I increasingly catch myself not googling anymore, but asking ChatGPT. I am looking for a good platform, a service, a product – and I ask the AI. It is faster and often more to the point: when I was ill, ChatGPT put together a list of remedies from the drugstore that genuinely helped me. And I am not the only one.
The short answer: AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or the AI Overviews in Google Search only recommend businesses they can find, understand and trust online. If you have no website of your own, no reviews and no digital footprint, you simply do not exist for AI. In this article I explain how AI visibility works and which concrete steps get your business into the answers of ChatGPT & co.
ChatGPT is the new gateway to the internet
Almost every search used to start on Google: type a keyword, get ten blue links, compare them yourself. Today more and more people ask a question in full sentences – “Which web designer in Dresden builds websites for small businesses?” – and get a finished answer with a few recommendations. Google itself now shows an AI Overview above many search results.
For businesses this means: being somewhere on page one is no longer enough. What matters is whether the AI knows you and trusts you enough to name you. There is now a name for this: AI visibility, also called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
How AI decides whom to recommend
Put simply, an AI checks three things:
- Can I find the business? The website has to be technically accessible to search engines and AI crawlers.
- Do I understand what it offers? Who you are, what you do, for whom and where – clearly written, not hidden in images or empty phrases.
- Can I trust it? Reviews, a Google Business Profile, mentions on other websites and consistent details everywhere.
Good classic search engine optimisation remains the foundation. AI visibility does not replace SEO, it builds on it – more on this in my article SEO for small businesses.
7 steps to get your business recommended by ChatGPT
1. Open the way to your website for AI
Your website needs to load fast, be cleanly structured and accessible to crawlers – text as real text, clear headings, a sitemap, no AI bots blocked in robots.txt. Website builders can work, but they often give you less control over things like loading speed, structured data or extra files for AI. With WordPress and a clean custom theme you have full control.
2. Make your website the centre of your digital presence
Instagram, LinkedIn and directories matter – but your website is the source everything else refers to. Describe clearly who you are, what you do and who your services are for. Add a section with frequently asked questions and update your content regularly, for example with a blog.
3. Set up a Google Business Profile
The profile is one of the strongest signals that you are a real business. Fill in every field, add photos and services and collect reviews. You do not need a shop to have one: service providers can specify their service area without showing their address publicly.
4. Keep your details consistent
Your name, contact details and description should be the same everywhere: on your website, on social media, in your Google profile and in directories. Contradictions confuse people and machines alike. Language matters too: if you are looking for clients in Germany, you need a German version of your website.
5. Build a digital footprint
AI systems prefer to name businesses that others write about. Guest articles, interviews, mentions in industry directories, partner websites or local media noticeably strengthen your credibility.
6. Work on your reputation
Genuine reviews and client stories increase your chances of being recommended. Actively ask happy clients for a review and present your projects as case studies on your own website.
7. Speak as an expert – but stay human
AI likes to draw on content that answers a question clearly and directly: a short answer at the start, examples, concrete tips, plain language. That is exactly the kind of text people like to read, too.
What is new in 2026
A lot has changed since I first covered this topic on Instagram a year ago. These technical building blocks help AI understand your website even better:
- Structured data (Schema.org): invisible information in the code that tells machines who you are, which services you offer, where you work and which questions your FAQ answers.
- llms.txt: a short text file in the root of your website that gives AI systems a compact overview of your business, your services and your most important pages. A young standard – but quick to implement.
- Several AI platforms: besides ChatGPT, Google with its AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot all play a role. That is why registering with Bing Webmaster Tools makes as much sense as Google Search Console.
- Data protection still applies: especially with AI tools on your website, the GDPR remains mandatory in Germany – more on this in my article Building a website with AI.
My own case: what I changed on juldesign.de
I did not want to sell theory I had not tested myself. So at the end of October I completely reworked my own website – technically, in terms of content and for AI assistants. One thing matters here: good rankings and AI recommendations do not come from SEO alone. What counts is the combination of technology, content, structured data, a Google Business Profile and a consistent presence across all channels.
What I did, step by step
- Technical check and loading speed: optimised images, loading order and layout shifts. The mobile performance score in Google Lighthouse rose from 73 to 95, layout shift (CLS) dropped from 0.279 to 0.002.
- Data protection and security: external scripts load only after consent, security headers set, unnecessary interfaces switched off.
- Structured data: information about the business, services with price range, service area, author, blog posts and FAQ – so Google and AI understand who I am and what I offer.
- llms.txt: a compact overview of services, case studies and articles specifically for AI systems.
- Google Business Profile as a service provider without a public address, and consistent details on the website, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Regular content: since the end of October, several articles and case studies per week, each in German and English, with clear answers, FAQ and internal links.
- Search Console as a control tool: weekly reports to see what works.
The results after about two weeks
The comparison in Google Search Console – the week of 15–21 October versus the week of 1–7 November:
| 15–21 October | 1–7 November | |
|---|---|---|
| Average position | approx. 66 | approx. 36 |
| Impressions per day | approx. 98 | approx. 190 |
| Clicks per week | 5 | 15 |
On average the website moved up around 30 positions, is shown almost twice as often and clicked three times as often. Some articles already rank on the first page. I keep watching how this shows up in the answers of ChatGPT & co. – AI systems react more slowly than Google Search. But the foundation is in place.
Checklist: AI visibility for your business
- Your own website – fast, mobile-friendly, with a German version if you target Germany
- Clear copy: who, what, for whom, where – plus an FAQ
- AI crawlers not blocked in robots.txt, sitemap in place
- Structured data for your business, services and FAQ
- llms.txt with a short profile, services and key pages
- Complete Google Business Profile
- Consistent name, contact details and description on all channels
- Genuine reviews and case studies
- Mentions on other websites, in directories and media
- Regular new, helpful content
- Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools set up
Frequently asked questions
What is AI visibility?
AI visibility describes whether and how a business is mentioned in the answers of AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity and in Google’s AI Overviews. It is also called GEO – Generative Engine Optimization.
Does AI visibility replace classic SEO?
No. A technically clean, well-structured website with helpful content is the foundation for both. AI visibility adds signals such as structured data, consistent details and mentions on other websites.
Do I really need my own website?
A social media profile on its own is usually not enough. Your own website is the central source AI systems use to get reliable information about your business.
How quickly will I see results?
First changes in Google Search often appear after a few weeks. AI systems update their knowledge at different speeds – think months rather than days.
Technical SEO and AI check for your website
I now offer exactly this work for existing websites too – whether or not I built them. The check shows where your website stands technically, in terms of content and for AI assistants, and what to do next.
- Technology: loading speed, mobile display, indexing, sitemap, robots.txt, security
- Data protection: cookie banner and external services checked against the technology actually used
- SEO basics: titles, descriptions, headings, internal links, Search Console
- AI visibility: structured data, llms.txt, FAQ, Google Business Profile, consistent details
- Result: a clear report with priorities – and if you like, I implement the measures right away
Request the check without obligation – I will get back to you with an assessment of your website.
A special offer applies to existing clients. If I have already designed your website, just write to me – I will send you the terms for the check and the implementation.
Conclusion
AI recommendations are the new SEO. The days when a “boosted” Instagram profile or a few Google ads were enough are ending. The winners will be those who prepare now – with a strong digital presence that people and algorithms understand equally well. Those who act now are the ones ChatGPT will recommend tomorrow.
That is what I work on every day: making businesses visible, understandable and competitive in the age of AI. Want to know how well your website is set up for Google and AI assistants? Request the technical SEO and AI check – or take a look at my services.
