More people now ask an AI assistant for a recommendation instead of searching: "who is a good electrician near me?" The answer names a few businesses. This guide shows how to find out whether yours is one of them and what to do if it is not.
What these assistants do
AI assistants answer from a mix of what they learned in training, what they can find on the web and, in some products, live search results. They do not publish a list of rankings. What they say can differ between assistants, between days and even between two identical questions. So the goal is not a perfect score; it is to understand the pattern.
How to check by hand
- Write five to ten questions a customer would ask. Example: "Who is a reliable roofer in Plano for storm damage?" and "How much does an EV charger installation cost?"
- Ask each question in two or three assistants. Use a new conversation each time.
- Record whether your business is mentioned, whether the details are right (name, services, area, phone) and which other businesses are named.
- Repeat the same questions in a month and compare.
Do not log in with the same account for everything; answers can adapt to earlier conversation.
Read the answers carefully
- Not mentioned: common for smaller businesses. Look at who is named and what their websites and profiles say that yours do not.
- Mentioned with wrong details: an old phone number or a closed location on another site is the usual cause. Correct it at the source.
- Mentioned positively: note why, and keep that information consistent everywhere.
What tends to help
Nobody controls these answers, but a few habits make it easier for assistants to describe you correctly:
- Consistent facts. The same business name, address or service area and phone on your website, your Google Business Profile and directories.
- Clear pages. A page for each service that states plainly what you do, where and roughly what it costs.
- Real reviews. A steady stream of recent, specific reviews.
- A facts page. A short, honest page that lists your services, areas and prices makes the facts easy to find. We publish one for ourselves at our facts page.
What to avoid
Do not hide text on your site aimed at assistants and do not offer them rewards. These tricks do not work reliably and can hurt trust. Do not trust anyone who promises you will be recommended; they cannot know that.
Make it a habit
Run your question list once a month and keep a simple log. Our free AI visibility checker asks assistants about your business and shows what they say. To see how this fits into everyday work, read about AI search visibility, and check your basics with the Google Business Profile checklist.