How AI picks which business to recommend
When a homeowner asks "who's the best roofer near me?", an AI assistant does not look up a ranking. It searches the web, reads what it finds and names the businesses that several trusted sources agree on. It usually names two or three. Everyone else is invisible in that answer.
That's why star ratings alone don't decide it. In our own scan of 449 local businesses, 9 in 10 were never named, including 188 with 4.5 stars or more and at least 50 reviews.
The 5 sources AI checks
- Google Business Profile, the most-cited source for local answers.
- Review sites, especially what reviews say about the service and the area.
- Directories like Yelp, BBB, Angi, Houzz, Nextdoor, Apple Maps and Bing Places.
- Local best-of lists, where AI copies its shortlist from.
- Your website, if it says clearly what you do, where and with what proof.
10 steps to get your business named
- Complete your Google Business Profile. Primary and secondary categories, every service with a short description, service areas, hours, at least 20 real photos and a description that says what you do, where and since when.
- Make your name, address and phone identical everywhere. AI cross-checks. A different phone number on Yelp or an old address on BBB makes you harder to confirm.
- Get listed on the directories AI reads. Yelp, BBB, Angi, Houzz, Nextdoor, Apple Maps, Bing Places and the directories specific to your trade.
- Ask for reviews that mention the job and the area. "New roof in Westlake after the hail storm" teaches AI more than "Great job!". Send a simple link after every job.
- Get onto local best-of lists. Search "best [trade] in [city]". The articles that come up are where AI copies its shortlist from. Many accept submissions or updates.
- Write one page per money service. What it is, who it's for, price range, areas served, how long it takes, and proof such as photos, reviews and certifications.
- Add structured data. LocalBusiness schema with your services, area and reviews helps AI read the facts without guessing.
- Let AI crawlers in. Check robots.txt and your firewall. Blocking GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot or Google-Extended means AI reads about you only from other sites.
- Answer the questions customers ask. Short, specific FAQ answers on your site: prices, timelines, warranties, insurance work. AI quotes clear answers.
- Check every month. Ask ChatGPT and Google the same questions each month and note who is named. Fix the source that's missing.
How long it takes
The work itself takes about two weeks. AI assistants pick up the changes over the following weeks as they re-read your profile, listings and site. Plan for 30 to 60 days before you're named regularly, and keep checking monthly because answers change.
How to check if AI recommends you
Ask the questions your customers ask, in their words: "best [trade] in [city]", "who should I call for [problem] near me", "[service] with good reviews in [area]". Ask ChatGPT and Google, more than once, and write down who is named. One answer is a snapshot; five answers show a pattern.
Do it yourself or hire help
Everything above can be done yourself if you have the time. It typically takes 15 to 25 hours the first time, plus an hour a month. SaysYou does it for you in 14 days for $497, then $197 a month, with one business per trade per area.
FAQ
How does AI decide which local businesses to recommend?
AI assistants search the web, then name the businesses they can confirm across several trusted sources. A complete Google Business Profile, recent reviews that mention the service and the area, consistent listings on directories like Yelp, BBB and Angi, mentions on local best-of lists and a clear website are what get a business named. Star ratings alone are not enough.
Which AI assistants does this work for?
ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Copilot all draw on the same public sources, so fixing those sources helps across all of them. Our tracked monthly report runs on Google's AI with live search, and we check ChatGPT by hand for every client.
How long does it take to get recommended by AI?
We deliver the setup in 14 days. AI assistants pick up changes over the following weeks. If AI is not naming you within 60 days, we keep working at no monthly charge until it does.
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
Not organically. Paid placements in AI assistants exist but come with high minimums and are labeled as ads. The organic recommendation depends on the public sources AI reads, which is what you can improve.
Does my website need to allow AI crawlers?
Yes. If your site blocks crawlers such as GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot or Google-Extended, or hides content behind a bot challenge, AI has less to read about you. Check your robots.txt and your security settings.
