Introduction
In this article I explain why having a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) matters now more than ever, especially as AI assistants increasingly pull local business info from the web. I’ll share live tests I ran across major AI tools and practical steps you can take so your business shows up correctly when people ask AI-powered assistants for local services.
How AI Assistants Find Local Business Information
AI assistants don’t all pull data from the same places. Depending on the assistant, they may use Google, Bing, Yelp, your website pages, or a mix of sources. That means your visibility can change across platforms unless your local info is complete and consistent.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT generates answers from a broad training dataset and live web searches depending on the version. In my tests, ChatGPT sometimes surfaced local agencies and offered useful context — like categorizing a web agency as focused on small local businesses. But results are variable: you won’t always get the same answer for the same query. Adding location and specific keywords (for example “San Jose web designer” vs “web design”) greatly influences whether the assistant lists your business.
Copilot (Bing)
Copilot relies heavily on Bing search results. In my example, Copilot returned businesses that appear in Bing and Yelp. If you don’t actively manage Yelp or Bing Business profiles, those platforms may show different competitors ahead of you.
Gemini (Google)
Gemini is directly connected to Google. In my tests Gemini pulled information from Google Business Profiles and often displayed businesses that had a well-maintained Google profile. This highlights why a Google Business Profile can be especially important when Google-backed assistants are involved.
Other Tools
Perplexity and other AI tools may use a mix of sources or their own methods. The pattern I observed across tools: where a Google Business Profile exists and your website has locally focused pages, you increase the chance of appearing in AI results — but ranking and presentation still vary.
What I Tested: Queries and Observations
I ran several local queries to see how each assistant responded. Here are representative tests and what they revealed:
- San Jose web designer — Including the city typically surfaced local businesses and, in some assistants, my agency’s Google profile.
- Web design services in San Jose — More descriptive queries produced richer local results and context about each agency’s focus.
- Local marketing San Jose / Hyper local marketing San Jose — Searches for service-specific, hyper-local terms showed that AI sometimes pulls content from two separate pages on your website. If an assistant sees relevant pages, it may include links or snippets from them.
- Overall: AI results are less deterministic than standard Google rankings — a business that appears #1 in Google search will show consistently, but AI responses can vary depending on phrasing and source signals.
Why a Google Business Profile (GBP) Matters
Here’s why GBP should be a priority:
- Direct feed to Google-backed AI (like Gemini) — GBP is often the primary source for local info.
- Consistency across platforms — a complete GBP helps AI assistants recognize and display your business accurately.
- Higher chance of appearing in AI-generated responses — assistants commonly pull from GBP alongside website pages and directories.
- Control over essential info — address, hours, phone, website, services, photos and descriptions are fields you control.
Practical Steps to Improve Your AI Visibility
Based on the tests and observations, here’s a simple checklist you can follow to increase your chance of showing up in AI assistant results:
- Claim and verify your Google Business Profile (GBP).
- Complete every GBP field: business name, address, phone, website, hours, services, categories and an optimized description.
- Use local keywords in your GBP description and in on-site content (city + service).
- Create specific pages on your website for core local services — assistants sometimes pull content from multiple relevant pages.
- Ensure NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) across your website, GBP, Yelp, Bing and other directories.
- Maintain and respond to reviews — active profiles look more authoritative to search engines and AI systems.
- Keep your website SEO-friendly and fast — AI tools often use website content as supporting evidence for answers.
- Monitor where AI assistants are pulling your data (Google, Bing, Yelp, website) and fill gaps in those sources.
- Experiment with search phrases — AI results change with phrasing. Test different local queries to see where you appear.
Notes on Variability and Testing
AI assistants behave differently from traditional search engines. Google’s search ranking can be stable (if you rank #1, you’ll often stay there), but AI responses may fluctuate. This means continuous testing and optimization are important. Track which assistants include your business and which sources they reference, then prioritize improvements on those platforms.
Conclusion
AI is changing how people find local businesses. The short takeaway: claim and optimize your Google Business Profile, keep your website’s local content strong, and ensure consistent citations across the web. These steps will improve your odds of showing up when customers ask AI assistants for local services.
If you want more hands-on testing and tips for local SEO and AI visibility, follow Salazar Digital – Marketing & Web Design for updates and subscribe for more experiments and walkthroughs.
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