People are increasingly asking AI tools for business recommendations. "Who's the best plumber near me?" "Can you recommend a hairdresser in Liverpool?" "Which web designer in the Wirral specialises in small businesses?" — these are real questions people are typing into ChatGPT and Perplexity right now.
And for most small businesses, the answer doesn't include them. Not because they're not good enough, but because AI tools don't know they exist.
The good news: this is fixable. Here's exactly what it takes to start showing up.
How ChatGPT and Perplexity actually decide who to recommend
It's worth understanding the mechanism before diving into what to do. ChatGPT and Perplexity don't have a magical index of every business in the UK. They build their recommendations from two things:
- Training data — the vast amount of web content these models were trained on. If your business has been mentioned across multiple sources online, it's more likely to have been absorbed into that training data.
- Live web search — many AI tools now browse the web in real time when answering questions. When they do, they're effectively running a search and surfacing whatever they find. That means if you rank well on Google for a relevant query, you stand a better chance of appearing in AI answers too.
Both come back to the same thing: your business needs to exist and be well-represented across the web, not just on your own website.
Step 1: Sort your Google Business Profile
If you only do one thing, make it this. Google Business Profile is the single most important entity signal for local businesses. It tells Google — and by extension, AI tools that browse Google's results — exactly who you are, what you do, and where you operate.
A complete GBP means filling in every section: your business category, services, description, opening hours, and photos. Critically, if you work from home, you can set your listing as a service area business — which means your home address stays hidden and you just show the areas you cover.
Google reviews matter here too. A profile with genuine reviews from real clients carries significantly more weight than one with none. Even three or four reviews make a meaningful difference to how seriously AI tools treat your business as a recommendation.
Step 2: Make sure your website has schema markup
Schema markup is structured data added to your website that tells AI tools and search engines exactly what your business is in a format they can reliably read. Without it, they're guessing — and they'll often guess wrong or not bother.
For a local service business, the most important schema types are:
This is the technical side of GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation. Every website I build at Sites by AJ includes all of this as standard, because without it you're starting on the back foot.
Not sure if your current website has schema markup? Run a free check with the AI Visibility Report.
Check your site now →Step 3: Write content that directly answers questions
AI tools love content that answers specific questions clearly and factually. Not keyword-stuffed paragraphs, not vague marketing copy — direct, useful answers written in plain English.
Think about the questions your customers actually ask you:
- How much does a website cost?
- How long does it take?
- Do I need a website if I already have a Facebook page?
- What's included in the price?
If those questions are answered clearly on your website, AI tools can use your content as a source when generating responses. That means citations, which means visibility.
A blog is one of the most effective ways to build this kind of content over time. Each post is another opportunity to answer a question your potential customers are asking — and another signal to AI tools that your business is a credible, knowledgeable source in your field.
Step 4: Get your business mentioned elsewhere online
Your own website can only do so much. AI tools give more weight to businesses that are corroborated by multiple sources. A business that appears on its own website plus a Google Business Profile plus a few directory listings is a much stronger entity than one that only exists on its own site.
For local businesses in the UK, the most useful places to get listed are:
- Bark.co.uk — UK service marketplace, no public address required
- Yell.com — still carries significant authority for local searches
- FreeIndex — free UK business directory with good local coverage
- Checkatrade or Rated People — if relevant to your trade
You don't need to be everywhere. A handful of consistent, accurate listings — your business name, service area, and what you do — is enough to meaningfully strengthen your entity presence.
How long does this take to work?
Honestly — it varies. Some of it is immediate. Getting your schema right or updating your GBP can be done today, and AI tools that browse the web in real time can pick that up quickly.
The harder part is building the external presence that makes AI tools trust your business enough to recommend it unprompted. That takes time. A site that's been live for two years with consistent reviews, directory listings, and content will always outrank a brand new one in AI recommendations — regardless of how well-built it is.
The right move is to get the technical foundations right now, then let them compound. Businesses that start this early have a genuine advantage over competitors who haven't thought about it yet.
The bottom line
Getting found on ChatGPT and Perplexity isn't about gaming an algorithm. It's about making sure your business actually exists as a credible, well-documented entity across the web — with a solid website, a proper Google Business Profile, and enough external mentions that AI tools can confidently recommend you.
Most small businesses in the UK haven't done any of this yet. Which means if you start now, you're ahead.