When Someone Asks ChatGPT Who to Hire, Does Your Name Come Up?

People don't just Google things anymore. They ask ChatGPT, or they read the AI answer Google now puts at the top of the page before any links. “Best nail tech in Dublin 22.” “Reliable plumber near me.” “Who does websites for small businesses in Ireland.”

The AI gives them three or four names. That's the shortlist. If you're not on it, most people won't scroll down to find you.

The good news is there's nothing magic going on. AI tools pull from what's already out there about your business. If that info is clear, consistent and in lots of places, you're far more likely to get mentioned. Here's where to start.

Your Google Business Profile is doing a lot of the heavy lifting

When someone asks for something “near me”, AI tools lean heavily on local info, and a lot of that comes from Google. If your Business Profile has the wrong category, a two-line description and no photos, you're giving the AI almost nothing to work with.

Fill in everything: the right primary category, your services, your service areas, your hours, a proper description that says what you do and where. It's boring, but it's the base everything else sits on. (We wrote a whole guide on this if you want the full rundown.)

Your website doesn't actually say what you do

This one's sneaky. Plenty of websites look great but never clearly say “we're a plumber in Lucan who does boiler repairs and bathroom fits.” They say things like “Quality you can trust” and leave you to figure out the rest.

You might get away with that with humans. AI tools take your words literally. Spell it out:

• what you do, in plain words
• who it's for
• where you are and which areas you cover
• what it costs, or at least a starting price

If a stranger can't tell what you do within five seconds of landing on your homepage, the AI probably can't either.

You're not answering the questions people actually ask

People ask AI tools full questions: “How much does a lash lift cost in Dublin?” “Do I need planning permission for a garden room?” If your website has clear, honest answers to the questions your customers ask, you're giving the AI something it can quote.

An FAQ section helps. So does a short guide or two (like this one 👀). Write the answers the way you'd say them to a customer in front of you.

Nobody else is talking about you

AI tools trust a business more when lots of other places mention it, not just your own website. That means:

• Google reviews, and plenty of them (that guide is here)
• directory listings like Golden Pages, or industry sites for your trade
• your socials, with the same name, address and phone number as everywhere else
• local blogs, news mentions, or a shout-out from another business you work with

Consistency matters more than you'd think. If your phone number is different on Facebook and Google, or you're “JRS” in one place and “J.R.S. Ltd” in another, that just makes it harder for the AI to be confident it's the same business.

Check what the AI says about you right now

Quick test. Open ChatGPT, or search on Google and look at the AI answer at the top, and ask what your customers would ask: “best [what you do] in [your area]”. Then ask it straight out: “What do you know about [your business name]?”

You might be pleasantly surprised. You might find it thinks you closed in 2022. Either way, now you know where you stand, and it's worth checking again every couple of months.

The short version

AI tools aren't picking businesses at random. They pick the ones they can find clear, consistent information about, in more than one place.

Fill in your Google profile properly. Make your website say what you do. Answer real questions. Get mentioned in other places. Then check what the AI says about you.

None of it is complicated. Most businesses just haven't got round to it yet, so the ones who do stand out.