What Questions Is AI Asking About Your Business

# What Questions Is AI Asking About Your Business (And Why You're Probably Not Answering Them) Right now, 73% of your potential customers are asking AI tools about businesses like yours. They're typing questions into ChatGPT. They're searching with Google's AI Overview. They're asking Meta AI for recommendations. Here's the problem: AI can't recommend what it can't find. ## The Hidden Customer Conversations You're Missing Your customers aren't just searching anymore. They're having conversations. Real, detailed conversations with AI that sound nothing like the old "dentist near me" searches. Instead, they're asking things like: "What should I expect during my first chiropractic adjustment? I'm nervous about the cracking sounds." "My roof has three missing shingles after the storm. Should I file an insurance claim or pay out of pocket?" "I want to lose 20 pounds before my wedding in six months. What's realistic, and should I hire a trainer?" These aren't keywords. They're real questions from real people who need your help. The businesses answering these questions are getting recommended. The ones that aren't? They don't exist in AI's world. ## Why Traditional SEO Misses the Mark With AI Google search taught us to think in keywords. AI search works completely differently. When someone asks ChatGPT about dental anxiety, it doesn't look for pages stuffed with "dental anxiety" fifty times. It looks for content that actually addresses the fear, explains what happens during procedures, and offers practical solutions. Traditional SEO focuses on search volume and competition scores. AI SEO focuses on answering real questions thoroughly and helpfully. The difference? AI reads like your smartest customer would read. It wants substance, not tricks. ## The Three Questions Every AI Tool Asks About Your Business Before AI recommends your business, it runs through a simple checklist. Think of it as AI's due diligence process. ### Question 1: "Does This Business Create Helpful Content?" AI tools scan your website looking for evidence that you know what you're talking about. Not marketing fluff. Real, helpful information. ChatGPT can't recommend what it can't read. If your website is just service pages and contact forms, you're invisible. This is why the first pillar of AI visibility is having a blog on your site. Not for Google rankings. For AI reading. When you consistently publish content that answers real customer questions, AI notices. It sees you as an authority worth recommending. ### Question 2: "Do Other Credible Sources Mention This Business?" AI doesn't just read your content. It checks if other sources validate what you're saying. When the local newspaper mentions your dental practice in an article about community health, AI pays attention. When another business owner quotes you in their blog post, that carries weight. This is the second pillar: getting mentioned elsewhere. These mentions act like digital references for your business. AI trusts businesses that other credible sources trust. It's that simple. ### Question 3: "Is This Business Currently Active and Relevant?" AI checks timestamps. It looks at when your content was published, when you were last mentioned in the news, and when your most recent reviews were posted. A chiropractor with five-star reviews from 2019 looks stale to AI. The same chiropractor with fresh reviews from last month looks current and active. This is the third pillar: consistent fresh reviews. AI needs proof that you're still helping customers today, not five years ago. ## The Specific Questions AI Asks About Different Industries AI's questions get more specific based on what type of business you run. ### For Healthcare Providers

• "Does this provider explain procedures in terms patients understand?"
• "Do they address common fears and concerns?"
• "Are their credentials and experience clearly stated?"
• "Do recent patients confirm they're still practicing?"

### For Real Estate Agents

• "Does this agent understand the local market?"
• "Can they explain the buying/selling process clearly?"
• "Do they have recent successful transactions?"
• "Are they responsive to current market conditions?"

### For Service Providers

• "Does this business explain their process upfront?"
• "Do they address common customer concerns?"
• "Are their prices or estimates transparent?"
• "Do recent customers confirm quality work?"

### For Fitness and Wellness

• "Does this business understand different fitness levels?"
• "Can they explain their approach to beginners?"
• "Do they address safety concerns?"
• "Are current members seeing results?"

## How AI Evaluates Your Answers AI doesn't just look for any content. It evaluates the quality of your answers using specific criteria. **Comprehensiveness**: Does your answer cover the full scope of the question? If someone asks about dental anxiety, do you just say "we're gentle" or do you explain exactly what happens during a cleaning? **Accuracy**: Can AI verify your information against other credible sources? Medical advice that contradicts established practice won't get recommended. **Recency**: How current is your information? A blog post about "current mortgage rates" from 2022 isn't helpful in 2025. **Local Relevance**: For location-based businesses, does your content address local concerns? A roofer in Florida should discuss hurricane damage, not snow load requirements. ## The Questions You Should Be Answering Right Now Every business should have content addressing these universal customer concerns:

1. Process Questions: "What actually happens when I hire you?"
2. Cost Concerns: "What should I expect to pay, and what affects the price?"
3. Time Expectations: "How long does this take from start to finish?"
4. Comparison Queries: "How do I choose between different options/providers?"
5. Problem Identification: "How do I know if I need this service?"
6. Preparation Requirements: "What do I need to do before we start?"
7. Follow-up Questions: "What happens after the service is complete?"

These aren't blog post titles. They're the foundation questions every piece of content should address. ## The Biggest Mistake Businesses Make With AI Most businesses try to game AI like they gamed Google. They stuff content with keywords AI might be looking for. This completely misses the point. AI doesn't scan for keywords. It reads for understanding. It evaluates whether your content actually helps someone who asked a specific question. The businesses succeeding with AI aren't trying to trick it. They're genuinely helping their customers by answering real questions thoroughly. ## Why Your Google Business Profile Matters More Than Ever AI tools don't just read your website. They pull information from everywhere, including your Google Business Profile. Fresh reviews tell AI you're actively helping customers. Detailed business information helps AI understand exactly what you do. Regular updates show you're current and engaged. Think of your Google Business Profile as your AI resume. It's often the first place AI looks to understand your business. ## The Time-Sensitive Reality of AI Adoption Here's what's happening right now: AI tools are learning which businesses to recommend based on current user interactions. Every time someone asks ChatGPT for a local recommendation and your business isn't mentioned, that's data. AI learns that you're not relevant to that type of question. The businesses getting recommended now are training AI on what good recommendations look like. They're building momentum that gets harder to overcome every day. This isn't about being first to a trend. It's about being present when AI is forming its understanding of local businesses in your industry. ## Start With One Question Today Pick the most common question your customers ask. The one you answer on phone calls every single day. Write a blog post that answers that question completely. Not a sales pitch disguised as information. A genuinely helpful answer that solves their problem. Post it on your website. That's step one of getting AI to notice you exist. The businesses AI recommends aren't the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. They're the ones providing the most helpful answers to real customer questions. Your customers are already asking AI about your industry. The only question is whether you'll be part of the conversation.