How to get my business on ChatGPT, is the real question. A customer asks ChatGPT, “Who’s a good electrician in Swindon?” It names three businesses. None of them is you. Rude, frankly.

The short answer: you can’t pay for a spot or submit your business to ChatGPT. What you can do is make sure ChatGPT is allowed to read your website, and that clear, consistent information about your business exists across the web. Nobody can guarantee you’ll be mentioned. But these steps give you a far better chance.

How does ChatGPT decide which businesses to mention?

ChatGPT answers in two main ways. Sometimes it answers from what it learned during training. Sometimes it searches the web live and cites sources.

For recommendations like “best plumber near me”, it often searches. OpenAI says ChatGPT search uses third-party search providers alongside its own web crawler.

So it’s drawing on what’s publicly available about businesses like yours: websites, listings, reviews and mentions. The clearer and more consistent that information is, the easier you are to recommend.

That’s the key to how to get your business on ChatGPT. You work on what ChatGPT can find, not on ChatGPT itself.

Can I just tell ChatGPT about my business?

Not in a way that helps other people find you. If you tell ChatGPT about your business in a chat, that only affects your own conversations. It doesn’t add you to the answers other people see.

There’s no “add my business” form either. ChatGPT finds businesses the same way a very fast researcher would: by reading what’s out there.

So the work happens on your website and across the web, not in the chat box.

Will my business show up every time someone asks?

No, and anyone who promises that is guessing. ChatGPT’s answers vary from person to person and from one conversation to the next.

The wording of the question, the person’s location and what ChatGPT finds at that moment all play a part. OpenAI says placement in ChatGPT search isn’t guaranteed.

The realistic goal is to show up more often, for the questions that matter to your business.

Why is my business not in ChatGPT?

Usually for one of these reasons:

• ChatGPT’s crawler is blocked from reading your website
• your website doesn’t clearly say what you do, where and for whom
• there’s very little about your business elsewhere online
• your business details don’t match across different sites
• competitors have more reviews, mentions and useful content

The steps below tackle each one.

How to get my business on ChatGPT: 7 steps

Here’s how to get your business on ChatGPT, or at least give it a much better chance. Work through these in order. The first one matters most.

Step 1: Make sure ChatGPT can read your website

This is the first thing to check, because nothing else matters if the door is locked.

OpenAI uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find websites for ChatGPT search. Another, ChatGPT-User, visits pages when someone asks ChatGPT to look at them. OpenAI’s crawler page explains both.

Your website’s robots.txt file (a small file that tells crawlers where they can go) should allow OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI says changes can take about 24 hours to kick in.

Some hosting and security tools can also block AI crawlers without you knowing. It’s worth asking your web person to check.

Good to know: OpenAI has a separate crawler, GPTBot, for training its AI models. OpenAI says you can block that one and still appear in ChatGPT search.

Step 2: Make your website crystal clear

ChatGPT needs to understand what you do before it can recommend you. Your website should say, plainly:

• what you do
• where you work
• who you help
• what makes you different

“Bespoke solutions for discerning clients” tells ChatGPT nothing. “Family-run electricians in Swindon, specialising in EV chargers and rewires” tells it plenty.

Give each main service its own page, and answer common customer questions in plain English. A clear website is one of the simplest ways to get your business on ChatGPT’s radar.

Step 3: Get listed where AI tools look

AI tools often lean on business listings to check who’s who. Make sure you’re listed, and that your details are complete and up to date, on:

• Google Business Profile
• Bing Places
• Apple Business Connect
• trusted directories and trade bodies in your industry

Our local SEO guide covers this in more detail.

Step 4: Keep your details consistent everywhere

Your business name, address, phone number, services and opening hours should match on every site.

If your website says “plumbing”, your Facebook says “heating engineer” and a directory has an old phone number, AI tools have to guess. They tend to recommend businesses they’re confident about. Consistent details make it easier to get your business on ChatGPT and other AI tools.

Step 5: Earn reviews and mentions

Being mentioned by other people helps AI tools trust that you’re real, active and good at what you do.

• Ask happy customers for honest reviews.
• Get listed by local and industry organisations you belong to.
• Share useful expertise in local news, trade press or partner websites.

Never buy fake reviews or mentions. It breaks the rules of most platforms, and it’s the kind of shortcut that comes back to bite. Genuine reviews are a slower but far safer way to get your business on ChatGPT.

Step 6: Answer the questions your customers ask

People ask ChatGPT full questions, like “Who can fix a leaking combi boiler in Leeds this week?”

Content that answers real questions clearly gives AI tools something useful to draw on. Use questions as headings, and put a short, direct answer straight underneath.

Not sure what that looks like? This post is laid out exactly that way. Sneaky, eh?

Step 7: Check whether your business is on ChatGPT

Once a month, ask ChatGPT a handful of questions your customers would ask. For example: “Who are the best [your service] businesses in [your town]?”

Note who’s mentioned, whether you are, and whether what it says about you is right.

You can also spot some ChatGPT visits in Google Analytics. OpenAI adds “utm_source=chatgpt.com” to links from ChatGPT search, so those visits show “chatgpt.com” as the source.

How to rank on ChatGPT: is there a shortcut?

No. There’s no ChatGPT ranking you can buy, and no secret file or trick that guarantees a mention.

The businesses that get mentioned tend to be the ones with clear websites, consistent details, good reviews and a solid reputation online. In other words, the basics done well. That’s the honest answer to how to get my business on ChatGPT.

For more on the different names for this work, see AIO vs GEO vs AEO. For the bigger picture, read What Is AI SEO?

FAQs

Can I pay to get my business on ChatGPT?

No. You can’t pay for a place in ChatGPT’s answers. OpenAI says placement isn’t guaranteed.

Can I submit my business to ChatGPT?

There’s no submission form. ChatGPT finds businesses through its crawler, search providers and what’s published online.

How do I check if ChatGPT mentions my business?

Ask it the questions your customers would ask, and note the answers each month. Check Google Analytics for visits from “chatgpt.com” too.

Does blocking GPTBot stop me appearing in ChatGPT?

No, according to OpenAI. GPTBot is for training. OAI-SearchBot is the one that matters for ChatGPT search.

How long does it take to get my business on ChatGPT?

There’s no set timeline. Unblocking OAI-SearchBot can take effect within about a day, but building a clear, trusted presence online takes longer.

Does SEO help with ChatGPT?

Yes. A clear, well-built website with a good reputation helps with both Google and AI tools.

Want to know how ChatGPT sees your business?

Our free homepage audit checks whether AI tools can read your site, and how clearly it explains what you do. You’ll get plain-English fixes, back within 1–2 working days.

Get my free homepage audit · or see our AI search optimisation service