same month found that almost all llms.txt files it checked got no bot requests. It is harmless, but it isn’t the answer.
Special AI Schema or Hidden Prompts
Google has also said there is no special markup required for its AI features. Hiding instructions for AI bots on your pages is a spam tactic that can backfire badly.
Guaranteed AI Rankings
Nobody controls what an AI tool says. Anyone selling guaranteed placement in ChatGPT is selling something they can’t deliver.
What Actually Helps
1. Be Crystal Clear About What You Do
AI tools struggle with vague businesses. Your homepage, service pages and about page should state plainly what you offer, where you operate and who you serve. “Shopify store design for fashion and jewellery brands in the UAE and India” is far more useful to an AI than “We craft digital experiences”.
2. Answer the Questions Customers Actually Ask
Look at the questions you hear on sales calls, in WhatsApp chats and in emails. Write clear answers on your site, using the words customers use. Pricing, timelines, process, comparisons and “is this right for me” questions are especially valuable, because AI tools often get asked exactly these.
3. Earn Mentions on Other Websites
This is the biggest lever and the slowest. AI tools trust what independent sources say about you more than what you say about yourself.
- Get listed in respected industry directories and “best of” roundups
- Share your expertise in podcasts, guest articles and local news
- Take part in genuine discussions on Reddit, Quora and industry forums, without spamming links
- Publish original data or research that others will want to quote
4. Build a Strong Review Profile
Reviews on Google, Clutch, Trustpilot or platforms relevant to your industry give AI tools real customer language to summarise. Encourage clients to mention the specific service they used and the result they got.
5. Keep Your Details Consistent Everywhere
Your business name, description, services and location should match across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, social media and directories. Conflicting information makes AI tools less confident about recommending you.
6. Let the Crawlers In
Some security settings block AI crawlers like OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot by default. Check your robots.txt and your CDN or firewall settings. If those bots can’t read your site, their tools have to rely only on what others say about you.
7. Show Up on Video and Social
AI tools increasingly pull from YouTube, LinkedIn and other platforms. Short videos explaining your services, case study walkthroughs and helpful posts all add to the picture the AI builds of your business.
How to Check Where You Stand
Open ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode. Ask the kind of questions your customers would ask, such as “best [your service] in [your city]” or “which company should I use for [your service]”. Try a few different phrasings.
Note who gets mentioned, what the tools say about them and which sources they cite. Then ask directly about your own business and check whether the description is accurate. Repeat this every month or two. Answers change often, so look for patterns rather than single results.
Final Thoughts
There is no switch that puts your business inside AI answers. What works is the same thing that has always built a good reputation, made visible online. Be clear about what you do, be useful, get people talking about you, and make your website easy to read for both humans and machines.
The Big Growth helps businesses build this kind of visibility through SEO, content, reviews, social media and brand work. If you want to see how AI tools currently describe your business and what to fix first, request a free growth plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
Not in the organic answers. Some AI platforms are testing ad formats, but the regular recommendations come from what the tool finds and learns about businesses across the web.
How long does it take to appear in AI answers?
It varies. Tools that search the web live can reflect changes within weeks. Answers that rely on training data can take months to update, because models are retrained periodically.
Is AI search optimization different from SEO?
It overlaps heavily. Most of what helps you rank on Google also helps you appear in AI answers. The extra focus is on clear, direct answers, consistent brand information and mentions on trusted third-party sites.
