A new kind of search is happening. Instead of typing “dentist near me” into Google, patients are asking: “ChatGPT, which dental practice near me has the best reviews?” or “Hey Siri, what’s a good chiropractor in [city]?” These AI-powered searches are growing fast — and the businesses that show up in those answers are the ones getting an entirely new stream of patients. Here’s how to be one of them.

AI Assistants Pull from the Web, Reviews, and Structured Data

When ChatGPT or Google’s AI recommends a local business, it’s drawing on information available on the web: your Google Business Profile, your reviews, your website content, and structured data markup on your site. Businesses with more presence in those places are more likely to be recommended. It’s not magic — it’s information availability.

Your Reviews Are Your AI Reputation

AI tools that recommend local businesses heavily weight reviews — both quantity and sentiment. A business with 150 detailed five-star reviews mentioning specific treatments, staff names, and outcomes gives AI much more to work with than one with 20 generic reviews. The richness of your review content affects how confidently AI will recommend you.

Your Website Content Needs to Answer Patient Questions

AI search engines are designed to answer questions. If your website has content that directly addresses the questions patients ask — “what does a dental implant procedure involve,” “how many sessions of chiropractic care are typical for back pain” — AI engines are more likely to reference your site when answering those questions for other patients.

Structured Data Markup Makes You Machine-Readable

Schema markup is code added to your website that tells search engines and AI systems what your business is, what it offers, where it’s located, and what patients say about it. Businesses with proper schema markup are significantly more likely to be surfaced in AI-generated recommendations than those without it.

This Is Not Complicated — It’s Just Newer

The businesses being recommended by AI today didn’t do anything exotic. They built a strong online presence, generated quality reviews, and have websites with helpful, specific content. AI is just a new channel reading the same signals. The work is the same — the reach is wider.

If you want to build the kind of online presence that gets your business recommended across both traditional and AI-powered search, start with a free audit.