Friend, let me ask you something real quick.

When was the last time you needed a recommendation and typed it into ChatGPT instead of Google? Maybe it was "best bakery near me for a baby shower cake" or "who's a good bookkeeper for small businesses."

Now flip it. When your ideal customer asks AI for exactly what you sell — does your name come up?

If you don't know the answer, you're not alone. Most of the business owners I talk to have never checked. And that's exactly why I'm writing this.

Why you should care (like, today)

Here's the real talk: the way people find businesses changed, and most of us didn't get the memo.

  • 45% of U.S. consumers now use ChatGPT or other AI tools to find local business recommendations. A year earlier? Just 6%. (BrightLocal, 2026)

  • ChatGPT has roughly 700 million weekly users, and Google's AI Overviews reach about 2 billion people a month. (Semrush via Elev8)

  • In one 2026 study of about 350,000 business locations, ChatGPT recommended just 1.2% of them. (SOCi Local Visibility Index)

Read that last one again. Google used to give you a page of ten links. AI gives your customer three to five names — and a confident little paragraph about why they're the best.

If you're not one of those names, you're not page two. You're just not there.

And this isn't only a big-brand problem. The small business owner who's posting faithfully, serving well, and still wondering why the phone isn't ringing? This might be the missing piece.

So how does AI decide who to recommend?

Think of AI like the most well-read friend you have. It doesn't "know" you. It only knows what the internet says about you — and how consistently it says it.

Here's the part that surprised me: about 77% of what AI cites about a brand comes from somewhere other than the brand's own website — reviews, directories, forums, videos, other people talking about you. (Omniscient Digital via Elev8)

So your beautiful website? Important. But it's one voice in the room. AI is listening to the whole room.

In plain words, AI is looking for three things:

  1. Clarity — Can it tell exactly what you do, who you serve, and where?

  2. Consistency — Does your info match everywhere it shows up?

  3. Credibility — Are real people (and trusted sites) vouching for you?

Miss one, and you quietly drop out of the conversation.

3 things you can do this week

I'm not going to leave you empty-handed. Start here:

  1. Ask AI about yourself. Open ChatGPT and type what your customer would type: "Who's the best [what you do] in [your city]?" Do it a few times — AI rarely gives the same list twice. Write down who shows up. Is it you?

  2. Match your name, address, and phone everywhere. Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, your website. Same spelling. Same hours. Same everything. Mixed signals make AI unsure — and unsure AI doesn't recommend you.

  3. Ask for reviews like you mean it. In one 2026 study, the dentists AI mentioned had about 2.5x more reviews than the ones it skipped — volume mattered more than a perfect star rating. (Uberall via Driven Metrics) Text your last five happy customers today.

These are your first steps. They're real. They work. But they're the front porch — not the whole house.

What most business owners miss

Here's where it gets tricky — and where I see good, faithful business owners stay stuck.

  • They don't know which sources AI actually trusts for their industry. It's different for a bakery than a bookkeeper.

  • They can't see what AI is saying about them right now. Including the wrong hours, the old address, or the competitor it suggests instead.

  • Their website speaks "human" but not "AI." There are specific ways to structure your content so AI can read it, quote it, and recommend it.

  • They're doing a little of everything and none of it in order. So they spend hours and never move the needle.

You don't need more hustle. You need a clear picture of where you stand and the next right step. That's exactly what I built for you.

Get your AI Visibility Check-Up

The AI Visibility Check-Up is a step-by-step guide that shows you how AI sees your business right now — and exactly what to fix first. No tech degree. No guessing. No wasted weekends.

Inside, you'll:

  • Find out if AI is recommending you (or your competitor)

  • Spot the gaps quietly keeping you invisible

  • Get a clear, prioritized fix list you can knock out in small pockets of time

It's $47 — less than one lost customer.

👉 Get the AI Visibility Check-Up here

Want someone to walk through your results with you? Once you've done the Check-Up, you can book a 1-hour Bridge Session and we'll build your plan together.

You were called to build this business. Let's make sure people can find it.

Love you guys. Now go build the bridge.

Sources