Guides
Get recommended by AI, explained
No hype and no jargon. These guides cover what AI assistants actually read when they recommend local businesses, why they name a competitor instead of you, and the specific things to fix. Written for owners, not marketers.
9 min read
How to get your local business recommended by ChatGPT
A practical, no-hype playbook for local owners: what ChatGPT actually reads, why it picks one business over another, and the specific things to fix so it names you.
8 min read
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
GEO is getting your business named by AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Here is what it means, how it differs from SEO, and what actually moves the needle for a local business.
9 min read
Why isn't my business showing up in AI search?
Six common reasons ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity skip your business when customers ask, and the specific fix for each one.
9 min read
How to get more Google reviews (and why AI pays attention)
A practical, ethical habit for earning Google reviews steadily, and why the recency and wording of those reviews shape what ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity tell customers about your business.
10 min read
How to add LocalBusiness structured data to your website
Structured data tells AI and search engines your hours, address and phone in a form they cannot misread. Here is the exact LocalBusiness code, where to paste it, and how to test it, no developer needed.
10 min read
Where do ChatGPT and Gemini get information about local businesses?
ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity do not invent what they say about your business. They read a handful of public sources. Here is exactly which ones, how each assistant leans differently, and why this means you are fixing inputs, not a black box.
9 min read
GEO vs SEO: what is the difference for a local business?
SEO gets you ranked as a link on a results page. GEO gets you named inside an AI answer where there is no page two. Here is how they differ for a local owner, and why you do not have to pick one.
9 min read
How to check whether your business shows up in ChatGPT
A free, do-it-yourself method to find out what ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews tell customers about your business. The exact questions to ask, why you ask several times, and what to write down.
9 min read
What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?
AEO is the work of being the answer a question gets, not just a link on a page. Here is what it means for a local business, how it relates to SEO and GEO, and what to do about it this week.
10 min read
How to optimize your Google Business Profile for AI search
Your Google Business Profile is the single most-read source for local AI answers. Here is a field-by-field playbook: which fields ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews actually read, and how to fill each one so an assistant can name you with confidence.
9 min read
Why does ChatGPT recommend my competitor instead of me?
If ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity name a nearby competitor and skip you, it is almost never personal and almost always fixable. This guide walks through the real reasons an AI picks a near-identical business over yours, and how to read the AI's own answer to find which gap is costing you the recommendation.
9 min read
How to appear in Google AI Overviews as a local business
Google AI Overviews now answer a lot of local searches with a short written summary that names one or two businesses. Here is what they are, how they pick, and the specific things a local owner can fix this week.
9 min read
How to show up in Perplexity for local searches
Perplexity reads the live web and cites the pages it pulls from. If your business is going to show up when someone asks Perplexity for a recommendation in your town, you have to be on the pages it trusts: a complete Google Business Profile, real reviews, accurate directory listings, and a website that states your facts in plain text. This guide explains how Perplexity differs from ChatGPT and Gemini for local questions, and what an owner can actually do this week.
10 min read
How AI assistants decide which local business to recommend
When a customer asks ChatGPT or Gemini for the best business near them, the AI weighs a few clear factors before it picks names. Here is the decision logic behind the answer, and what an owner can change this week to land on the list.
9 min read
ChatGPT says my business is closed or has the wrong hours. How to fix it
An AI told a customer you are closed, gave the wrong hours, or used an old phone number. Here is why it happens and the step-by-step fix: correct your Google Business Profile, find the stale source feeding the AI, make every listing match, then re-check after a week.
10 min read
The best GEO tools to track AI search visibility in 2026
An honest buyer's guide to the tools that track what ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews say about a business. Who each one is really for, rough prices as of June 2026, and where a cheap one-time check beats a dashboard.
9 min read
Best AI visibility tools for local businesses in 2026
A plain-English buyer's guide for the owner of one local business. What each tool does, who it is really for, rough price as of June 2026, and an honest take on when a one-time AI-answer check beats an ongoing subscription.
8 min read
How to check your AI visibility for free
You do not need to pay anyone to find out whether ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity recommend your business. This is a plain, do-it-yourself guide to checking your AI visibility for free, plus what to do with what you find.
9 min read
GEO and AI visibility tools: pricing compared (2026)
An honest price guide to AI visibility and GEO tools for local businesses. One-time reports versus monthly dashboards, what each tool actually costs, and which one fits your situation. Prices as of June 2026.
8 min read
ChatGPT vs Google for local search: what it means for your business
How customers searching with ChatGPT and other AI assistants differs from searching with Google, why the two overlap, and what each means for getting your local business found.
7 min read
Do AI assistants use your Google reviews?
Yes. When an AI assistant describes or recommends a local business, your reviews are one of the main things it reads. This guide explains what the AI is actually looking at, why count and recency matter, what reviews cannot do on their own, and the honest way to earn more of them.
7 min read
How often do AI assistants update information about your business?
If ChatGPT or another AI assistant has the wrong hours, address, or details about your business, the question every owner asks is how long until it fixes itself. The honest answer depends on how the assistant got its answer. This guide explains the two ways AI assistants know things about you, why you sometimes see old info and sometimes current info, and the practical steps that actually speed up a correction.
8 min read
Is GEO worth it for a small business?
An honest look at whether generative engine optimization, showing up in answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, is worth your time and money. Most of it overlaps with the local basics you should do anyway, so the smart play is to do those, check where you stand cheaply, then decide.
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