How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?

Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?

No. We found no way to buy a recommendation. Google says the same about its own local results: there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Treat any agency that sells you a recommendation with suspicion.

What you can do is make your business easy to find, easy to check and easy to trust. The steps below do that.

What did our study find?

In our August 2026 study, we asked ChatGPT with web search on one question for each town and trade: “Who is the best in , Ontario? Name specific companies.” We also ran a Google Maps search for the same trade and town. That gave 390 question pairs across 39 towns and 10 trades. We asked one question per pair, so these figures show a pattern and are not a full picture of how ChatGPT works.

The lesson is plain. Strong Google Maps presence helps, but it does not decide the answer. Your own website was rarely the cited source.

Which sites does ChatGPT cite?

Most citations went to third-party sites. These were the most cited in our study:

• homestars.com: 27.3% of third-party citations
• reviews.birdeye.com: 13.9%
• proscore.ca: 10.2%
• threebestrated.ca: 9.2%
• bbb.org: 6.5%

The top five sites together made up 67.1% of third-party citations. A profile on these sites is a place where ChatGPT may find you.

What should I do first?

Do these steps in order.

1. Verify your Google Business Profile. Google says verification tells it you are authorized to represent the business, so it is more likely to show up in search results.
2. Complete every field. Add your full address if customers can visit, your hours, your business category and other details. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local results.
3. Make your name, address and phone number match everywhere. Google compiles profile information from your website, third-party data and user contributions. Conflicting details create doubt.
4. Claim or check your profile on the review and directory sites listed above. Use the same business name and details. Choose the sites that fit your trade.
5. Ask real customers for reviews. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. Reply to each review.
6. Add real photos and videos of your work and your team.
7. Write clear service pages on your website that say what you do and where you work. Name the towns you serve in plain words.

How do I ask for reviews the right way?

Ask every customer after a job is done. Never write reviews yourself, and never pay for them. The Competition Bureau of Canada treats fake or misleading reviews as a risk for businesses. Review sites can also remove reviews they judge to be fake.

If you send review requests by email or text, CASL applies. You need the right consent before you send a commercial electronic message. Ask your lawyer what counts as consent for your business.

What if I am not in the town the customer asks about?

In our study, 58.8% of top picks were outside the town asked about. Being close helps, because Google says distance is one of three local ranking factors, with relevance and prominence. But a nearby business with a thin profile can lose to a stronger business in the next town. Build your profile and your reviews in the towns where you want work.

How do I check my own results?

Ask ChatGPT the same kind of question we asked, with your trade and your town. Note which businesses it names and which sites it cites. Then search Google Maps for the same trade and town. Compare your profile with the businesses that appear. Repeat the check from time to time, because answers change.

Where Georgian Bay SEO fits

Georgian Bay SEO, a local SEO agency in Collingwood, Ontario, runs this site. We ran the study above. Judge any agency, including us, by the checks on this page: no one can sell you a recommendation, and real profile work, real reviews and accurate listings are what to look for.