Is your business AI-recommendable?

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AI recommendations are the new Google Search.

If you follow Pixel Perfect on Instagram, you probably saw my last video talking about this specific topic.

While it’s still a bit of a moving target, there are a few things you can do right now to help improve the odds that your business earns a coveted recommendation from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others.

How Does It Work?

When someone asks AI for a business recommendation, AI’s job is to take all the information it knows about that specific situation (and the user) and then try to pair them up with a business that meets their unique needs.

Unlike traditional search engines, AI recommendations are hyper personalized. The results are unique to that individual.

This means that if the content on your website is generic, you’re at a disadvantage.

So how can you optimize for AI recommendations? (This is what’s sometimes called Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO.)

There are dozens of strategies and tactics that will help, but the most important thing is that you focus on the big ones first.

Here is what I am currently recommending:

1. Website Content

Edit existing content (or add new pages) that clearly describe what problems you solve, how you’re unique from the competition, and who your customers are. Quality is more important than quantity, and these details matter more than you think.

2. Reputation Management

Manage your online reputation with what I call “Credibility touch points”. These are all the places your business exists outside of your website. You can do this by collecting positive reviews on your Google profile, having a presence on other business directories, being active on social media, etc. It’s critical that all information is consistent, current, and complete.

3. Be Human

Posting real photos, videos, and text content not only tells AI that your business is active, but it also gives you a competitive advantage. Instagram Reels, LinkedIn Posts, and YouTube content is often referenced when AI is creating recommendations. These tools are very smart at connecting the dots. Plus, people like to do business with real people!

Tips #1 and #2 are more foundational while #3 is something that I would recommend you work on continually.

Check Your Analytics

After some time you may start to see your traffic increase, along with referral sources from tools like ChatGPT and others. Keep in mind that not all AI tools pass referral data reliably, so this traffic may be underreported in your analytics. Don’t let that discourage you.

Similar to search engine optimization (SEO), AEO can be a marathon. If you don’t see immediate change, that’s ok. It takes time, so commit to the long haul.

Optimizing for AI recommendations today is a lot like investing in SEO before most businesses knew what it was. Early adopters built an advantage that took competitors years to close. The same opportunity exists right now.

Your competition is probably not up to the challenge. That gap won’t stay open forever.

Have questions about any of this?

Send me a message. I’ll be answering them in future posts and videos.