In step 7 we looked at how people find businesses on Google. There’s now a second way people look for help: they ask an AI assistant. Instead of typing “bookkeeper Newcastle” and scrolling through links, they ask a question in plain language, such as “Who’s a good bookkeeper in Newcastle for a small cafe?”, and get an answer that names a few businesses.
That’s AI search: getting answers and recommendations from AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Perplexity, and the AI Overviews that now appear at the top of many Google searches.
Is anyone actually using it?
Yes, and the numbers are moving quickly. In a 2026 study, research firm Telsyte found that 12% of Australians now use AI as their main way to find information online, up from 5% a year earlier.
It’s also changing how people use Google itself. A 2025 Pew Research study of US users found that when Google showed an AI summary, people clicked a regular search result on 8% of visits, compared with 15% when there was no summary. More people are getting their answer without visiting any website.
How is it different from a Google search?
A traditional search gives you a list of links to choose from. An AI assistant gives you an answer, often naming just two or three businesses. If you’re on that short list, you’re in a strong position. If you’re not, the person may never see you at all.
How does AI decide who to recommend?
Each tool works a little differently, and none of them publish exactly how they choose. But in plain terms, they gather information from across the internet, including business websites, Google Business Profiles, review sites, directories and articles, and they recommend businesses they can describe with confidence. That tends to favour businesses whose information is:
- Clear: it’s obvious what they do, where, and for whom.
- Consistent: the same details appear everywhere.
- Specific: real services, real locations and real answers, not vague slogans.
- Well regarded: reviews and mentions from others back them up.
Notice how much this overlaps with the earlier steps. Good AI search readiness is built on the same foundations as a strong online presence (step 5), a clear website (step 6) and good SEO (step 7).
Five things you can do
- Check what AI says about you. Ask ChatGPT and Gemini the questions your customers would ask, for example “best [your service] in [your area]”. Note whether you’re mentioned, and whether the description is right.
- Say it plainly on your website. State what you do, where, and for whom, in everyday words, and give each service its own page.
- Answer common questions. A simple FAQ page that answers what customers really ask gives AI tools clear, quotable information.
- Keep your details consistent across your website, Google Business Profile, social profiles and directories.
- Build genuine reviews, and reply to them.
A word of caution
AI answers can vary each time you ask, and they can be wrong. Nobody can guarantee that an AI assistant will recommend your business. What you can do is make it as easy as possible for these tools to understand you accurately, which is good for human customers too.
Back to your two questions
If you’d like to show up when customers ask AI for help (question 1), start with the check in point 1. Then ask whether it’s likely to move your answer to question 2. For many local and service businesses, it increasingly will.
Previous step: How people find businesses on Google
Next step: Social media for business: choosing your channel and what to post