"Who's the best roofer in Salt Lake City?"

Five years ago, this question went to Google. Today, millions of people ask it to ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, or Claude.

And here's the critical part: AI systems don't show 10 blue links. They recommend 1-3 businesses by name. If you're not one of them, you're invisible.

At InfuseAI Agency, we've been studying how AI systems discover and recommend businesses since 2024. This guide reveals exactly how AI recommendation systems work and provides a strategic framework for ensuring your business gets mentioned.

The New Reality: AI-Powered Business Discovery

Consider how dramatically business discovery is changing:

ChatGPT has 180+ million weekly active users asking it everything from product recommendations to local service providers
Google Gemini is integrated into Search, answering complex queries with synthesized recommendations
Perplexity is growing as a "search engine that just answers" instead of showing links
Microsoft Copilot is built into Windows, Office, and Bing, reaching billions of users

When someone asks these AI systems for a business recommendation, the AI doesn't say "here are 10 options." It says "based on my analysis, I recommend X because..."

Being that recommended business is the new competitive advantage.

How AI Systems Find and Evaluate Businesses

AI systems use multiple signals to discover, evaluate, and recommend businesses. Here's how each major signal works:

1. Training Data (Knowledge Cutoff)

Base AI models are trained on massive datasets from the public web. Content that existed during training becomes part of the model's "knowledge." If your business had strong web presence during training, the AI might recommend you even without real-time search.

What this means: Consistent, long-term web presence matters. Businesses that have been publishing quality content for years have an advantage.

2. Real-Time Web Search (RAG)

Modern AI systems use Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)—they search the web in real-time to augment their answers. Perplexity does this for every query. ChatGPT and Gemini do it for queries requiring current information.

What this means: Your content needs to rank well in search AND be optimized for AI extraction. Real-time discoverability is crucial.

3. Entity Recognition

AI systems understand businesses as "entities" with attributes: name, location, services, reviews, reputation. The stronger your entity signals across the web, the more confidently AI can recommend you.

What this means: Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all platforms. Structured data on your website. Presence in business directories.

4. Review and Reputation Signals

AI systems heavily weight reviews from Google, Yelp, industry directories, and other platforms. Both quantity and sentiment matter. A business with 200 positive reviews is more likely to be recommended than one with 5.

What this means: Systematic review generation and management directly impacts AI recommendations.

5. Authority Content

AI systems favor businesses that demonstrate expertise. If you've published comprehensive guides, how-to content, and educational resources about your industry, you're positioned as an authority—not just a service provider.

What this means: Content marketing isn't optional. Businesses that educate their market get recommended by AI.

6. Third-Party Mentions and Citations

When your business is mentioned in news articles, industry publications, local media, and other authoritative sources, AI systems recognize you as more established and trustworthy.

What this means: PR, local news coverage, and industry recognition contribute to AI visibility.

The AI Visibility Framework: 5 Pillars

Based on our research at InfuseAI Agency, here's a strategic framework for getting your business recommended by AI systems:

Pillar 1: Entity Optimization

Build a clear, consistent entity profile across the web:

Complete, accurate Google Business Profile
Consistent NAP across all directories and citations
LocalBusiness and Organization schema on your website
Clear About page with company history, team, and credentials
Wikipedia page (if notable enough) or Wikidata entry

Pillar 2: Content Authority

Create content that positions you as the expert in your field:

Comprehensive service pages with detailed explanations
Educational blog content answering common questions
How-to guides and tutorials
Case studies with real results
Local content for each service area

Pillar 3: Review Ecosystem

Build a robust review presence across platforms:

Google Business Profile reviews (most important)
Industry-specific directories (HomeAdvisor, Angi, Healthgrades, etc.)
Facebook recommendations
Yelp reviews
Response strategy for all reviews

Pillar 4: Citation Network

Expand your presence across the web:

Major business directories (Yelp, BBB, Chamber of Commerce)
Industry-specific directories
Local citations and business listings
Professional associations and certifications
Partner and vendor mentions

Pillar 5: Earned Media

Generate third-party validation:

Local news coverage
Industry publication features
Press releases for newsworthy events
Guest contributions on relevant websites
Awards and recognition

Platform-Specific Strategies

Different AI platforms have different recommendation mechanisms. Here's how to optimize for each:

ChatGPT

ChatGPT relies heavily on its training data plus real-time search for current queries. To optimize:

Build long-term web presence that gets indexed during training
Create comprehensive, educational content
Ensure strong entity signals across Wikipedia, directories, and your site
Optimize for traditional SEO (ChatGPT's browsing uses search engines)

Google Gemini

Gemini is integrated with Google Search, so traditional SEO matters significantly:

Optimize for GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Complete Google Business Profile is essential
Implement comprehensive schema markup
Build topical authority through content clusters
Maintain strong review presence on Google

Perplexity

Perplexity searches the web in real-time for every query and cites sources directly:

Optimize for real-time discoverability (recent, fresh content)
Write citation-worthy content with clear, quotable statements
Use question-based headers that match user queries
Ensure fast, mobile-friendly website for crawler accessibility

Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is powered by Bing, so Bing optimization matters:

Submit your site to Bing Webmaster Tools
Complete Bing Places profile (Microsoft's business directory)
Optimize for Bing's ranking factors (social signals matter more than Google)
Ensure LinkedIn presence (Microsoft-owned, integrated into Copilot)

Industry-Specific AI Visibility

Different industries have different optimization priorities:

Home Services (Contractors, HVAC, Plumbing, Roofing)

For contractors, HVAC companies, plumbers, and roofers:

Google Business Profile is critical for local AI recommendations
Reviews on HomeAdvisor, Angi, and Google carry heavy weight
City-specific content for each service area
Emergency service availability and response times in content

Healthcare (Dental, Medical)

For dental practices and medical offices:

Healthgrades, Vitals, and ZocDoc profiles impact AI recommendations
Credentials and board certifications must be prominent
Patient education content demonstrates expertise
HIPAA-compliant review management

Professional Services (Legal, Real Estate)

For law firms and real estate agents:

Industry directory presence (Avvo, FindLaw, Zillow, Realtor.com)
Case results and transaction history for authority
Educational content about practice areas or market
Bar association or realtor association membership

Measuring AI Visibility

How do you know if AI systems are recommending your business? Here's how to track:

Manual testing: Periodically ask AI systems about your industry in your location and note who gets recommended
Brand monitoring: Track brand mentions across platforms to see if AI-generated content mentions you
Traffic analysis: Monitor referral traffic from AI platforms (Perplexity, ChatGPT citations)
Competitor analysis: Track which competitors get recommended and analyze why

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay to appear in AI recommendations?

Currently, most AI systems don't have paid placement in their recommendations. However, paid search ads can influence real-time RAG systems that search the web. The best approach is organic optimization across all pillars.

How long until AI starts recommending my business?

For real-time systems like Perplexity, you can appear within days if your content is optimized and discoverable. For base model knowledge in ChatGPT or Claude, it takes months to years as models are retrained.

Do negative reviews affect AI recommendations?

Yes. AI systems synthesize review sentiment. A business with many negative reviews will be recommended less often or with caveats. Proactive review management is essential.

Start Getting Recommended by AI

The shift to AI-powered business discovery is accelerating. Every day, more people ask AI systems for recommendations instead of scrolling through search results.

At InfuseAI Agency, we help businesses across Utah and beyond optimize for AI discovery. Our approach combines traditional SEO, LLM SEO, entity optimization, and reputation management.

Ready to get your business recommended by AI? Schedule a free consultation to learn how.

How Businesses Get Found Inside ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity