Just started: how to make a new business visible in AI

As a new business, you become visible in AI assistants by first getting the basics right: a clear website, a complete Google Business Profile, registration with Google and Bing, your first reviews and a few mentions on other sites. After that, it takes time. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude mainly mention businesses they can find enough reliable information about. As a start-up, you still have to build that information. So start on day one and measure from day one.

Why AI does not know you yet

AI assistants work in two ways. Part of their knowledge comes from training data: text from the web they have read before. A new business is not in there. On top of that, many assistants search the web live, for example through Google or Bing. You can get into those results quickly, provided your website is found and understood.

AI also does not look only at your website. It looks for confirmation elsewhere: reviews, business directories, local media, forums. A start-up hardly has any of that yet. Read more about how ChatGPT chooses which businesses to recommend.

Realistic expectations

Be honest with yourself. A plumber in Zwolle who started last month will not be at the top of ChatGPT next week. That is normal.

What you can expect:

• First you are found for your own name. If someone asks about your business name, AI can soon describe you, as long as your website and profile are in good shape.
• Specific questions come next. For a narrow question, such as "plumber for underfloor heating in south Zwolle", you stand a better chance than for a broad one.
• Broad questions come last. For "best plumber in Zwolle" you are competing with businesses that have years of reviews and mentions.

How long it takes varies by market. Also read how long GEO takes to deliver results.

The first steps, in this order

1. A clear website

Make sure every page tells people straight away who you are, what you do and where. Put your services on separate pages. State your service area, your contact details and your opening hours. A simple site that is clear works better than a beautiful site that stays vague. See 7 website changes to get mentioned by AI more often.

Add an About page too, with your name, your background and why you started. That builds trust, with people and with AI.

2. Your Google Business Profile

Create your profile as soon as you have an address or service area. Fill in everything: category, services, opening hours, photos and a short description. Use exactly the same business name everywhere. See Google Business Profile and AI visibility.

3. Register with Google and Bing

Add your website to Google Search Console and to Bing Webmaster Tools. Submit your sitemap. That way search engines know you exist. Bing matters more than many people think, because some AI assistants search partly through Bing. Read how that works in IndexNow and Bing: found faster.

Check your robots.txt as well. Do not block AI crawlers by accident.

4. Your first reviews

Actively ask your first customers for a review. Do it shortly after the job, with a direct link. A handful of honest reviews with details ("quickly sorted out a leaking tap") says more than stars alone.

5. Your first mentions

List your business in relevant directories and industry lists. Use the same name, address and phone number everywhere. Tell the local paper or a local news site about your opening. A new business is often exactly the kind of story they like to run. See local press and PR for AI.

Choose a clear niche

As a start-up, you will not win on everything at once. Pick a few topics you are genuinely good at and write clear pages about them. An online store selling garden furniture that has just launched is better off excelling at "low-maintenance lounge sets for small balconies" than at "buy garden furniture".

The more specific you are, the easier it is for AI to link you to a question. That way you build a clear entity: AI better understands who you are and what you stand for.

Measure from day one

Many start-ups only begin measuring when they feel something is wrong. By then you do not know where you started. So record a baseline straight away:

• Which questions do your customers ask AI? Make a list of five to ten prompts.
• Are you mentioned for those questions? Probably not yet, and that is fine.
• Which competitors are mentioned? That shows what AI considers important in your market.
• Which sources does AI cite? You want to appear on those too.

Repeat this regularly. That way you see your visibility score grow and you know which steps work. Read how to measure whether AI mentions your business.

Frequently asked questions

Should I wait until my website is finished?
No. A simple, clear website is enough to get started. You can expand it later.

Does it help to write lots of blog posts?
A few good pages that answer real customer questions help more than lots of general articles.

Can I ask AI to add my business?
No. You cannot ask AI assistants to include you. You make sure there is enough good information about you to find.

Know where you stand

Want to know where you are starting from as a new business? Try the free AI check and see whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude already mention you. Want to follow your growth every week, with practical advice? Then take a look at GEO tracking.