ChatGPT recommendations are becoming commercially important
A growing number of customer journeys now begin with questions such as “Who is the best mortgage broker in Leeds?”, “Which cyber security company should I use?” or “What is the best accounting platform for a small UK business?”
These are not simply informational searches. They are requests for a recommendation.
The businesses included in the answer can enter the customer’s shortlist before the person visits a website, reads a comparison article or contacts a supplier. Companies that are absent may never be considered.
This creates a new visibility challenge. Ranking well on Google remains valuable, but businesses must also consider whether platforms such as ChatGPT can identify what they do, understand when they are relevant and find enough evidence to support a recommendation.
There is no guaranteed process for ranking first. OpenAI states that ChatGPT Search uses several factors intended to help users find reliable and relevant information. The exact weighting of those factors is not publicly disclosed, and answers can vary according to the prompt, context and information available.
However, businesses can still take practical steps to improve their chances of being discovered and accurately represented.
Make sure ChatGPT can access your website
Before ChatGPT can use information from a website in search-generated answers, the site must be technically accessible.
OpenAI uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to surface websites in ChatGPT Search. Businesses should check that this crawler is not blocked by their robots.txt file, hosting provider, firewall or content delivery network. OAI-SearchBot is separate from GPTBot. OpenAI explains that OAI-SearchBot supports search visibility, while GPTBot relates to the potential use of website content in model training. A website owner can allow the search crawler while choosing to block the training crawler.
Allowing access does not guarantee that a page will be cited or recommended. It simply removes a technical barrier that could prevent the site from being properly considered.
Important pages should also load without requiring an account, complex interaction or unsupported script. Clear navigation, descriptive internal links and a logical page structure make the content easier for both people and automated systems to interpret.
Define exactly what your business does
Many websites use broad language that sounds impressive but communicates very little.
Phrases such as “innovative solutions”, “industry-leading services” and “trusted strategic partner” do not explain what the company sells, where it operates or which customers it serves.
ChatGPT needs more specific information if it is going to determine whether a business is suitable for a particular request.
A company should clearly state its services, products, locations, target customers and areas of expertise. That information should appear on the homepage, About page and relevant service pages rather than being hidden inside vague marketing copy.
For example, “We help businesses grow” is difficult to interpret. “We provide outsourced financial management for UK technology companies with between 10 and 100 employees” creates a much clearer picture.
The stronger the definition, the easier it becomes for an AI system to connect the business with an appropriate prompt.
Build pages around real customer needs
A single general services page is unlikely to answer every question a prospective customer might ask.
Businesses should create dedicated pages for their main services, products, locations, sectors and use cases. Each page should explain the problem being addressed, who the offering is for, how it works and what makes the business suitable.
This does not mean generating hundreds of thin pages with slightly different keywords. Each page must provide genuine value and represent a meaningful part of the company’s offer.
A law firm might have separate pages for commercial disputes, employment law and residential conveyancing.
A software provider might create pages for specific industries, integrations or operational problems. A consultancy serving several regions may need clear location information where it has a genuine presence or service capability.
These pages give ChatGPT more precise information to use when a prompt includes a specialism, audience or geographical requirement.
Provide evidence for your claims
ChatGPT should not be expected to recommend a business simply because its website claims it is the best.
Strong recommendations require evidence.
Useful supporting information can include case studies, client results, recognised qualifications, regulatory details, professional memberships, awards, original research and transparent information about the people behind the organisation.
Case studies are especially valuable when they explain the customer’s situation, the work completed and the measurable outcome. A statement such as “we deliver excellent results” is difficult to verify. A documented example showing how the business reduced costs, increased conversions or solved a specialist problem provides stronger context.
Founder and team pages can also strengthen understanding. They connect expertise to identifiable people and make it easier to assess whether the organisation has credible experience in its claimed field.
Evidence should be accurate, current and specific. Exaggerated or unsupported claims may create inconsistencies rather than improving visibility.
Strengthen your presence beyond your own website
A company’s website is only one source of information about the brand.
Independent references can help demonstrate that the organisation exists, operates in the category it claims and has been recognised by others. Relevant sources may include industry directories, trade bodies, professional databases, media coverage, review platforms, partner websites and respected sector publications.
The quality and relevance of those references matter more than simply accumulating large numbers of mentions.
A citation from a recognised industry publication is likely to provide more useful context than dozens of low-quality directory listings. Similarly, detailed reviews describing a particular service can communicate more than generic five-star ratings.
Information should remain consistent across these sources. Conflicting company names, addresses, service descriptions or founder details can make the entity harder to interpret.
Third-party visibility should therefore be treated as part of brand credibility, not merely as a link-building exercise.
Create content that supports decisions
Informational blog posts can help a website become discoverable, but recommendation prompts often require content that supports comparison and selection.
Customers want to know which provider is right for their situation, how different options compare, what a service costs and what criteria they should consider.
Businesses can respond with transparent comparison pages, buying guides, pricing explanations, frequently asked questions and articles addressing common objections.
A useful comparison should not claim that the company is automatically the right option for everyone. It should explain where the offering is strongest, where another solution may be more appropriate and how the customer can make an informed choice.
Balanced content can be more credible than aggressive sales copy. It gives ChatGPT usable information for explaining trade-offs rather than repeating unsubstantiated claims.
Keep product and service information current
Outdated information can weaken both customer trust and AI visibility.
Prices, availability, opening hours, product descriptions, service areas and team details should be reviewed regularly. A recommendation becomes less useful when it points to a discontinued product or describes a service the company no longer provides.
For ecommerce businesses, structured product information is particularly important. OpenAI says ChatGPT can consider product and merchant metadata, including descriptions, price, availability and quality.
Merchants can also provide product feeds to improve the accuracy and freshness of how their catalogue appears. Shopify merchants may already have product information integrated through Shopify Catalog, while other retailers can explore OpenAI’s supported product-feed options.
Product feeds are not a substitute for a strong website, but they can give merchants more control over the information available during product discovery.
Make local relevance clear
ChatGPT can use location context when responding to local requests. Businesses that serve particular areas should make that relationship explicit.
A local page should explain where the company operates, what services are available in that area and whether customers can visit a physical location. The address, contact details, service radius and opening information should remain consistent across the website and relevant external listings.
Local visibility should not be created through misleading location pages for places the business does not genuinely serve. The goal is to provide accurate geographical context.
Reviews, local partnerships, regional media coverage and location-specific case studies can add further evidence that the company is established in the area.
Monitor the prompts that influence customers
Businesses cannot improve AI visibility effectively by testing one generic question.
A company may appear when someone asks for a broad category but disappear when the prompt includes a location, budget, industry or specialist requirement. Monitoring should therefore focus on a representative group of commercial prompts. These might cover direct recommendations, comparisons, local searches, problem-based questions and searches for specific product features.
The results should be reviewed across different AI platforms because ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude may rely on different information and produce different recommendations.
Businesses should record whether they are mentioned, how they are described, which competitors appear and which sources influence the answer. This creates a baseline from which progress can be measured.
Treat AI visibility as an ongoing process
ChatGPT recommendations are not permanent rankings.
Answers can change as models improve, websites are updated, new sources become available and competitors strengthen their digital presence. The wording of the user’s prompt can also change which businesses are suitable.
AI visibility therefore requires continued attention.
Technical access should be checked, important information should remain current, new evidence should be published and recommendation prompts should be monitored regularly.
The businesses most likely to benefit are not those searching for a quick manipulation tactic. They are the organisations that make themselves genuinely easier to discover, understand, verify and compare.
The central question is simple: when a potential customer describes exactly what they need, does ChatGPT have enough clear and credible information to recognise your business as a suitable answer?
AwarenessAI helps organisations measure and improve how platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude understand, represent and recommend their brand. Through AI visibility audits, implementation and ongoing monitoring, businesses can identify important prompts where they are absent and take practical action to improve their visibility.