A customer just asked ChatGPT who to call for a leaking pipe. Your competitor came up. You didn’t. Here’s why – and what to do about it.
Getting found online used to be simple
Rank well on Google. Get clicks. Get calls.
That still matters, but it’s not the whole picture any more.
ChatGPT now handles around 2.5 billion prompts every day. Research suggests roughly 65% of that looks like traditional search behaviour – and it’s already pulling in around 12% of Google’s search volume for the kinds of queries customers make before they buy.
Businesses that understand this now will have a real head start on those that figure it out later.
“I have a leaking pipe. Who should I call?”
That used to be a Google search. Now millions of people ask that question directly to an AI and get a shortlist back in seconds – with reasons why each business is worth contacting.
The change isn’t just about which tool people use, it’s about how they search. Where customers once typed short keywords, they now ask detailed, specific questions:
- “Best accountant for a small limited company in Manchester”
- “Who are the most reliable electricians near me with good reviews?”
- “Emergency plumber in Leeds – what should I expect to pay?”
These aren’t casual browsers. They’re people close to a decision, getting answers before they’ve even opened Google.
The buying journey looks very different now
A few years ago, a customer’s path to your door was fairly straightforward:
- Search on Google
- Click a website
- Get in touch
Here’s what that journey often looks like today:
- Ask an AI for recommendations
- Read Reddit discussions
- Check Google reviews
- Visit a website
- Search Google again to compare
- Check social media comments
- Decide who to contact
By the time someone lands on your website, they’ve usually already formed a view. They may have seen your reviews, read about your competitors, or had an AI suggest someone else entirely.
The businesses getting the most enquiries right now are the ones showing up early in that process – not just at the end.
What AI is actually looking for
AI tools don’t pull recommendations out of thin air. They look for evidence – and they find it in the same places your customers do.
Recent research analysing 10,000 local businesses found that AI is significantly more likely to recommend businesses with:
- A complete, well-maintained Google Business Profile
- A solid volume of genuine reviews
- Consistent contact details across the web
- Good local search visibility
- A clear, well-structured website
Businesses that appeared in AI recommendations had noticeably more Google reviews than those that didn’t. There was also a strong link between showing up in Google’s Local Pack and being surfaced by AI tools.
“Everything we’ve always done in SEO – building authority, getting reviews, keeping your information consistent, having a well-structured website – that’s exactly what AI is looking for too. Businesses don’t need to throw out what works; they need to double down on it. Good SEO fundamentals are your AEO foundations.” – Luke Archbold-Graham, SEO Expert at Yell
Three things business owners get wrong about AI search
“My customers don’t use ChatGPT.”
They might be using it without realising. AI-powered answers are now built into Google (AI Overviews), Bing, and plenty of other platforms customers use every day. They don’t need to visit ChatGPT for AI to influence what they find.
“This is only for younger, tech-savvy people.”
AI-assisted search is growing fastest among everyday consumers making practical decisions – finding a plumber, booking a service, comparing local businesses. The demographic spread is widening quickly.
“Google is all that matters.”
Google is still essential – but AI is increasingly where customers start. If you’re only thinking about the moment someone hits Google, you’re missing the earlier stage where they build their shortlist and rule people out.
Google isn’t going anywhere – but how it fits is changing
Google still sends far more traffic to websites than ChatGPT. SEO is not dead. Anyone telling you otherwise is wrong.
But the role each plays is shifting. A typical customer journey now looks something like:
- AI search – research and initial shortlisting
- Google – validation, reviews, final comparison
Someone might ask an AI for the best local roofer, get three names, then Google each one to check reviews before picking up the phone. You need to be present at both stages, not just the second one.
Your digital presence is a web of signals
Your visibility isn’t determined by one ranking on one platform. It’s built from multiple signals that, together, tell AI tools and customers whether your business can be trusted.
| Signal | What it tells AI and customers |
| Your website | Who you are, what you do, where you work |
| Google Business Profile | That you’re a real, active, maintained business |
| Reviews | That real customers trust you |
| Directory listings | That your details are consistent and verified |
| Content | What you specialise in and who you help |
The more consistent and complete those signals are, the more likely AI – and customers – are to pick you.
What to actually do about it
You don’t need a separate AI strategy. You need the right foundations, done well.
Keep investing in SEO
Google is still one of the most valuable sources of new leads for most businesses. Strong SEO builds the kind of authority and visibility that AI tools also rely on. The two go hand in hand.
Sort your Google Business Profile
Fill it in fully. Add photos. Keep your opening hours current. Respond to reviews. It’s one of the clearest signals both Google and AI use to decide whether to surface your business – and it’s frequently neglected.
Get more reviews, more regularly
How many you have matters. How recent they are matters. A steady flow of genuine reviews makes you more likely to be recommended, by AI tools and by customers doing their homework.
Make sure your information matches everywhere
Your name, address, phone number and services should be identical across your website, directories and listings. Discrepancies undermine the consistency that AI systems rely on to trust your business.
Be present on trusted directories
AI tools draw on trusted directories (like Yell.com) to verify and recommend local businesses. Being listed and well-optimised puts you in front of AI where it’s already looking. With one of our digital marketing solutions, you get consistent, up-to-date listings across 50+ major platforms like Google, Facebook, Nextdoor, Apple Maps, Alexa, and many more.
Write content that actually answers questions
Specific, helpful content – about what you do, who you help, where you cover – gives both customers and AI a much clearer picture of your business. It also helps you show up for the detailed, natural-language searches people are increasingly making.
The cost of waiting
If your Google Business Profile is patchy, your reviews are thin, and your information is inconsistent across the web, AI tools will recommend your competitors instead. Every week that passes is another week they’re building the signals that get them found.
“We’re moving out of the early days of AI search, and the window to get ahead is closing fast. In twelve months, the businesses showing up in AI recommendations will be the ones who started building those signals now. AI isn’t a future problem – it’s a right-now opportunity, and most businesses haven’t realised it yet.” – Richard Wendon, AI & Technology Specialist at Yell
The businesses getting recommended six months from now are the ones doing the groundwork today.
Want to know how many customers are searching for your business right now?
At Yell, we help established businesses get found where it counts – on Google, in AI search, and across the directories customers actually use.
From managed SEO and Google Business Profile optimisation to AI-powered listings on one of the UK’s most visited business directories, we handle the work so you can focus on running your business.
