ChatGPT now has over 100 million weekly active users. A growing number of those people are using it to find local businesses. They ask "who is a good dentist in Mosman?" or "can you recommend a landscaper on the Northern Beaches?" and ChatGPT gives them a name. Maybe two names. That is it. No list of ten. No ads. Just a direct recommendation.
If your business is the one being recommended, that is a customer delivered directly to you with a pre-built endorsement. If it is not, that customer goes to a competitor. Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to improving your chances of being the business ChatGPT recommends.
How ChatGPT decides who to recommend
ChatGPT does not have a hidden list of preferred businesses. It constructs recommendations in real time by searching the web, pulling from multiple data sources, and cross-referencing information. When someone asks for a local business recommendation, ChatGPT looks at:
- Your website. Specifically, the content that clearly describes who you are, what you do, and where you do it. Vague marketing copy gets ignored. Specific, factual information gets used.
- Your Google Business Profile. This is a heavily weighted source because it is verified by Google. Your business name, address, phone, hours, services, and reviews all feed into ChatGPT's assessment.
- Review sites. Google reviews are the primary source, but ChatGPT also checks other platforms where your business might have reviews.
- Online directories. Yellow Pages, True Local, Hipages, industry-specific directories. These provide additional verification of your business details.
- Mentions on other websites. If your business is mentioned on local community sites, news articles, industry blogs, or social media, those mentions add to your digital footprint.
ChatGPT is looking for one thing above all: confidence. It wants to be sure that the business it recommends is real, active, located where it claims to be, and well-regarded by customers. Every piece of consistent, verifiable information you put online increases that confidence.
Step 1: Get your Google Business Profile right
This is the single most impactful thing you can do. Your Google Business Profile is the most trusted and structured source of business information that ChatGPT can access.
Go to business.google.com and either claim your existing profile or create a new one. Fill in every field: business name (exact legal name), address, phone, website, hours, service descriptions, and business category. Upload at least 10 high-quality photos. Write a complete business description that includes your services, areas served, and years of experience.
Keep it updated. Post a Google Business update at least once a month. Update your hours for public holidays. Add new photos regularly. An active profile signals to both Google and ChatGPT that your business is current and engaged.
Step 2: Make your website ChatGPT-readable
ChatGPT reads your website, but it reads the code, not the design. Two things make your website useful to ChatGPT:
Clear, specific content. Your website should clearly state what services you offer, which areas you serve, and what makes you qualified. "We are licensed plumbers serving the Northern Beaches including Manly, Dee Why, and Brookvale. We specialise in hot water systems, bathroom renovations, and emergency repairs" is useful to ChatGPT. "We deliver world-class plumbing solutions" is not.
Structured data (schema markup). This is code that labels your business information in a way ChatGPT can easily parse. LocalBusiness schema tells ChatGPT your name, address, phone, hours, and service area. Service schema tells it what you offer. FAQ schema answers common questions directly. Without structured data, ChatGPT has to interpret your website. With it, the information is handed over on a plate.
Step 3: Build your review count
Reviews are one of the strongest signals ChatGPT uses when deciding who to recommend. The key metrics are:
Volume. More reviews means more data for ChatGPT to assess. A business with 60 reviews is more likely to be recommended than one with 8 reviews, even if the 8-review business has a perfect 5.0 rating.
Recency. Recent reviews indicate that the business is active and consistently delivering good service. A flood of reviews from 2023 followed by nothing in 2024-2026 suggests the business may have declined.
Specificity. Reviews that mention specific services and locations are more useful to ChatGPT. A review that says "great job on our kitchen renovation in Dee Why" gives ChatGPT location and service data. A review that says "great" gives it nothing.
Make asking for reviews a habit. After every completed job or service, ask the customer to leave a Google review. Make it easy — send them a direct link to your review page.
Step 4: Ensure consistency across the web
ChatGPT cross-references your information across multiple sources. If your website says one address, your Google Business Profile says another, and your Facebook page says a third, ChatGPT loses confidence in all of them.
Audit your online presence. Check every platform where your business appears: website, Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, Yellow Pages, True Local, Hipages, and any industry directories. Make sure the business name, address, and phone number are identical everywhere. This sounds simple. It rarely is.
Step 5: Get mentioned on other websites
Mentions of your business on other websites give ChatGPT additional data points to work with. These do not need to be major press coverage. Local community websites, industry association pages, event sponsor lists, and local business directories all count.
Practical ways to get mentioned: join your local business association, sponsor a community event, contribute a guest post to a local blog, get listed on industry directories, and respond to media requests through platforms like SourceBottle or Help a Reporter.
What you cannot control
Transparency matters, so here is what you should know: ChatGPT's recommendations are not perfectly deterministic. The same question asked twice might get slightly different answers. ChatGPT may also recommend businesses based on data that you cannot directly influence, like how prominently your competitors appear online.
You also cannot pay to be recommended by ChatGPT. There is no advertising slot, no sponsored placement. The only way to influence recommendations is by building a genuinely strong, consistent, well-reviewed online presence. In many ways, that is fairer than traditional advertising.
The bottom line
Getting recommended by ChatGPT is not magic. It is the result of having a strong, consistent, well-structured digital presence. The same things that make your business look good to human customers — real reviews, clear information, professional website, active community presence — are exactly what ChatGPT uses to decide who to recommend.
The difference is urgency. Right now, most of your competitors are not thinking about this. The ones who start building these signals now will be the ones ChatGPT recommends six months from now. And that advantage compounds.
Want to know if ChatGPT currently recommends your business? We will check for free. We search ChatGPT for your industry and area and show you exactly what comes back.
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Or call Adam on 0420 498 037 to talk through your options.