A growing number of people now ask AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity for recommendations. "Which agencies in Delhi help healthcare brands?" "Who are reliable packaging manufacturers in Noida?" The answer they get may shape their shortlist before they ever visit a website.
So it is worth asking: what do these assistants base their answers on, and how can your brand be included?
How AI assistants form answers
Different assistants work in different ways, and they change often. But in general, their answers draw on two things:
- What they learned during training, from large amounts of public text on the internet.
- What they find when they search the web in real time, which many assistants now do for questions about current businesses and services.
In both cases, they lean on sources that are clear, consistent and widely referenced. If many trustworthy places describe your business in the same way, assistants are more likely to describe it that way too.
The kinds of sources that tend to matter
Your own website. Clear pages that state who you are, what you do, where you work and who you work with. Pages that answer common questions directly are especially useful.
Business listings and directories. Google Business Profile, industry directories and platforms such as Clutch or Justdial, depending on your sector.
Media coverage. Articles, interviews and features in respected publications.
Reviews. Patterns in what customers say about you across platforms.
Industry content. Being quoted, listed or mentioned in guides, reports and roundups about your field.
Public profiles. LinkedIn pages for your company and leaders.
How to become a source
- Make your website easy to understand. Use plain language. State clearly what you do, for whom and where. Avoid hiding key facts behind vague slogans.
- Answer real questions. Add FAQs and articles that answer the questions your buyers ask. Assistants often draw on content that directly answers a question.
- Be consistent everywhere. Use the same business name, description, address and services across your website, listings and profiles.
- Earn mentions on other sites. Media features, directory listings and industry articles all add to the picture.
- Use structured data. Technical markup on your website helps search engines, and the assistants that use them, understand your business.
- Keep information current. Outdated details can lead to outdated answers.
Check what assistants say about you
Try asking a few assistants about your category and location, and about your brand by name. Note whether you appear, how you are described and which sources are cited. Repeat every few months.
A worked example
Imagine a wellness centre in Gurugram that offers physiotherapy, nutrition advice and yoga. Its website describes it as "a holistic space for mind and body", its Google profile lists it as a yoga studio, and a directory lists an old address.
When someone asks an AI assistant for physiotherapy clinics in Gurugram, the centre does not appear, because nothing clearly says it offers physiotherapy at its current location.
After updating the website with a clear physiotherapy page, fixing the address everywhere, adding FAQs about common injuries and getting listed in a respected health directory, the centre has a much better chance of being found and described accurately. (Example for illustration.)
Questions to answer clearly on your website
- What exactly do you do, in plain words?
- Who do you do it for?
- Where are you located, and which areas do you serve?
- What makes you different, with proof?
- How much does it cost, or what affects the price?
- How do people get started?
These are the questions buyers ask assistants. If your website answers them clearly, assistants have something reliable to draw on.
Common mistakes
- Relying on clever slogans instead of clear descriptions.
- Leaving outdated details on old listings.
- Having no presence outside your own website.
- Expecting immediate changes; assistants update on their own schedules.
The takeaway
AI assistants are becoming another place where buyers form first impressions. You cannot control their answers, but you can make sure the information they find about you is clear, consistent and credible. Our SEO and AI search page explains how we help brands show up.
Want AI assistants to mention you? See our SEO and AI search (AEO) and PR services.
