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Here's what's happening right now while you read this.
Someone in your city just asked ChatGPT: "best chiropractor near me who takes new patients."
ChatGPT gave them three names. Yours wasn't one of them.
Not because you're not good. Not because your Google reviews aren't stellar. But because AI tools need more than a great Google Business Profile to recommend you.
Way more.
Your Google Business Profile is essential. Let's be clear about that.
It shows your hours, location, phone number, and reviews. Google Maps uses it. Google Search uses it. When someone searches "dentist near me" on Google, you show up.
That's valuable. But here's the problem.
73% of customers now start their search using AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Meta AI. These tools don't work like Google Search.
They're not showing a list of 10 blue links. They're having a conversation. They're making specific recommendations. They're saying "go here" or "try this business."
And your Google Business Profile alone doesn't give them enough to work with.
AI recommendation engines read the internet differently than Google Search does.
Google Search looks at your business listing and ranks you based on proximity, reviews, and some SEO factors. It's a directory system.
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Meta AI are trying to understand what makes you worth recommending. They need context. They need expertise. They need proof you're the real deal.
Your Google Business Profile gives them your address and star rating. That's not context.
Think about it this way. If a friend asked you to recommend a realtor, would you just say "Jane Smith, five stars, 123 Main Street"?
No. You'd explain why. "Jane helped my brother sell his house in three days. She knows the school districts. She responds to texts within minutes."
AI tools need that same type of information. And they get it from three places.
ChatGPT can't recommend what it can't read.
When someone asks an AI tool about local services, it scans the internet for relevant, helpful information. It's looking for expertise. For answers. For content that shows you know your stuff.
A blog on your website is where that happens.
Not a service page that lists what you do. Not an about page that talks about your mission. A real blog with helpful articles that answer actual customer questions.
When a physical therapist writes about "how to tell if shoulder pain needs professional treatment," AI tools read that. They see expertise. They understand what problems this business solves.
When that same AI tool gets asked "I have shoulder pain that won't go away, should I see someone?" it remembers that article. It can now recommend that specific physical therapist with confidence.
Your Google Business Profile can't do that. It doesn't have room for detailed, helpful content. It's a listing, not a demonstration of expertise.
AI tools check credibility by looking at who else is talking about you.
When local news sites mention your insurance agency, AI notices. When industry websites link to your content, AI sees that. When local directories and chambers of commerce list you, that matters.
It's social proof at scale.
Your Google Business Profile exists in isolation. It's you talking about yourself. AI tools want to see others talking about you too.
This doesn't mean you need to be famous. It means you need legitimate mentions from real sources. A quote in a local news article about small business trends. A mention in a neighborhood blog. A listing in your professional association's directory.
Each mention tells AI: "Other people think this business matters."
Here's where your Google Business Profile does matter. But not the way you think.
Having 50 five-star reviews from 2019 doesn't help you in 2025. AI tools check timestamps. They want to know you're still delivering great service right now.
Three reviews from this month matter more than thirty reviews from three years ago.
AI tools are looking at review velocity and recency. Are customers currently happy? Is this business consistently good? Or did they peak years ago and coast?
Your Google Business Profile holds these reviews. But if they're all old, AI tools lose confidence in recommending you.
Let's use a real example.
Two chiropractors in the same city. Both have excellent Google Business Profiles. Both have 4.8-star ratings. Both have complete business information.
Chiropractor A stops there. Great profile, nothing else.
Chiropractor B has that same great profile, plus a blog with 20 helpful articles about back pain, posture, and injury recovery. Plus mentions in two local health and wellness articles. Plus fresh reviews from the past month.
When someone asks ChatGPT "best chiropractor in [city] for lower back pain," which one gets recommended?
Chiropractor B. Every single time.
Not because their Google profile is better. Because AI has more information to work with. More proof. More context. More confidence.
The insurance agent who writes one blog post per week answering common questions about coverage gaps, claims processes, and policy comparisons. ChatGPT now has 50+ pieces of content showing expertise.
The fitness studio owner who got quoted in a local news piece about post-pandemic wellness trends. That mention shows up when AI tools research local fitness options.
The dentist who asks every happy patient for a quick Google review at checkout. Fresh reviews every week mean AI tools see current, ongoing satisfaction.
None of this replaces their Google Business Profile. It builds on top of it.
You don't need perfect content. You need helpful content.
AI tools are trained to identify genuinely useful information. They're not impressed by fancy writing or marketing speak. They want answers.
What questions do your customers ask before they hire you? Write about those.
What problems do they need solved? Explain how to spot those problems and when professional help makes sense.
What misconceptions do people have about your industry? Clear those up.
This content lives on your blog. Your website. Where AI tools can find it, read it, and connect it to your business.
Your Google Business Profile can't hold this information. It's not designed for it.
Getting mentioned by other websites sounds hard. It's not.
Local news sites need sources for stories. Offer to comment on industry trends.
Neighborhood blogs cover local businesses. Reach out when you're doing something newsworthy.
Professional associations have member directories. Make sure you're listed.
Industry websites link to helpful resources. Create content worth linking to.
Each mention creates another data point for AI tools. Another signal that you're legitimate, established, and worth knowing about.
Your Google Business Profile sits alone. Mentions connect you to the broader web of information AI tools use to make recommendations.
AI tools are obsessed with recency.
They're trying to recommend businesses that are currently excellent. Not businesses that were excellent five years ago.
A review from last week tells AI: "This business is actively serving customers right now, and those customers are happy."
A review from 2020 tells AI: "This business was good back then. Maybe they still are. Maybe not."
You need a system for generating consistent reviews. Not in a spammy way. In a "we're so confident you'll be happy that we make it easy to share feedback" way.
Ask at the end of service. Send a follow-up email. Make the review process simple.
Your Google Business Profile displays these reviews. But you need to actively generate them, month after month.
Every day someone in your area uses an AI tool to find a business like yours.
They ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Meta AI for recommendations. The AI gives them three names.
If you're not one of those three names, you don't exist to that customer.
They don't scroll to page two. There is no page two. AI tools give specific recommendations, and the conversation moves on.
Your competitor who has the blog content, the outside mentions, and the fresh reviews? They got recommended. They got the customer.
You never even knew you were in the running.
That's the real cost. Not lost rankings. Lost customers you didn't know you could have had.
Your Google Business Profile is the foundation. Keep it updated, complete, and accurate.
But if you want AI tools to actually recommend you, start creating blog content this week.
One helpful article that answers a real customer question. That's the start.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Meta AI can't recommend what they can't read. Give them something to read.
Your competitors who figure this out first will become the default recommendations in your area. The businesses AI tools trust and suggest automatically.
Your Google Business Profile gets you in the game. Content, mentions, and fresh reviews make you the player AI tools choose.
AI tools need more context than a basic business listing provides. While your Google Business Profile shows location and reviews, AI tools look for expertise demonstrated through blog content, credibility from outside mentions, and fresh recent reviews to confidently recommend your business.
Create helpful blog content that answers real customer questions and demonstrates your expertise. AI tools scan for genuinely useful information that shows you understand your customers' problems, not marketing language or basic service descriptions.
Recent reviews are significantly more important than old ones. AI tools prioritize recency to ensure they're recommending businesses that are currently excellent—three reviews from this month matter more than thirty reviews from three years ago.
Offer to comment on industry trends for local news sites, reach out to neighborhood blogs, ensure you're listed in professional association directories, and create content worth linking to. These mentions provide credibility signals that AI tools use when making recommendations.
You'll likely be invisible to AI tool users even if you have a great profile. When AI tools recommend businesses, they choose competitors who have supporting content, outside mentions, and fresh reviews—you won't even know you missed out on potential customers.