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Your Next Customer Won't Google You. They'll Ask About You. Something interesting happens when you watch people research purchases today. They don't type k...
Something interesting happens when you watch people research purchases today. They don't type keywords into Google anymore. They have conversations.
"What's a good dentist near me that takes my insurance?" "I need a plumber who can fix old pipes without tearing up walls." "Where should I get my car serviced that won't try to upsell me?"
These aren't search queries. They're questions. And they're being asked to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and every AI assistant that's becoming the default way people find information.
Your customers are literally talking to AI about your industry. The question is whether AI knows enough about your business to talk back.
When someone Googles "dentist near me," they get a list of options and have to figure out which one is best. When they ask ChatGPT "What should I look for in a good dentist?" they get advice, criteria, and often specific recommendations.
This changes everything about how customers discover businesses.
Google shows you what exists. AI tells you what's worth your time.
The customers who find you through AI conversations are different too. They've already been educated about what to look for. They understand value. They're not just price shopping—they're looking for the right fit.
AI doesn't browse the internet the way humans do. It can't scroll through your beautiful website photos or watch your promotional videos. It reads text, processes information, and makes recommendations based on what it can actually understand.
When AI encounters your business, it's looking for three things: credibility, relevance, and recency.
Credibility comes from being mentioned by sources AI trusts. Local news sites, industry publications, and established directories carry weight. A single mention in your local business journal matters more than a hundred social media posts.
Relevance means having content that directly answers the questions people ask. If customers want to know about your process, your experience with specific problems, or what makes you different, that information needs to exist in text form somewhere AI can find it.
Recency signals that you're actively operating. AI doesn't recommend businesses that might be closed. Fresh reviews, updated content, and recent mentions all indicate you're currently serving customers.
Most business marketing still assumes customers start with Google search results. You optimize for keywords. You compete for ad placement. You focus on being found when people look for you.
But AI recommendations work differently. Instead of competing to be found, you need to position yourself to be recommended.
This means creating content that helps AI understand not just what you do, but how you do it and why customers choose you. Instead of optimizing for search terms, you're optimizing for the conversations customers are already having with AI.
A restaurant might write about their ingredient sourcing because customers ask AI about finding places with fresh, local food. An accountant might explain their process for handling small business taxes because that's what entrepreneurs are asking about.
You're not writing for Google's algorithm. You're writing to help AI answer real customer questions.
Every industry has predictable customer questions that AI fields daily. For service businesses, it's often about process, timeline, and cost structure. For retailers, it's about product differences, quality indicators, and use cases.
The businesses that get recommended are the ones whose information helps AI give better answers.
When someone asks "How do I know if I need a new roof or just repairs?" the roofing company with detailed content about inspection indicators and repair vs. replacement criteria becomes valuable to AI. That company gets mentioned because their information makes AI's answer more helpful.
When someone asks "What should I expect during a home inspection?" the inspector who's written about their process, what they look for, and how they communicate findings becomes the obvious recommendation.
Your expertise already answers customer questions. The task is making sure that expertise is accessible to AI in text format.
This shift is happening whether you participate or not. Customers are already asking AI for recommendations in your industry. The businesses that get mentioned are the ones that understand how AI discovers and evaluates options.
Start by identifying the questions customers ask you most often. Then create content that answers those questions thoroughly. Not marketing content—educational content that actually helps people understand your industry.
Make sure your basic business information is consistent everywhere it appears online. AI cross-references information across sources. Conflicting details about your location, hours, or services create confusion.
Keep your online presence current. Update your Google Business Profile. Respond to recent reviews. Post occasional updates about your work or industry insights.
Most importantly, understand that being recommended by AI is different from being found through search. It requires positioning yourself as a helpful resource, not just a service provider.
Your next customer is already out there, asking AI questions about your industry. Whether they end up contacting you depends on whether AI knows enough about your business to recommend you when the conversation matters.