• Hillary Plauche
• AEO for small business, AI search optimization, AI search visibility, answer engine optimization, ChatGPT for local businesses, get found in AI search, how to get your business to show up in ChatGPT and AI search, optimize for Google AI Overviews, Perplexity SEO, show up in Perplexity results
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How to Get Your Local Business to Show Up in AI Search Tools Like ChatGPT and Perplexity

AI search is no longer something to “keep an eye on.” It’s already happening — and it’s changing how people find local businesses.
If your business isn’t showing up, it’s not because AI is broken. It’s because it hasn’t been fed the right signals yet.

We’re officially in the era of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) — where getting found isn’t just about keywords on a website, but about becoming the answer AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews want to pull from.

Here’s how to get your business there.

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1️⃣ What Is AI Search (and Why It’s Replacing “Blue Links”)

Remember when you’d search on Google and get 10 blue links?
That’s fading fast.

Now, people are asking AI tools like:

• ChatGPT: “Who’s the best HVAC company in Melbourne, FL?”

• Perplexity: “What makes a fence company reliable?”

• Google: Using AI Overviews that summarize top answers instead of just listing websites

AI doesn’t just list results — it summarizes answers, often pulling from multiple sources. If your business isn’t in those sources, you’re invisible.

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2️⃣ How ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews Pull Results

Each AI tool works slightly differently — but here’s the pattern:

• ChatGPT pulls from training data + Bing-indexed content

• Perplexity crawls real-time pages and cites live web content (and rewards clarity + structure)

• Google AI Overviews rely on schema, structured data, and your indexed pages

All of them prioritize:

• Helpful, relevant, clearly structured info

• Real content that answers a user’s question

• Trusted sources — not spammy filler

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3️⃣ What LLMs Are Actually Looking For

Search engines used to just crawl pages. Now, AI engines scan, summarize, and select the most helpful content.

Here’s what matters most:
✅ Clear questions and answers (formatted like blog FAQs or guides)
✅ Schema markup (FAQPage, HowTo, WebPage)
✅ Relevance (keywords + city + service)
✅ Consistency across your website, GBP, and citations
✅ Real trust signals (reviews, content updates, active profile)

It’s less about “ranking high” and more about showing up where AI gets its answers.

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4️⃣ You Still Need the Basics (This Isn’t a Shortcut)

AI isn’t skipping the fundamentals — it’s layering on top of them.

So yes, you still need:

• A fast, mobile-friendly website

• Reviews that mention your services and location

• Consistent Name/Address/Phone (NAP) info across the web

• A fully optimized Google Business Profile

• Regular content that shows what you do and where

AI pulls from what it can find — so if your presence is weak, you’re not an option.

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5️⃣ What You Can Do Today to Get Picked by AI Tools

Here’s a step-by-step:

✅ Write answers to real questions your customers ask (like we’ve done in your blog)
✅ Use FAQ schema on those posts so Google and LLMs can parse it
✅ Submit your content to Bing, Google, and tools like llms-txt.site
✅ Mention your city, service, and intent in your content naturally
✅ Track what shows up in Perplexity — if it cites you, you’re in

You’re no longer writing for search engines — you’re writing with them in mind.

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TL;DR Summary

AI search is here. People are skipping ads and blue links and asking tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity for direct answers.

If your business:
✅ Has helpful content
✅ Shows up clearly and consistently online
✅ Uses schema and structure

…you can absolutely be one of those answers.

If not, AI will skip you — even if you’re the best at what you do.

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🤔 FAQs About AI Search for Local Businesses

Q: Will ChatGPT recommend my business?
A: It depends. If your business is mentioned in real answers across indexed content, yes. If not — no.

Q: Is this just for big companies?
A: Nope. In fact, small businesses with clear content often win because there’s less fluff.

Q: What’s the difference between SEO and AEO?
A: SEO helps you rank in search engines. AEO helps you get picked as the answer in AI summaries.

Q: How long does it take to get seen?
A: We’ve seen AEO results in as little as 7–10 days (especially with Perplexity), but it can take a few weeks to appear in AI overviews or ChatGPT.

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@rankboostmedia

Google just launched AI Mode.🤖 Your Google Business Profile is now the first thing customers see — not your website.😳 Here’s how to get your listing ready for this shift — and why it matters now more than ever.📍🚀 #GoogleBusinessProfile #GoogleMapsSEO #AIModeSearch #LocalSEO #SmallBusinessTips #GBPoptimization #SearchUpdate2025 #GetFoundOnline

♬ original sound – Hillary | Google Maps SEO 💥

👋 Want Your Business to Show Up in AI Search?

We help local businesses go from invisible to AI discoverable.

✅ We create structured, compliant content
✅ We optimize for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI, and more
✅ We keep your site, Google listing, and SEO in sync

👉 See our Google Business + SEO Services
Or text us at 321-722-7947 and say “AI Help” — we’ll take it from there.

Hillary Plauche

administrator

Hillary is the founder of Rank Boost Media, a no-BS marketing agency specializing in Google My Business optimization, local SEO, and helping service-based businesses dominate "near me" searches. With a sharp eye for strategy and a knack for cutting through the noise, Hillary helps businesses get real, measurable results—no gimmicks, no empty promises. When not optimizing rankings and making Google work for local businesses, you can find Hillary crafting witty marketing memes, sipping on coffee, or networking with business owners to help them grow. Want to boost your visibility and turn clicks into customers? Let’s talk.