6 minute read
Getting mentioned in AI answers
What AI assistants look for when they recommend a business, and practical steps to improve your chances.
Why AI answers matter
People now ask AI assistants for recommendations, comparisons and how to guides. When an assistant names a handful of providers, being one of them matters as much as ranking on page one.
Find out where you stand
Write the questions your customers ask, then check what the assistants say. Note whether you are mentioned, who is named instead and which pages are cited as sources.
- Mix broad questions with local and comparison questions
- Check several assistants, because their answers differ
- Repeat on a schedule, because answers change
Make your pages easy to quote
Assistants favour pages that answer a question directly and clearly. A short answer near the top, followed by detail, is easy to quote accurately.
- Use question headings for common questions
- Put a two or three sentence summary near the top
- Show when the page was last updated
Be consistent about who you are
Use the same business name, description and contact details everywhere: your website, your Google Business Profile and directories. Structured data helps tie these together.
Earn mentions elsewhere
Assistants learn from what other reputable websites say. Being listed, reviewed and discussed on trusted industry sites builds the evidence they rely on.
Let the right crawlers in
Check that robots.txt does not accidentally block the crawlers used by AI assistants, unless you have decided to block them. Your server logs show which ones visit.