The questions owners actually ask about getting found by AI.

Why doesn't my business show up in AI search results?

Usually one of four blockers: AI crawlers can't read your site (blocked or JavaScript-only), your business information is inconsistent across the web, you have too few recent reviews, or your pages never answer the questions customers actually ask. All four are fixable, and a free check shows which ones apply to you.

ChatGPT gives wrong information about my business. How do I fix it?

AI engines repeat what the web says about you, so wrong answers trace back to stale or conflicting sources: an old address on a directory, an unclaimed profile, an outdated page. Fix the sources — site, Google Business Profile, Apple listing, major directories — and the engines correct themselves on their next crawl.

My competitor shows up in Google's AI Overviews and I don't. Why?

Google's AI Overviews for local searches are grounded in the same stack as the map pack: Business Profile completeness, review recency, proximity, and how quotable your website is. If a competitor appears and you don't, they're winning at least one of those — most often reviews plus a more specific, better-structured site.

I just started my business. How long until AI engines know I exist?

Faster than you'd think for existence, slower for recommendations. With a crawlable site, a claimed Google Business Profile, and correct listings, engines typically know you exist within weeks. Being recommended takes longer — reviews and corroboration have to accumulate — which is exactly why starting the flywheel in month one matters.

Did my website accidentally block AI crawlers?

Very possibly — it's one of the most common self-inflicted wounds we find. Copy-pasted robots.txt templates, security plugins, and CDN bot protection routinely block GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot, and Applebot without the owner ever deciding to. Check your robots.txt and bot settings, or run a free scan that reads your site like the engines do.

How do I get my local business into Google's AI Overviews?

Win the stack the overview is built on: a complete, weekly-managed Google Business Profile in the right categories, steady recent reviews with replies, a dedicated page per service and city written to answer the searched question, consistent citations, and schema. AI Overviews for local queries draw on the same signals as the map pack — strengthened for quotability.

How do I optimize my website so Perplexity cites it?

Perplexity cites the pages its live search judges most useful, so optimize for exactly that: allow PerplexityBot, lead every page with a direct answer in plain HTML, keep content fresh and specific, add LocalBusiness and FAQ schema, and maintain a consistent footprint across directories it can corroborate. Then verify — its citations make success literally visible.

The new Siri is out. What should my local business do about it?

Three moves, this quarter: welcome Apple's crawlers (Applebot and Applebot-Extended — most sites block them by accident), claim and complete your Apple Business Connect listing so Apple Maps has your real data, and make your site's facts machine-readable. The new Siri answers from Apple's index, and almost no local business is optimizing for it yet.

How do I make my website readable to AI engines?

Four layers: allow the crawlers (GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot, Applebot) in robots.txt; serve your content as server-rendered HTML rather than JavaScript-only; state your facts in LocalBusiness and FAQ schema; and add an llms.txt that maps who you are and what to cite. Readable sites get quoted — unreadable ones get skipped.

Does Reddit actually help my business get recommended by AI?

Yes — indirectly and meaningfully. AI engines cite Reddit heavily because it reads as unfiltered human opinion, so genuine mentions of your business in local and trade threads become corroboration the engines trust. What doesn't work: spamming links. What does: being helpfully present where your customers and peers already ask questions.

How do I get my HVAC company recommended by ChatGPT?

HVAC is emergency-driven, so ChatGPT favors companies it can verify for urgency: 24/7 or same-day language it can quote, recent reviews mentioning fast response, exact service pages (AC repair, furnace repair, installs) per city, and a complete Google profile with emergency hours. Build those signals and the seasonal spikes start finding you.

How do I get my plumbing company to show up on ChatGPT?

Plumbing prompts split between panic (burst pipe, no hot water) and projects (repipes, remodels). ChatGPT names plumbers whose presence covers both: emergency availability it can verify, per-job service pages with real specifics, licensing stated plainly, and steady reviews. Cover the panic queries first — that's where owners lose the most calls.

How does a roofing company get recommended by AI after a storm?

Storm weeks compress a year of demand into days, and AI engines answer the surge with roofers they already trusted before the storm: inspection pages per city, insurance-claim help stated plainly, reviews mentioning storm work, and a live profile. Build the presence in calm weeks; the storm traffic goes to whoever's already readable.

How do electricians get recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI?

Electrical prompts carry safety anxiety, so the engines favor electricians whose presence answers it: licensing and insurance stated in plain text, panel and EV-charger pages with real detail, emergency availability, and reviews that mention safe, clean work. The trade's advantage: most electrician sites are thin, so competence written down stands out fast.

How does a dental practice show up when people ask AI for a dentist?

Dental prompts revolve around trust, insurance, and openings: “dentist near me that takes my insurance and can see me this week.” Engines name practices whose sites state accepted insurance in text, list services with honest detail, show new-patient logistics, and carry a deep, recent review base. Insurance clarity alone separates you from most competitors.

How does a landscaping company get picked by Google AI in spring?

Spring is when yearly landscaping contracts get decided, and Google's AI answers favor companies that look alive in March: fresh photos, current-season content, reviews from the last few months, and pages for the searched services (cleanups, maintenance plans, installs) per city. Winter-stale presences get passed over exactly when demand peaks.

How does a pest control company get recommended by AI assistants?

Pest prompts are specific and urgent — “ants in the kitchen,” “wasp nest removal today” — and engines name companies whose pages match the pest, state same-week availability, and carry reviews mentioning results. Pest-by-pest pages beat one generic “pest control” page decisively, because the engine matches the exact critter being asked about.

How does a garage door company show up in ChatGPT answers?

Garage door searches are dominated by two failures — springs and openers — usually with a car trapped behind the door. Engines name companies that state same-day service for exactly those repairs, price honestly (this trade has a bait-and-switch reputation), and carry reviews confirming the quoted price held. Transparency is the differentiator AI can quote.

AEO vs local SEO — which should a small business do first?

Trick question: the first 80% is the same work. A complete Google profile, review velocity, consistent citations, and fast service pages power both the map pack and AI answers. Do that shared foundation first, then add AEO's extra layer — crawler access, quotable structure, llms.txt, answer capture — rather than choosing between them.

Do I need an AEO agency, or will my current marketing agency cover it?

Ask your agency three questions: which AI crawlers does my robots.txt allow, what does ChatGPT answer for my top five buyer questions, and can you show me captured answers month over month? If they can answer crisply, they're covering it. If you get hand-waving about 'AI-optimized content,' the answer layer is unowned.

AI visibility tools vs hiring an agency — which does my business need?

Tools measure; agencies do. A tracking tool tells you how often engines mention you — useful, but it changes nothing by itself. If you have someone with hours each week to act on the data, tools plus effort works. If you don't, measurement-without-execution just documents your invisibility in higher resolution.

How do I check if ChatGPT can see my website?

Three checks: your robots.txt must not disallow GPTBot or OAI-SearchBot; your pages must contain their content in the raw HTML (view source and search for your phone number); and your host or CDN must not be challenge-blocking bots. Our free AEO checker runs all three against your live site in seconds.

What should a local business put in its llms.txt file?

A curated map, not a sitemap dump: one paragraph saying who you are and who you serve; your services and cities in plain lists; pricing posture if you publish it; and links to the handful of pages that answer real questions. Think 'briefing document for an engine deciding whether to recommend you.'

How do I see what AI currently says about my business?

Ask the engines your customers' real questions and record the answers: “best [your trade] near me in [your city],” the emergency version, and your business name directly. Do it across ChatGPT, Google (AI Overview), and Perplexity — or run our free check, which does it systematically and shows who gets named and why.

What does AEO actually cost for a contractor?

For a single-location contractor, managed AEO in 2026 typically runs $800–$1,600/month, scaling with service breadth and cities covered; multi-location operators pay more. Ours is published: $899 to $2,500/month, month-to-month. Whatever you pay, demand two things — published scope and evidence-based reporting.

Is AEO a one-time project or a monthly service?

Both, in sequence. The foundation — crawler access, schema, llms.txt, profile overhaul, core pages — is a genuine one-time build. But recommendations are held with ongoing signals: review velocity, fresh content, listing consistency, and engines that change constantly. One-time AEO is like one-time fitness; the build without the habit decays.

Are cheap AEO services worth it?

Depends what 'cheap' bought. A low-cost technical setup (crawlers, schema, llms.txt) from a competent freelancer can be excellent value. A $200/month 'full AEO service' cannot mathematically include the weekly operations that earn recommendations — so it's usually reporting theater around work that isn't happening. Judge by deliverables and receipts, not adjectives.