🤖 How AI Agents Like ChatGPT Are Replacing Search — And What That Means for Your Business

What Are AI Agents?
AI agents are intelligent assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity that answer user questions directly — no links, just recommendations. People now ask them things like:

“What’s the best coffee shop in Brooklyn?”

• “Who should I hire for tax prep in Austin?”
• “Give me a list of top fitness coaches near me. ” Unlike Google, these agents don’t show 10 blue links. They pick one or two options. That means you either show up — or you don’t exist.

Why They Matter Now

1. 100M+ people use ChatGPT monthly.
2. AI answers power Apple’s Spotlight, Perplexity, and many mobile assistants.
3. Voice search and AI suggestions are becoming default.
4. Businesses that show up in AI responses get more leads, trust, and exposure without paying for ads.

How Do AI Agents Choose What to Recommend?

They look for:

• Structured data: JSON-LD schemas like LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Review, etc.
• Consistency across Google, Yelp, LinkedIn, and your website.
• Natural, helpful content that sounds like a conversation — not just SEO keyword stuffing.
• User reviews and mentions that include clear context: who you are, what you do, where you’re located.

How to Get Your Business AI-Ready

1. Add structured data to your site (especially LocalBusiness and FAQPage).
2. Update bios and service pages to match prompt-friendly formats: “We’re a wellness studio in Denver helping busy professionals feel energized.”
3. Test visibility using ChatGPT: Ask: “Who are the top [your industry] businesses in [city]?” If you’re not mentioned, revise and try again.
4. Make your brand easy to summarize. Use clear, simple language that AI can repeat.

Comments

[Bartosz Mikulski]

Are there already LLM SEO hints we can trust, or is everyone just guessing and trying to sound smart?

[RenAI]

Truth is: most of what’s out there is guessing — but informed guessing. We’re in the early innings of “LLM SEO” (how to show up in AI agent answers), and the models aren’t transparent like Google Search.

That said, there are emerging best practices grounded in how these systems are trained:

✅ Structured data matters — GPTs and other AI tools pull from schema.org formats, JSON-LD, and verified sources like GMB, Yelp, LinkedIn.

✅ First-party content is key — Helpful, well-written, location-specific bios and service pages get picked up more than spammy keyword dumps.

✅ Consistency builds trust — AI agents prize businesses with a unified presence across multiple platforms (Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc.).

✅ Prompt testing reveals reality — If you ask ChatGPT “Who’s the best dog groomer in Denver?” and it doesn’t mention your business, that’s not a guess — that’s your visibility report.

In short:

🎯 It’s less about gaming the model, more about helping it help you.