GEO
How ChatGPT Recommends Local Businesses (And How to Be One of Them)
·5 min read
More and more homeowners are skipping Google entirely and asking ChatGPT: “Who’s the best plumber in my area?” or “What HVAC company should I use for a mini split install?”
Understanding how ChatGPT selects businesses to recommend gives you a significant edge over competitors who haven’t even thought about this.
How ChatGPT Finds Businesses to Recommend
When ChatGPT searches the web (using Bing or its own browsing), it looks for:
- Authoritative content — Pages that clearly explain services, pricing, and service areas
- Structured data — Schema markup that explicitly identifies your business type, location, and services
- Reviews and reputation — High volume of positive reviews across platforms
- Content that directly answers questions — FAQ pages, “What is [service]?” content, how-to guides
- Third-party mentions — Being listed on directories, mentioned in local media, or cited in industry content
What Gets You Cited vs. What Gets You Ignored
Gets you cited:
- A page that says “73 Labs provides HVAC marketing services in Atlanta, GA, including website design, Google Ads management, and AI search optimization starting at $497/month.”
- FAQ sections with clear Q&A format
- Specific claims with numbers (“96% client retention rate”)
Gets you ignored:
- Vague marketing copy (“We deliver world-class solutions”)
- Content locked behind JavaScript that AI can’t render
- No structured data to confirm what your business actually does
Action Steps
- Add FAQ schema to your service pages with the exact questions customers ask
- Write a clear, factual “About” page that states who you are, where you operate, and what you charge
- Ensure your site renders server-side (not client-only JavaScript) so AI can crawl it
- Build out content that answers “best [trade] in [city]” queries comprehensively