Your next customer might never see your website. They'll ask an AI assistant who to call, read a three-sentence answer, and dial the business it named. The good news: which business gets named is not random, and most of your competitors are doing nothing about it.
The checklist
1. State the facts in schema. Structured data is the difference between an AI inferring what you do and knowing it. Business type, service area, phone, hours, pricing range — machine-readable, on every page that matters.
2. Answer questions in full sentences. AI assistants quote sources that sound like answers. “We serve the Kansas City metro and typically deliver in days, not months” is citable. “Solutions tailored to your unique needs” is not — it means nothing, and machines know it.
3. Add an llms.txt file. A plain-text summary of your business — services, pricing, contact — written specifically for AI crawlers. It's the robots.txt of the AI era: cheap to add, disproportionately useful.
4. Make everything agree. AI systems cross-check. Your website, Google Business Profile, and directory listings should state the same name, phone, and service area exactly. Contradictions cost you trust scores you never see.
5. Earn real reviews. When an AI summarizes “what people say” about local businesses, review volume and recency are the raw material. A steady trickle of genuine reviews beats a one-time spike.
6. Publish answers, not brochures. Pages that thoroughly answer one buying question (“how much does X cost,” “how long does Y take”) become the sources AI leans on for that question.
How you'll know it's working
Ask the assistants yourself — monthly, same questions a customer would use. “Best [your service] near [your town].” When your name starts appearing in the answers, you're winning customers you'll never see in your analytics.