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Guide · updated October 2026

A small business shows up in AI answers through its own answer pages and other sites' best-of lists. Not press releases.

Here is the order to do it in, based on our own tests and the published research. Nobody can promise an AI will name you, so step 1 is measuring.

  1. See where you stand

    • Write down 5 to 10 questions your customers would ask, without your name in them. "Best roofer in Tampa", "X vs Y".
    • Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude each one, twice. Answers change from run to run.
    • Count the answers that say your name. A link to your site without your name doesn't count.

  2. Write one page for each thing people use you for

    • Plus one honest "best options for X" or "X vs Y" page that names your competitors fairly.
    • For a new brand, 82% of new AI mentions came from answers quoting its own pages (Ahrefs, 9,886 answers).
    • Works best in small niches. In a huge category, the giants win their own lists.
    • Don't write "we are #1". It reads as an ad, and AI often names someone else anyway.

  3. Get onto other sites' "best X" lists

    • Find the lists AI already quotes for your questions (step 1 shows you).
    • Most aren't for sale. Ask the author to consider you, with a real reason.
    • If you pay for a spot, it has to be labeled sponsored. That's the law (FTC) and Google's rule.

  4. Fix the listings each assistant reads

    • ChatGPT: Yelp and BBB show up most for local businesses.
    • Claude: searches with Brave. If Brave can't find your site, neither can Claude.
    • Gemini and Google AI: your Google Business Profile and its reviews.
    • Same name, address, phone and services everywhere. And submit your site to Bing Webmaster Tools.

  5. Ask every customer for a review

    • Every customer, not only the happy ones. Asking only the happy ones breaks FTC rules.
    • Then go back to step 1 every month with the same questions, and see if the count moved.
39.7×

How much more likely an AI answer was to name a little-known brand once a third-party page mentioned it. For well-known brands it was 4.2×. (arXiv 2610.15033, June to September 2026.)

Skip these

Do step 1 for freeWe ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI about your business and show who they name. About a minute.

Rather not do steps 2 to 5 yourself? That's what Get Found is. We do the work every month and show you the count, even when it's flat.

Sources

All guides · Research

Related: Is my business on ChatGPT? · Why doesn't AI recommend my business?

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