How to get your local business mentioned by ChatGPT.
When someone asks ChatGPT “best parking near DEN” or “dispensary near LAX,” it doesn't show 10 blue links — it gives 2–3 specific recommendations. If your business isn't one of them, you're invisible to a growing share of your customers. Here's how to fix that.
How ChatGPT picks which businesses to mention
ChatGPT (and Copilot, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) pull local recommendations from:
1. Bing Places and Google Business Profile
Your free listings. If these are incomplete, you're invisible. ChatGPT Search uses the Bing index directly, so Bing Places matters more than most businesses realize.
2. Authoritative third-party sites
Directory pages, travel guides, review sites that AI engines trust. 43.8% of ChatGPT citations come from directory/listicle pages — not individual business websites.
3. Review signals
Businesses with 4.3+ stars and 50+ reviews get recommended more often. AI engines treat review volume and sentiment as trust signals.
4. Structured data (schema markup)
LocalBusiness schema on your website helps AI understand what you are and where you are. Without it, AI engines have to guess — and they usually guess wrong or skip you entirely.
5. Freshness and relevance
Recently updated, specific content beats stale generic pages. A page that says “we're 10 minutes from DEN with free airport shuttle” outperforms “we're conveniently located.”
The numbers that should worry you
88%
of local businesses are invisible in AI search
12%
of local businesses visible in AI search
43.8%
of citations come from directory pages (not your website)
300%+
AI search usage growth year-over-year
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7 things you can do right now
1. Claim and complete your Bing Places listing
Most businesses skip this. ChatGPT and Copilot pull heavily from Bing. Go to bingplaces.com and fill out every field. This is free and takes 15 minutes.
2. Max out your Google Business Profile
Fill every field. Add 20+ photos. Answer every Q&A. Post weekly updates. The more complete your GBP, the more AI engines trust you.
3. Get on directory pages AI already cites
Yelp, TripAdvisor, and niche directories in your vertical. For airport businesses, FlightCheck's airport pages are cited 125K times/month by Copilot. Being on an already-cited page is the fastest path into AI answers.
4. Add LocalBusiness schema to your website
Tell AI engines exactly what you are: business type, address, hours, price range, service area. Use schema.org/LocalBusiness. If you use WordPress, the Yoast SEO plugin can generate this automatically.
5. Build your review count and rating
Target 4.3+ stars on Google and 50+ reviews. Respond to every review — positive and negative. AI engines treat review volume and response rate as trust signals.
6. Create answer-first content on your site
Write pages that directly answer questions travelers ask: “How far is [your business] from [airport]?” “Do you offer airport pickup?” “What are your hours?” AI engines extract these answers and attribute them to your site.
7. Get mentioned on pages AI already trusts
This is the fastest path. A listing on a site that AI already cites (like FlightCheck) puts you in AI answers within days, not months. Your own website may never get cited for “[service] near [airport]” — those citations go to directory pages.
The shortcut: ride an already-cited platform
Your own website probably won't get cited by ChatGPT for “[service] near [airport]” — those citations go to directory pages. But FlightCheck is already cited 125K times/month. A $29/mo listing puts your business on the page AI is already recommending.
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Which AI search engines matter
ChatGPT
200M+ weekly users, increasingly used for local recommendations. ChatGPT Search pulls from the Bing index, making your Bing Places listing critical.
Bing Copilot
Built into Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365. FlightCheck's biggest AI channel with 125K citations/month. Hundreds of millions of potential users through the Microsoft ecosystem.
Google AI Overviews
Appears at the top of Google results for many local queries. Uses Google's own index, so your Google Business Profile is the key signal here.
Perplexity
Growing fast among power users and researchers. Cites sources explicitly, making it easy to track whether your business is being recommended.
DuckDuckGo AI
Privacy-focused users, significant for travel queries. Uses Bing's index under the hood, so the same Bing Places + directory strategy applies.
Get your business into AI search results.
FlightCheck is cited 125,000+ times/month. Your listing rides that authority. $29/mo.
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Common questions
How do I get my business mentioned by ChatGPT?
To get mentioned by ChatGPT, focus on three things: complete your Google Business Profile and Bing Places listing (ChatGPT Search uses the Bing index), get listed on directory pages that AI engines already cite (43.8% of ChatGPT citations come from directory/listicle pages), and add LocalBusiness schema markup to your website so AI can parse your business details directly.
How does ChatGPT decide which businesses to recommend?
ChatGPT pulls recommendations from its training data and the Bing index (for ChatGPT Search). It favors businesses that appear on authoritative directory pages, have complete Bing Places and Google Business Profile listings, carry strong review signals (4.3+ stars, 50+ reviews), use structured data like LocalBusiness schema, and have recently updated, specific content.
Can I pay to appear in ChatGPT results?
There is no direct advertising in ChatGPT results. However, you can get listed on pages that ChatGPT already cites, which is effectively the same thing. For example, FlightCheck is cited 125,000+ times per month by Bing Copilot for airport-related queries. A $29/mo listing puts your business on those already-cited pages.
How long does it take to appear in AI search?
It depends on your approach. DIY optimization (Google Business Profile, schema markup, review building) takes 6-12 months. Getting listed on a platform that AI engines already cite can put you in AI answers within days to weeks. AEO/GEO agencies typically quote 3-6 months.
What percentage of local businesses appear in AI search?
Only about 12% of local businesses are visible in AI search results — 88% are completely invisible to ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity. AI engines cite a small number of trusted directory and authority sources, so businesses not listed on those sources don't appear in AI answers.
Is AI search replacing Google for local business?
AI search is not replacing Google, but it is growing over 300% year-over-year. Travelers increasingly ask AI assistants like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity for local recommendations instead of scrolling through Google results. The key difference: Google shows 10 options, AI gives 2-3 specific recommendations. If you're not one of them, you're invisible to that growing audience.