Preparing Your Business for AI Search

How to get recommended by AI-powered tools

AI search is changing how people discover, compare and choose services online. Gone are the days when you simply typed something like “restaurants near me” into Google and scrolled through a list of blue links.

Traditional SEO still accounts for the majority of search, but it is no longer the only way. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews are being used more and more often to find answers that people can trust.

So often portrayed in sci-fi movies, such as J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man and Baymax in Big Hero 6, AI assistants are real now. They help people decide where to go, what to buy, what time to be there etc.

What you may not know, however, is that each platform searches, interprets and cites information differently. If your website is only optimised for Google, you could be missing visibility where future customers are already looking.

Why should businesses care about AI search?

AI search is not a case of one-size-fits-all.

Some platforms lean heavily on your website and Google’s ecosystem. Others use live web search, review sites, directories and trusted third-party sources.

What does this mean for your marketing? Realistically, your business needs to be visible, consistent and easy to understand across more than one channel.

Now people ask questions like:

“What is the best web design agency in the UK?”
“Which company can help me redesign my website?”
“Who are the best accountants for small businesses?”
“What are the best restaurants near me?”
“Which marketing agency specialises in hospitality?”
They expect a direct recommendation, not just a list of blue links.

This is where GEO comes in. Generative engine optimisation helps AI systems understand what your company offers, who it suits and when it should be recommended.

You do not need four separate strategies. You need one strong foundation, followed by checks across each platform.

Explore our GEO services.

How Businesses Get Recommended in AI Search

All AI search tools need reliable information to work with. Your website should be accessible, accurate and consistent with your Google Business Profile, Tripadvisor or Trustpilot (whichever is approriate).

What changes between tools is how they search for that information and present it to travellers.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT can search the live web and link to the sources used in its answers.

Clear, location-specific business content and consistent external profiles give ChatGPT reliable information to work with. Important pages should also be accessible to its search crawler.

Gemini and Google AI Overviews

Gemini and Google’s AI search features draw from Google Search’s existing systems.

Strong SEO foundations, location pages, and an accurate Google Business Profile help Google connect your property with relevant traveller searches.

Perplexity

Perplexity searches the live web and places citations prominently within its answers.

Specific, well-structured content that answers real consumer questions gives Perplexity useful sources to reference, including product/service pages, local guides and promotional content.

Claude

Claude can search the live web, compare several sources and provide cited answers.

Accurate, easy-to-find information and consistent brand details give Claude reliable material to use when describing your business.

How can businesses improve their AI visibility?

Improving AI visibility for businesses requires more than optimising for one tool. Focus on four connected areas:

Technical Access

• Making sure important pages can be crawled and indexed.
• Checking that navigation and internal links work effectively.
• Ensuring important content is accessible rather than hidden behind unnecessary technical barriers.
• Using appropriate structured data to clarify information about your business, services, products, people and locations.
• Checking that important information is represented consistently across your website.

Useful Content

• FAQs for straightforward questions.
• Service pages to explain exactly what you offer.
• Guides that help customers make decisions.
• Original research and insights.
• Case studies demonstrating real expertise and results.
• Blogs and resources that answer more detailed questions.
• Location-specific content where your business operates in multiple areas.

Trust and Authority

• Customer reviews.
• Awards and accreditations.
• Industry recognition.
• Case studies.
• Expert commentary.
• Original research.
• Relevant third-party coverage.
• Mentions from reputable organisations and publications.

Measurement

• Whether your business is mentioned.
• Which competitors are recommended instead.
• How your business is described.
• Which services or strengths are associated with your brand.
• Which websites are being cited.
• Whether the information presented is accurate.
• Whether your own website is being used as a source.

What Does an AI Search Optimisation Agency Do?

An AI search optimisation agency helps businesses become easier for AI systems to find, understand, trust and recommend.

This can include technical SEO and crawl checks, answer-led content, structured data, topical content strategies, reputation and review work, digital PR, authoritative third-party mentions and visibility monitoring across AI platforms.

It should not be treated as a replacement for SEO.

Instead, GEO should build on strong SEO foundations, combining technical accessibility and search visibility with content and authority strategies designed for the way people increasingly interact with AI.

Is your business ready for AI search?

Businesses that adapt now will be in a much stronger position as this behaviour develops.

The opportunity isn’t simply to rank, it’s to become a business that AI systems can find, understand, trust and recommend.

If you’re looking to improve your visibility across AI search platforms, the team at UP Hotel Agency can help you understand where your business currently stands and where there are opportunities to improve.

Contact the ADAO Team

FAQs