How Do I Get Local Recommendations from AI? Complete Guide for 2025

Understanding AI Local Search and Recommendations

AI local search has fundamentally transformed how customers discover local businesses and services. Unlike traditional search engines that simply match keywords to results, artificial intelligence systems now interpret context, user intent, and location data to provide personalized recommendations. When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google Gemini “What’s the best Italian restaurant near me that’s open late with outdoor seating?”, these AI systems don’t just retrieve a list—they synthesize information from multiple sources to deliver a curated answer tailored to that specific user’s needs. This shift means that getting your local business recommended by AI requires a fundamentally different approach than traditional local SEO, one that focuses on providing AI systems with rich, structured, and accurate information they can confidently cite.

How AI Systems Find and Recommend Local Businesses

AI-powered search engines rely on a sophisticated ecosystem of data sources to generate local recommendations. Google Business Profile remains essential, particularly for Google’s AI systems like Gemini and AI Mode, which have direct access to this data. However, the landscape is far more complex than it was just a few years ago. Yelp appears in approximately 33% of AI search results across different platforms, making it a critical citation source. Surprisingly, Foursquare—a platform many businesses overlooked—now powers approximately 60-70% of ChatGPT’s local results, especially for smaller towns and niche businesses. Additionally, industry-specific directories like Toprateddentist.com for dental services, Superlawyers.com for legal services, and MapQuest for general local information are heavily weighted by AI systems. Your business website remains the most authoritative source, appearing in approximately 58% of ChatGPT citations, which underscores the importance of maintaining accurate, comprehensive information across all your digital properties.

Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for AI Recommendations

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) serves as the foundation for AI visibility, particularly for Google’s own AI systems. AI algorithms evaluate GBP completeness and accuracy as a primary signal of business legitimacy and relevance. To optimize for AI recommendations, ensure every field is meticulously filled out with current information. This includes your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) exactly as they appear on your website and other listings—consistency is critical because AI systems use this information to verify your business identity across the web. Add comprehensive service descriptions that explain what you offer in detail, as AI systems use this information to match your business with specific user queries. Upload high-quality photos showing your location, team, products, and services, as AI systems increasingly evaluate visual content when generating recommendations. Keep your business hours updated, including holiday schedules, because AI systems consider operational status when making recommendations. Most importantly, actively encourage customers to leave detailed reviews that describe their specific experiences, as AI systems analyze review content to understand what makes your business unique and how it matches different customer needs.

Building Citations and Local Listings Across Multiple Platforms

Local citations—mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on external websites—have become increasingly important for AI visibility. While citations were traditionally valuable for local SEO, they’re now essential data sources that AI systems use to verify business information and build confidence in recommendations. Start by ensuring your business is listed on all major platforms: Google Business Profile, Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and Foursquare. For specialized industries, identify and claim listings on industry-specific directories—dentists should prioritize dental directories, lawyers should focus on legal directories, and so on. Data aggregators like Data Axle, Neustar, and Foursquare are particularly important because they distribute your core business information to thousands of directories, apps, and mapping services that AI systems access. Ensure your NAP information is identical across all platforms, as discrepancies confuse AI algorithms and can hurt your visibility. Regularly audit your citations using tools that track your presence across directories, and update any outdated information immediately. The more consistent and comprehensive your citation profile, the more confident AI systems become in recommending your business.

Implementing Structured Data Markup for AI Understanding

Structured data markup is critical for helping AI systems understand your business information quickly and accurately. Implement LocalBusiness schema on your website’s homepage and location pages, which tells AI systems essential details about your business including name, address, phone number, website, and business type. Add FAQPage schema to any frequently asked questions on your website, as AI systems use this structured format to extract answers for user queries. Implement Service schema if you offer specific services, detailing what you provide, pricing, and service areas. Use Review schema to mark up customer testimonials and ratings, helping AI systems understand customer sentiment and experience. For businesses with multiple locations, implement LocalBusiness schema on each location page with specific address and contact information. The key is using JSON-LD format, which is the most reliable way to communicate structured data to AI systems. Test your implementation using Google’s Rich Results Test tool to ensure it’s correctly formatted. Properly implemented structured data dramatically increases the likelihood that AI systems will cite your business accurately and confidently in their recommendations.

Creating Location-Specific Content That Resonates with AI

AI systems increasingly favor location-specific content that directly addresses what users in your area are searching for. Instead of generic content about your industry, create guides and resources tailored to your specific location. A restaurant in Miami might create “The Ultimate Guide to Dining in Wynwood: Hidden Gems and Local Favorites,” while a fitness studio in Boulder could publish “Best Workout Spots and Fitness Communities in Boulder for Beginners.” This type of hyper-relevant content helps AI systems understand your local expertise and match your business with nuanced, location-based queries. Create FAQ pages that answer questions your actual customers ask, using natural language that mirrors how people speak to AI assistants. Write blog posts about local events, community news, and neighborhood guides that establish your business as a local authority. Include specific neighborhood names, local landmarks, and community references in your content, as AI systems use these contextual signals to understand your local relevance. Ensure your content is comprehensive and answers questions completely, as AI systems prefer content that provides thorough, actionable information rather than surface-level overviews.

Gathering and Managing Customer Reviews Strategically

Customer reviews have become one of the most important signals AI systems use when generating local recommendations. AI doesn’t just count reviews—it analyzes their content to understand what makes your business unique and how it matches different customer needs. Implement a systematic review generation strategy that encourages satisfied customers to leave detailed reviews on Google, Yelp, and industry-specific platforms. Train your team to ask customers about specific experiences—their favorite menu items, the quality of service, the atmosphere, or unique features—because detailed reviews provide AI systems with rich information to match against specific queries. Respond professionally to all reviews, both positive and negative, as AI systems evaluate how businesses engage with customer feedback. Negative reviews handled professionally actually increase trust signals, as AI systems recognize that authentic feedback management demonstrates accountability. Monitor review platforms regularly and identify patterns in what customers mention most frequently, then emphasize these strengths in your marketing and content. The more authentic, detailed, and diverse your review profile, the more confidently AI systems will recommend your business.

Ensuring NAP Consistency Across All Digital Properties

NAP consistency—ensuring your Name, Address, and Phone number are identical across all online platforms—is fundamental to AI visibility. AI systems use NAP information to verify your business identity and connect information from different sources. Even small variations like “Suite 100” versus “Ste 100” or different phone number formats can confuse AI algorithms and reduce your visibility. Conduct a comprehensive audit of all your online properties, including your website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, social media profiles, industry directories, and any other platforms where your business appears. Document your official NAP information exactly as you want it to appear everywhere. Update any inconsistencies immediately, prioritizing major platforms like Google Business Profile and Yelp first. Use citation management tools to monitor your NAP consistency across directories and receive alerts when information changes. Implement a process to ensure that whenever you update your information on one platform, you update it everywhere. This consistency signals to AI systems that your business information is reliable and authoritative, increasing the likelihood of accurate recommendations.

Leveraging Social Media for AI Visibility

Social media presence increasingly influences how AI systems perceive and recommend local businesses. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are now data sources that AI systems access when generating recommendations. Maintain active, updated social media profiles with consistent NAP information and regular posts that showcase your business, products, and services. Post content that demonstrates your local expertise and community involvement—photos of your location, team members, customer experiences, and local events. Encourage customers to tag your business in their posts and engage with user-generated content, as AI systems evaluate social signals when assessing business authority and relevance. Create video content on YouTube that answers common questions about your services or industry, as video content is increasingly weighted by AI systems, particularly Google’s Gemini. Respond promptly to comments and messages, as engagement signals help AI systems understand that your business is active and customer-focused. The more visible and engaged your social media presence, the more data AI systems have to confidently recommend your business.

Optimizing for Voice Search and Conversational Queries

As AI systems become more conversational, optimizing for voice search and natural language queries is essential. Users increasingly ask AI systems detailed, conversational questions like “Where can I find a quiet coffee shop with good Wi-Fi and vegan options near me?” rather than typing simple keywords. Optimize your content and business information to match these conversational queries by using natural language in your descriptions and FAQs. Include long-tail keywords and phrases that reflect how people actually speak when asking questions. Structure your content with clear headings and concise answers to common questions, as AI systems extract this information to answer voice queries. Ensure your business information includes details about specific amenities, services, and features that customers might ask about—quiet seating, outdoor areas, dietary options, parking, accessibility features, and so on. The more specific and detailed your business information, the better AI systems can match your business with the nuanced, conversational queries that voice search users ask.

Monitoring Your AI Visibility and Performance

Tracking your AI visibility is essential for understanding how effectively your optimization efforts are working. Use AI-specific tracking tools to monitor how often your business appears in AI search results across different platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, and others. Tools like Peec.ai, SERanking’s AI Results Tracker, and Advanced Web Ranking’s Google AI Overview Tool provide insights into your citations and share of voice in AI-generated results. Monitor which queries trigger your business recommendations and identify gaps where competitors are appearing but you’re not. Track changes in your visibility over time to understand which optimization efforts are most effective. Set up alerts for brand mentions across AI platforms so you can see exactly how your business is being cited. Use these insights to refine your strategy—if you’re appearing for some queries but not others, create more content targeting those missing queries. Regular monitoring helps you stay ahead of changes in AI algorithms and competitive dynamics in your local market.

Preparing for the Future of AI Local Search

The landscape of AI local search continues to evolve rapidly, with new features and capabilities emerging regularly. Voice search is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with users asking more complex, multi-part questions that require AI systems to synthesize information from multiple sources. Augmented reality integration is on the horizon, where users might point their phones at a street and see AI-curated business information layered on top of the real world. Hyper-personalization will become even more advanced, with AI systems recommending businesses based not just on preferences and location, but on contextual factors like weather, calendar events, and even mood indicators. To prepare for these developments, focus on building a strong foundation of accurate, comprehensive, and structured business information across all platforms. Stay informed about updates to AI search platforms and adjust your strategy accordingly. Experiment with new content formats and platforms as they emerge. Most importantly, maintain a customer-centric approach—the businesses that will thrive in AI-driven search are those that genuinely understand their customers’ needs and provide exceptional experiences that generate authentic reviews and recommendations.