How do AI engines choose who to recommend?
When someone asks "recommend an accounting firm in Buenos Aires", the engine searches for sources, reads the ones it can read, and builds the answer citing those it finds clear and trustworthy. There are no ads to buy: you appear if you're readable and citable.
The technical detail that decides everything: most AI crawlers don't execute JavaScript. If your site only renders in the browser, to ChatGPT it may be a blank page.
Step 1: make sure they can read you
Before thinking about content, remove the blockers.
- Check that your robots.txt doesn't block GPTBot, ClaudeBot or PerplexityBot
- Make sure content arrives in the HTML (server-side rendering), not only via JavaScript
- Publish an llms.txt file describing what your business does and your key pages
- Keep the site fast: crawlers abandon pages that don't respond
Step 2: make sure they can cite you
Engines cite sentences that answer questions on their own. Every important page should open with a direct answer, include concrete numbers and facts (with sources), and carry structured data (schema.org) saying who you are, what you do and where.
Frequently asked questions written the way a customer would ask them, are among the most cited content by AI engines.
Step 3: make sure they find you beyond your site
Engines cross-check sources: a LinkedIn profile consistent with your site, a Google Business profile with reviews, and mentions in your industry's communities weigh as much as your own content. Consistency matters: same name, same description, same details everywhere.
How do you know if you show up today?
Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity about your industry and city, the way a customer would: "recommend a [your industry] in [your city]". Note who appears and who doesn't, and repeat the test monthly: answers change, and it's better to find out before your competitors do.
Quick check
- 01Ask ChatGPT about your industry and city: do you appear?
- 02Check your robots.txt: don't block AI crawlers
- 03Confirm your content is in the HTML, not only in JavaScript
- 04Add structured data (schema.org) and an llms.txt
- 05Align your LinkedIn, Google Business and site: same details everywhere
Save this list and run it against your own site.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay to get ChatGPT to recommend my business?
No: organic answers from AI engines can't be bought. You earn your place by showing up: a site the engines can read, sentences they can cite, and consistent mentions beyond your own site.
How do I know if AI recommends me today?
Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity the way a customer would: recommend a [your industry] in [your city]. Note who appears, repeat the test monthly, and you'll see whether your visibility improves or declines.
What is llms.txt and do I need it?
A public file summarizing what your business does and which pages matter, written for AI engines. It costs little and adds clarity, but it doesn't guarantee citations: it's hygiene, not a magic lever.
Does traditional SEO help with AI visibility?
The foundation is the same: an indexable site, clear content and authority. AI engines add their own weights: direct quotable answers, structured data, and mentions in other sources confirming what your site claims.