A year ago, the question every client asked us was "how do I rank first on Google?". Now we get two: that one, and "how do I appear in ChatGPT?".
It's not just a trend. More and more people — especially in tourist areas like the Costa Blanca — use AI assistants to search for local recommendations before deciding: where to eat, which hotel to book, which dentist to visit. And AI doesn't work like a search engine.
Why ChatGPT recommends your competitors instead of you
Generative AI doesn't consult Google Maps in real time (though some models do integrate web search). What ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity do is build a response based on what they learned during training: websites, articles, directories, reviews, press mentions.
If your business has little online presence — basic website, little structured information, few mentions elsewhere — the AI simply doesn't have enough signals to include you. It's not ignoring you: it just doesn't know you exist with enough certainty.
Your competitors who do appear probably have a clear, well-structured website, are listed in multiple directories, have articles or mentions in local media, or have been building up reviews over time.
How AI decides who to recommend
There are three main signals that AI models value when recommending a local business:
1. Authority of your online information
How many trusted sites mention your business? Recognised directories (Páginas Amarillas, Yelp, TripAdvisor), local media, business associations. Each consistent mention is a signal that you're a real, established business.
2. Clarity and structure of your website
A well-structured website with clear information about what you offer, where you are and who you serve is much easier for an AI to "read" than one with little text or vague information. Schema markup (code that describes your business in machine-readable terms) is especially helpful.
3. Consistency of data across all channels
If your name, address and phone number are the same across every platform where you appear — website, Google Business Profile, directories, social media — AI models have more confidence that the information is correct and will include you. If your Google Business Profile isn't properly optimised yet, that's the first step before working on AI visibility. How to improve your Google Maps position →
What you can do to appear in AI results
None of these actions require advertising spend:
- Improve your website copy. Include natural phrases about what you do and where: "Mediterranean cuisine restaurant in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca", not just "restaurant". AI looks for explicit geographical context.
- Add local business schema markup. It's JSON-LD code in the
<head>of your website that tells machines: name, address, phone, opening hours, business type. A web developer can add it in 30 minutes. - List yourself in authoritative directories. Páginas Amarillas, Yelp, Foursquare, Apple Maps, Bing Places. Each consistent listing adds signal.
- Get mentions in local media. A piece in a local digital newspaper, a tourism blog or the Chamber of Commerce website is worth far more than 10 listings in mediocre directories.
- Add an llms.txt file. It's an emerging standard — similar to robots.txt — where you tell AI models how to read your website's information. Korvel already uses it on its own site.
Try it right now: open ChatGPT or Gemini and type "best [your sector] in [your town]". If you don't appear, there's work to do. If you do appear, check what information the AI gives about you — sometimes it's outdated or incomplete, which is equally a problem.
How long does it take to work?
Generative AIs update their knowledge periodically, not in real time. Changes you make today may take weeks or months to show up in ChatGPT responses. But the work you do now positions you for when the model next updates — and whoever doesn't do it stays out.
The good news: very few local businesses in the Marina Alta are working on this yet. The window to position yourself before the competition is still open.