How Do ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini Choose Which Businesses to Recommend?

More people are using artificial intelligence to find businesses, compare services, and decide who to contact.
A potential customer may ask:

• “Who is the best emergency plumber in Los Angeles?”
• “Which digital marketing agencies work with small businesses?”
• “Where can I find a highly rated med spa near me?”
• “What Los Angeles law firms handle workplace injuries?”

Instead of reviewing a long page of search results, the customer may receive a direct response with a small number of recommended businesses.

This creates a valuable opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses. It also raises an important question: How do ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini decide which businesses to include?

None of these platforms publishes a complete formula for local business recommendations. However, their public documentation and visible results point to several recurring factors, including relevance, location, website quality, reviews, business information, and credible mentions across the web.

Understanding these factors can help your Los Angeles business become easier for AI platforms to find, evaluate, and recommend.

How Are AI Recommendations Different From Traditional Search Results?

Traditional search engines usually provide a ranked list of webpages. AI tools can take a broader approach.

When someone asks a detailed question, the AI platform may examine several parts of the request, search for related information, compare multiple sources, and prepare a summarized answer.

For example, consider this prompt:

“Find an emergency plumber in Woodland Hills with strong reviews and 24-hour availability.”

The platform may need to determine:

• Which businesses offer emergency plumbing
• Which businesses serve Woodland Hills
• Whether they are available 24 hours
• What customers say about their service
• Whether their contact information and hours are current

Google says its AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a process called “query fan-out.” This means the system can run multiple related searches across different subtopics and sources before preparing a response.

As a result, your business may need to demonstrate relevance for several parts of the customer’s request rather than one exact keyword.

How Does ChatGPT Find Businesses to Recommend?

ChatGPT can answer some questions using information learned during model development. When a question requires timely or local information, ChatGPT can also search the web.

OpenAI explains that ChatGPT Search may use third-party search providers and content supplied directly by partners to find relevant information. It can then cite the online sources used to support its response.

For a local business recommendation, those sources may include:

• Your website
• Business directories
• Local publications
• Industry websites
• Review platforms
• News articles
• Professional association profiles
• Maps and location data

ChatGPT may also consider the context of the conversation. A customer could begin with a broad question and then add more specific requirements.

For example:

“Recommend a digital marketing agency in Los Angeles.”

The customer might follow up with:

“Only include agencies that specialize in local businesses and SEO.”

That additional detail can change the recommendations.

This means your website should clearly explain your services, ideal customers, specialties, and service area. A broad statement such as “We provide complete marketing solutions” gives the platform less useful information than a specific statement such as:

“We provide SEO, paid advertising, website content, and AI search optimization for small and medium-sized businesses in Los Angeles.”

How Does Google AI Overviews Choose Sources?

Google AI Overviews appear within Google Search and provide generated summaries for certain searches. These summaries often include links to supporting webpages.

Google states that the same basic SEO practices used for traditional search also apply to its AI search features. Pages generally need to be crawlable, indexed, and eligible to appear with a standard Google Search snippet.

Google may then identify useful supporting pages by searching across related questions and topics.

For your website, this makes several traditional SEO fundamentals especially important:

• Clear page topics
• Accurate titles and headings
• Useful service descriptions
• Strong internal linking
• Mobile usability
• Crawlable page content
• Accurate structured data
• Original, helpful information

Google uses structured data to better understand the people, organizations, products, and other subjects described on a webpage. However, the structured data must accurately match the content customers can see on the page.

You do not need a special type of “AI Overview schema” to appear. Google’s current guidance focuses on creating helpful content, maintaining technical accessibility, and following established search practices.

How Does Gemini Recommend Local Businesses?

Gemini is Google’s conversational AI assistant, but Gemini technology also appears within products such as Google Search and Google Maps.

The exact sources used can vary depending on where and how the customer asks the question.

For location-based recommendations, Google can combine conversational AI with detailed information about places, reviews, maps, routes, and current business details. Google has also introduced Maps experiences that use Gemini to answer complex questions and provide personalized recommendations.

Google Maps can use reviews and other online information to summarize practical details about a business or destination.

A local recommendation from AI may depend on factors such as:

• The customer’s current location
• Distance from the business
• Business hours
• Services or products offered
• Customer ratings and reviews
• Attributes listed on the business profile
• The wording of the request
• The type of place the customer wants

Two people may therefore receive different recommendations for the same general question.

Someone in Oxnard searching for “a nearby tailor” may receive different results than someone asking the same question from Pasadena. A request for “a tailor specializing in wedding dresses” may produce another set of businesses.

What Signals Do These AI Platforms Have in Common?

ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini use different systems, but they all benefit from clear, accessible, and well-supported business information.

Clear Relevance to the Customer’s Question

AI platforms need to determine whether your business actually provides the requested service.

Your website should clearly state:

• What you offer
• Who you serve
• Where you provide service
• What types of problems you solve
• What makes your service appropriate for a specific customer

Consider creating a dedicated page for each important service rather than placing every offering on one general page.

A plumbing company, for example, may benefit from separate pages for:

• Emergency plumbing
• Drain cleaning
• Water heater repair
• Sewer line service
• Leak detection

These focused pages give search and AI systems more detailed information to match with specific questions.

Accurate Geographic Information

Location plays a major role in local recommendations.

Your website and business profiles should clearly identify your physical location or service area. Los Angeles businesses may also need to explain which surrounding communities they serve.

Depending on the business, this could include areas such as:

• Woodland Hills
• Encino
• Van Nuys
• Pasadena
• Glendale
• Santa Monica
• West Los Angeles
• Downtown Los Angeles

Only mention locations you genuinely serve. Creating dozens of nearly identical city pages with little original information can make your site less useful.

A strong location page should include practical details about the customers, services, and needs found in that market.

Consistent Business Information

Your basic business details should remain consistent across your website and other important platforms.

Review the following information:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Website
• Hours
• Service areas
• Business categories
• Appointment links

Conflicting information can make it harder for customers and AI systems to determine which details are correct.

Reviews and Customer Feedback

Reviews provide independent information about what your business does and how customers experience your service.

Helpful reviews often mention:

• The service provided
• The location
• A staff member
• The problem that was solved
• Communication or response time
• The overall customer experience

A detailed review such as “They repaired our leaking water heater in Sherman Oaks and explained the pricing before starting” provides more context than “Great company.”

Review recency also helps customers understand whether the business remains active. Google continues to invest in systems designed to detect fake reviews, suspicious edits, and inaccurate business information, so businesses should focus on earning genuine feedback from real customers.

Credible Third-Party Mentions

Your website explains what you say about your business. Independent sources can help confirm those claims.

Useful third-party mentions may come from:

• Local news organizations
• Industry associations
• Chambers of commerce
• Professional directories
• Community organizations
• Business partners
• Trusted review websites
• Relevant blogs and publications

For example, a personal injury law firm may have profiles on recognized legal directories. A restaurant service company may appear on an industry association website. A local agency may be quoted in an article about Los Angeles small-business marketing.

Focus on legitimate sources connected to your industry or community. Large numbers of low-quality directory links rarely provide the same value as a few accurate and reputable profiles.

How Important Is Your Google Business Profile?

For a local business, your Google Business Profile is one of your most important sources of public information.

It can tell Google and potential customers:

• What category your business belongs to
• Where you are located
• Which areas you serve
• When you are open
• How customers can contact you
• What services you offer
• What customers say about you
• What your business looks like

Keep your profile complete and current. Review your primary category, secondary categories, services, business description, photos, hours, phone number, and website links.

Your profile should also agree with the information on your website. For example, if your profile says you provide 24-hour emergency service but your website only lists weekday hours, customers may not know which statement to trust.

Will Publishing More Blogs Help Your Business Get Recommended?

Useful blog content can help, but publishing more articles should not be your first step if your core business pages are unclear.

Start with the pages closest to a customer’s decision:

1. Homepage
2. Main service pages
3. Location pages
4. About page
5. Contact page
6. Frequently asked questions

Once those pages clearly explain your business, blogs can answer more detailed questions that customers ask during their research.

Strong topics might include:

• “How Much Does Emergency Plumbing Cost in Los Angeles?”
• “How Often Should a Restaurant Pump Its Grease Trap?”
• “What Should You Look for in a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?”
• “How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Website?”

Use blogs to share real expertise, explain processes, and answer practical questions.

Google warns that publishing large amounts of AI-generated content without adding meaningful value may violate its policies against scaled content abuse. AI can assist with research and early drafts, but your team should verify the facts and add original experience, examples, and useful detail.

Why Might an AI Platform Recommend a Competitor Instead?

A competitor’s inclusion does not necessarily mean it is a better business. Its online information may simply be easier to find and verify.

A competitor may have:

• More specific service pages
• A better-maintained Google Business Profile
• Newer or more detailed reviews
• More consistent directory listings
• Clearer geographic information
• Stronger third-party coverage
• Better internal website organization
• More evidence supporting its claims

For example, your website may say that you are a “full-service contractor,” while a competitor has detailed pages for kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, room additions, and commercial renovations in Los Angeles.

The competitor gives the AI platform more specific information to work with.

Do ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini Recommend the Same Businesses?

You should not expect identical answers from every platform.

AI recommendations can vary because each system may use different sources, search methods, location signals, and conversation context. Results can also change based on:

• The exact wording of the prompt
• The user’s location
• Current business hours
• Newly published reviews
• Website updates
• Available source material
• The meaning of subjective terms such as “best” or “affordable”

Test a range of realistic customer questions instead of checking one broad prompt.

A law firm could test:

• “Best workers’ compensation lawyer in Los Angeles”
• “Los Angeles attorney for a denied workers’ comp claim”
• “Work injury law firm near me with free consultations”
• “Lawyer for a construction injury in Southern California”

These prompts reveal whether the platform understands the firm’s individual services and qualifications.

How Can Your Los Angeles Business Improve Its AI Visibility?

Begin with the fundamentals.

1. Clarify Your Services

Create a strong page for each priority service. Explain the customer’s problem, your process, who the service is for, and what happens next.

2. Define Your Service Area

State where you operate and mention the Los Angeles communities you genuinely serve.

3. Update Your Business Profiles

Correct your categories, services, hours, contact details, photos, and links.

4. Earn Detailed Reviews

Ask satisfied customers to leave honest feedback. Do not tell them what to write, but make the review process simple.

5. Add Evidence

Include staff experience, professional credentials, project examples, case studies, original photos, certifications, or relevant results.

6. Build Trusted Mentions

Maintain accurate profiles with respected local, professional, and industry organizations.

7. Improve Technical SEO

Make sure search engines can crawl and index your important pages. Review internal links, mobile performance, duplicate pages, structured data, and page speed.

8. Track Real Customer Prompts

Create a list of 10 to 20 questions your customers might ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Google. Test them regularly and record:

• Whether your business appears
• Which competitors appear
• Which sources are cited
• Which services are understood correctly
• Which information is missing or inaccurate

For most businesses, monthly testing provides a practical starting point.

Contact COLAB to Build a Stronger Online Foundation for AI Search

AI platforms can only recommend your business when they have enough useful information to understand and support the recommendation.

There is no single shortcut or special piece of code that guarantees visibility. The most effective approach is to create clear service pages, maintain accurate local profiles, earn genuine reviews, publish useful information, and establish your business across trusted sources.

For Los Angeles businesses, this work can improve visibility in traditional search while also increasing the chance of appearing when potential customers ask ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and other AI tools for help.

COLAB helps local businesses improve the online information that search engines and AI platforms use to understand their services. Contact our team to request an AI search visibility review and learn where your business currently appears, which competitors are being recommended, and which areas of your online presence may need attention.