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The Local Biz Show
Mastering AI Visibility: How Google Gemini and ChatGPT Find Your Local Business
The rules of local business visibility have fundamentally shifted. What once worked to rank your business on Google's search results page may leave you completely invisible to today's AI search tools.
This eye-opening discussion reveals how AI platforms like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity find and recommend local businesses to potential customers. We break down the crucial differences between these systems and provide clear, actionable strategies for ensuring your business appears when someone uses AI to find services in your area.
For Google Gemini users, your Google Business Profile (GBP) serves as a direct data feed into the AI. We explain exactly which elements matter most: from the photos you upload (which AI can analyze for content), to the service descriptions that help it understand your offerings, to the Q&A section that functions like a pre-made FAQ for AI. Regular posts and fresh, detailed reviews complete the picture of a business that Gemini feels confident recommending.
For non-Google AI tools, we reveal their reliance on citation consistency across the web. Your business name, address, and phone number must appear identically everywhere online, or these systems may question which information is current and accurate. We also explore how mentions in local content, a diverse review profile, and backlinks from legitimate local sources strengthen your visibility.
Perhaps most importantly, we examine how your business website has evolved into a critical "AI ranking asset." Learn the technical requirements for AI crawling, the importance of schema markup, and what content elements most effectively demonstrate your expertise and credibility to artificial intelligence.
The digital landscape has changed. Some businesses will adapt and thrive, while others will become increasingly invisible as AI search tools reshape consumer behavior. After listening to this episode, you'll understand exactly how to position your local business for success in this new era of AI-powered discovery.
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Welcome, Look. As representatives of local biz domination, we know why you're tuning in. You run a local business Maybe you're a home service pro or you've got a brick and mortar shop and the goal is simple right, you want to rank higher on Google. You want more customers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and crucially, without just throwing money at ads all the time.
Speaker 1:Exactly that's the sweet spot we're all aiming for.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And you know, based on some of the stuff you've shared the articles and insights it's obvious people are seeing the landscape shift.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely. It feels like search has just changed dramatically, hasn't it? Ai is now a major player.
Speaker 2:It really is. It's changing how your potential customers actually find you.
Speaker 1:It's not just about those 10 blue links anymore.
Speaker 2:Not at all. Think of these AI tools as well. Like smart assistants, they're answering questions, making recommendations in ways that were frankly science fiction a few years back, and that's the opportunity, isn't?
Speaker 1:it If you understand this, if you adapt.
Speaker 2:Hey, do it ahead, Become more visible, get more traffic, more leads.
Speaker 1:Right, all without necessarily upping your ad spend. So today we want to really get into the nuts and bolts of this. How does it work for your business?
Speaker 2:We're going to tackle a few key things based on the info we've got. First, Google's own AI, Gemini, and how it uses your Google business profile. That's huge.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Then we'll look at the other big AI players ChatGPT, perplexity you know those guys how they find businesses when they don't have that direct Google data?
Speaker 1:Right, because they operate differently.
Speaker 2:Exactly and finally, we'll boil it all down to some really concrete, actionable steps you can take to make your business well let's call it AI visible Perfect.
Speaker 1:Let's dive straight into Google Gemini and the Google Business Profile, or GBP, you mentioned. Gemini has direct access. What's the significance of that?
Speaker 2:It's a massive advantage for Google. Gemini can tap right into that huge, rich database of local business information that Google already has. Your GBP.
Speaker 1:So if someone asks Gemini, like find a good dentist near me that does implants or maybe best place for dog food downtown.
Speaker 2:Precisely those kinds of queries. Gemini isn't just scraping the web randomly. It's analyzing the GBPs in that specific area. It's looking at your profile to see how relevant and authoritative you are for that search.
Speaker 1:Okay, so just having a profile set up isn't enough anymore. It needs to be optimized for AI. What specifically is Gemini looking at?
Speaker 2:Well, several things are really standing out. Take your photos, for instance. It's not just about quantity. The AI can actually analyze what's in the photos. So if you're say, an AC repair company, photos of your team working, your branded vans, maybe specific installations, that tells Gemini what you actually do.
Speaker 1:That makes sense. Showing is better than just telling your posts, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know the updates you can put on your GBP.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like offers or news.
Speaker 2:Right, regularly posting signals to Gemini that you're active, you're engaged. It builds trust, shows your current. Then there are your services and the descriptions.
Speaker 1:Ah, keywords Still important.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You need to be specific. Use the language your customers use when they search. The more detailed you are about what you offer, the better Gemini understands if you're a match.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what about that Q&A section? I see a lot of businesses kind of ignore that.
Speaker 2:Big mistake. Gemini can pull answers directly from there. Think of it like a pre-made FAQ for the AI. You can answer common questions proactively.
Speaker 1:Helps it understand your business faster, makes sense.
Speaker 2:And reviews. We know they're huge for customers, but for AI?
Speaker 1:AI reads them too. It looks beyond the star rating. It analyzes the text, the keywords people use like fix my leak quickly or great haircut.
Speaker 2:So it understands what service they like.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and the sentiment positive, negative and how recent the reviews are. It gives the AI a much deeper picture of your reputation and quality.
Speaker 2:Wow. So if your GDP is just sitting there, empty or outdated?
Speaker 1:It basically tells Gemini hey, maybe I'm not the most relevant or active choice here.
Speaker 2:Okay, so let's get practical. What are the immediate steps someone should take for their GDP? Thinking about Gemini? First up photos. Make it a habit, maybe weekly. Upload a new relevant image. Show your work, your space, your products, your team.
Speaker 1:Show, don't just tell Got it.
Speaker 2:Then look at your services list and descriptions. Are they really detailed? Do they use the keywords people search for in your area? Beef those up.
Speaker 1:Okay, weekly photos, updated services what else?
Speaker 2:Try to publish at least one post a week, an update, an offer, something helpful. Keep it fresh. Okay, and tackle that Q&A section. Add common questions and provide clear, helpful answers and finally, keep encouraging fresh reviews. Ask happy customers to mention the specific service they received. That's gold for the AI.
Speaker 1:Right, it feeds those keywords right into the reviews. The big takeaway here seems to be your GBP is like a live feed directly into Google's AI. Keep it active and accurate.
Speaker 2:Precisely, a stale profile is a missed opportunity.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's switch gears. What about the other AI tools? Chatgpt, Perplexity, Grok? You said they don't have that direct GBP access. How do they figure out which local businesses to recommend?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a key difference. They work by essentially scanning the whole public internet for mentions and data about your business. They scrape websites, crawl directories, look at articles, cross-reference everything.
Speaker 1:So they're piecing together a picture from lots of different places.
Speaker 2:Exactly. If someone asks ChatGPT, say, recommend a good landscaper in my town or who does emergency HVAC repair, it's pulling data from Yelp, Yellow Pages, maybe local news sites, your own website, all sorts of places.
Speaker 1:So what kind of information do they rely on most heavily, then?
Speaker 2:Citations are foundational. That's your business name, address and phone number NAP.
Speaker 1:NAP right.
Speaker 2:The crucial thing here and the research really backs this up is consistency. Your NAP needs to be identical everywhere. Yelp, angie, bbb, local directories everywhere.
Speaker 1:Because if it's different, like street spelled out on one, saint on another, yeah, or a slightly different business name or an old phone number.
Speaker 2:It confuses the AI, it creates distrust. It doesn't know which listing is the correct current one.
Speaker 1:That makes total sense. Inconsistency looks bad. What else are these AI tools looking for besides NAP consistency?
Speaker 2:Mentions. If your business gets talked about on a local blog or in the online version of the local paper or even a neighborhood guide, that's a strong signal.
Speaker 1:Shows you're part of the community recognized.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and your overall online reputation matters too. They scan review scores and comments across multiple platforms, not just Google, Yelp, Facebook, industry-specific sites.
Speaker 1:So a broad reputation matters.
Speaker 2:Definitely and importantly, if the AI can't find strong, consistent citation data or if it wants more detail, your own business website becomes super important.
Speaker 1:It's often the next best source of truth. Okay, so for these non-Google AIs, it's about having a wide, consistent, positive presence online. What are the action steps here?
Speaker 2:First, you really need to audit your citations. Check your listings across all the major directories and even the smaller local ones. Are there errors, inconsistencies?
Speaker 1:How do you even do that?
Speaker 2:Manually you can, but it's tedious. There are tools and services some free, some paid that can help you find and monitor your listings. Once you find problems, fix them. Standardize that NAP everywhere Same name, same address format, same phone number.
Speaker 1:Standardize, standardize, standardize.
Speaker 2:Okay, then actively look for ways to get mentioned online locally. Maybe pitch a story to a local blogger. Sponsor a local event that gets online coverage. Publish helpful local content yourself.
Speaker 1:Build that local buzz.
Speaker 2:And encourage reviews on platforms other than Google too Yelp, Facebook whatever's relevant for your industry, Diversify your review profile and, finally, build backlinks from legitimate local sources chamber of commerce, local directories, partner businesses.
Speaker 1:Right Building those connections online. The theme seems to be make it easy for any AI to find consistent, positive information about you wherever it looks.
Speaker 2:That's the core idea. You want to remove any doubt or confusion.
Speaker 1:OK, this brings us perfectly to the website you mentioned. It becomes critical, especially for non-Google AI. Let's really dig into that.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. I think many businesses underestimate this. They might focus heavily on GBP or maybe Yelp, but your website, it's your home base.
Speaker 1:So just having a basic brochure site isn't cutting it anymore.
Speaker 2:Not in the age of AI. No, these AI engines all of them are actively crawling websites, looking for information they can understand and, importantly, quote or use in their answers. Your website isn't just for humans anymore. It's a direct feed for AI. It's become a real AI ranking asset.
Speaker 1:An AI ranking asset. I like that.
Speaker 2:So when an AI like ChatGPT or even Gemini crawls your site, what's it looking for?
Speaker 1:Okay, a few key things. First, basic crawlability Sounds obvious, but you need to make sure your robotstxt file isn't blocking the AI crawlers. There are specific ones now, like GPT bot, perplexity bot. You need to let them in.
Speaker 2:Right, if they can't see it, they can't rank it.
Speaker 1:Exactly, then. Structure is huge, clear headings, h1s, h2s. Logical layout using formatting like bullet points and schema markup.
Speaker 2:Spema, that's like adding labels for the search engines, right. Yeah, and schema markup. Spema, that's like adding labels for the search engines right. Pretty much it's structured data that explicitly tells AI this is our business name, this is our address, these are the services we offer. This is a customer review. Local business schema is especially vital.
Speaker 1:Okay, so technical stuff, Allow crawlers use structure and schema. What about the actual content?
Speaker 2:Content richness is key. You need more than just a homepage and a contact form. Have dedicated pages for each major service you offer. Explain what you do, the benefits. Detail the specific areas you serve.
Speaker 1:Service pages. Location pages yes.
Speaker 2:Maybe an about us page with team info, testimonials or case studies, a detailed FAQ section answering common questions. The more comprehensive and helpful your content, the more the AI has to work with and highlight your reputation. Signals on the site Wait what Awards you've won certifications, industry affiliations. You can even embed reviews directly from Google or Yelp onto your site. It adds credibility that AI can recognize.
Speaker 1:So build trust signals right into the website content. Okay, actionable steps for the website build trust signals right into the website content.
Speaker 2:Okay, actionable steps for the website. First, double check that robotstxt file. Make sure common AI crawlers are allowed. Second, implement local business schema markup. Use online tools to generate it if you need to. It's really important, especially if you have multiple locations.
Speaker 1:Schema markup.
Speaker 2:Got it. Third, build out those dedicated service pages. Don't just list services. Describe them using the keywords your customers search for. Fourth, display social proof. Embed those reviews, mention awards.
Speaker 1:Show off your reputation.
Speaker 2:Definitely Fifth create a really good FAQ page answering common customer questions. Ai loves FAQs and a bonus tip based on what's working now. Publish blog posts that answer specific local questions.
Speaker 1:Like the example you gave earlier cost of X service in Y city.
Speaker 2:Exactly that kind of thing and directly targets queries AI might get.
Speaker 1:So having a thin website or one that's hard to navigate or, worse, blocks AI, you're just helping your competitors.
Speaker 2:You really are. Your website needs to be a rich, clear, trustworthy resource for humans and for AI.
Speaker 1:Okay, this has been incredibly insightful. Let's try to summarize this into a kind of AI SEO checklist the absolute must-dos.
Speaker 2:Sounds good. Let's break it down for Google Business Profile Targeting Gemini Weekly photo uploads. Show your work. Detailed service categories and descriptions. At least one weekly post. Keep it fresh. Respond to reviews and Q&A promptly and make sure that NAP is 100% accurate.
Speaker 1:GBP checklist. Photos, services posts, q&a reviews. Nap accuracy Got it. What about citations for the other AIs like ChatGPT?
Speaker 2:Audit your listings, find and fix errors, standardize that NAP format everywhere, build mentions in local online content and maybe use a tool to monitor and sync this data ongoingly.
Speaker 1:Citationsaudit, standardize NAP, get local mentions monitor.
Speaker 2:Right and finally, the website optimization for all AI platforms.
Speaker 1:Allow AICrawlersandRobotstxt. Add schema markup, especially local business. Clearly display reviews, awards, services on the site itself. Publish rich, helpful local content regularly. Include that FAQ page and other trust signals views awards services on the site itself.
Speaker 2:Publish rich, helpful local content regularly. Include that FAQ page and other trust signals Website. Allow crawlers Use schema. Show proof, rich content, faqs and the overall theme. It's clarity, credibility and consistency. Ai prioritizes businesses that provide clear, trustworthy, consistent information across the board. Forget trying to find loopholes. Focus on building that solid foundation.
Speaker 1:So, wrapping up, the main point we've hammered home today is that AI search isn't some future trend. It's happening right now.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Gemini is using your GBP data directly. Other AIs are crawling the web constantly. Your customers are already using these tools.
Speaker 1:And if your business isn't showing up in those AI results?
Speaker 2:it likely means you haven't given the AI enough clear, consistent, positive information to feel confident recommending you. It's often an information gap.
Speaker 1:So in this new era of AI-powered search, you're either visible, you're part of the conversation or you're invisible.
Speaker 2:You're letting potential customers find your competitors instead.
Speaker 1:The time to act is definitely now. Get your digital house in order for AI.