Be present where AIs read: reviews, directories, press, forums
Your reputation is built away from your website
When an assistant recommends a business, it looks for outside evidence. A website that calls itself “the best” convinces no one. Three independent sources that mention your specialism do. Start with the list of sources you recorded during your test (chapter 3): those are the sites that matter in your sector.
The levers, in order of priority for a small business
- Google Business Profile: complete, with the right categories, up-to-date hours, photos and replies to reviews. It feeds Google’s local search directly.
- Customer reviews: ask for them every time a job goes well, on the platforms used in your sector. Detailed reviews (“pension paperwork sorted in three weeks”) are more useful than a star rating alone. Never buy reviews.
- Directories and trade platforms: professional directories, trade bodies and chambers of commerce, marketplaces, booking platforms. Pick the ones that show up in the AIs’ sources, not worthless link directories.
- Press and trade media: an article in the regional press or a trade publication is a source AIs readily cite. Pitch a useful angle: a piece of data, expert advice, local news.
- Comparison and “best of” articles: find the “top 10” articles in your sector that AIs cite, and offer their authors verifiable information about what you do.
- Forums and communities: Reddit, specialist forums, professional groups. Take part under your real name, genuinely helping, with no disguised advertising.
Wikipedia and Wikidata: tread carefully
Wikipedia is widely read by the models, but its conflict-of-interest rules are strict: you shouldn’t create or edit an article about yourself or your business, and any paid contribution must be disclosed. Most small businesses aren’t notable enough for an article anyway.
Wikidata, the structured database linked to Wikipedia, has its own notability criteria, often easier to meet when there are solid public sources about the business. If you create an entry there, stick strictly to sourced facts.
Off-site presence checklist
- Complete, verified Google Business Profile with recent reviews and replies
- A simple process for asking for a review after every job
- A presence on the three to five directories or platforms the AIs cite in your sector
- Identical information everywhere (name, address, phone, services)
- At least one press or trade media action per quarter
- A list of the sector comparison articles AIs cite, with each author’s contact details
- No Wikipedia edits about your own business