How to Get Your Business Found on ChatGPT and Other AI Tools in Durban

A shot of ChatGPT on a phone, taken by Solen Feyissa.

To get your business found on ChatGPT and other AI tools, make your website easy for them to understand and quote. Put your most important information at the top, use clear question-style headings with direct answers underneath, and link related pages together so you’re seen as an authority on your topic. Most of the work is good SEO, done with AI in mind.

More and more people are asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude for recommendations instead of searching Google. If someone asks “who’s a good electrician in Westville?”, you want your business to be one of the names that comes back. Here’s how that works, and what you can do about it.

More people are asking ChatGPT instead of Google

AI tools are becoming another place people look for businesses, especially for questions that need a bit of explaining. Google is still where most searches happen in South Africa, but AI answers are taking a growing slice, and Google’s own AI Overviews and AI Mode now sit right inside its results.

So how does ChatGPT decide who to mention?

When you ask an AI tool about a local business, it usually runs a live web search first, reads what it finds, and pulls together an answer. OpenAI says ChatGPT search partners with other search providers, Claude has been reported to use Brave Search, and Google’s AI features use Google Search.

AI tools also cross-check what they find. If several trustworthy sources say the same thing about your business, it’s easier to trust and recommend you. If your details are inconsistent or hard to find, you’re easier to leave out.

See what ChatGPT says about your business right now

Before changing anything, test it. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude the kinds of questions your customers would ask, like “Who can fix a burst geyser in Durban North?”. Note which businesses come up, which websites are cited, and whether your details are correct.

Why your competitor shows up and you don’t

Usually because their website gives a clearer answer, or because more websites mention them. The reasons are much the same as on Google, which I cover in why is my competitor showing above me on Google.

Can AI tools actually read your website?

Yes they can, but check that you’re not blocking them. OpenAI uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find content for ChatGPT search, and it needs to be allowed in your website’s robots.txt file. Your important pages also need to be indexed by search engines, including Bing.

Your website needs to say exactly what you do, and where

Being specific is far better than being vague, because AI tools literally pull content from your page to answer questions. “We offer quality solutions” gives them nothing to work with. “Residential pest control in Durban North and Umhlanga, usually within 24 hours” does.

Answer the questions your customers already ask you

This is how AI tools pull information: a heading that works like a question, and a direct answer right under it. The heading doesn’t have to be phrased as a question, but it should make clear what’s being answered.

• Put your most important content at the top of each page.
• Start each section with a one- or two-sentence answer, then expand.
• Use lists and tables where they make information easier to scan.
• Add an FAQ section built from the questions customers actually ask you.

Google’s guidance on AI features says the usual SEO best practices still apply, with no special tricks needed. Clear, helpful structure is what makes the difference.

Link related pages together

Interlink your content so related pages point to each other. If you have a main page on a topic and several supporting articles that link to it and to each other, search engines and AI tools can see that you cover the topic in depth. SEOs often call this building topical authority, and it’s exactly what this series of articles does: each one links to the others.

What about your Google Business Profile?

It matters here too. Alongside websites, AI tools pull from Google Business Profiles, directories and review sites. A complete, consistent profile helps. More in how to show up in “near me” searches.

Reviews and mentions on other websites count too

AI tools look for confirmation from other sources. Reviews, local directories, industry associations and local news mentions all add up. Google says it judges quality partly on whether other prominent websites link or refer to the content, and AI tools work on a similar idea.

Is this just SEO with a new name?

Mostly, yes. Clear content, a healthy website, consistent details and genuine references are the foundations of both. The new part is structuring content so it’s easy to quote, and checking AI answers as well as Google. More in how to get found on Google.

Nobody can guarantee you a spot in ChatGPT

There’s no form to submit and no way to pay for organic AI recommendations. Be wary of anyone selling “guaranteed AI rankings”. What you can do is make your business easy to find and easy to trust.

How long before you start showing up?

It depends on how strong your website and search visibility already are. Because AI tools lean on search results, the timeline is similar to SEO. More in how long SEO takes to work. Watch your analytics too. Google Analytics now groups visits from AI tools like ChatGPT into their own “AI Assistant” channel.

Where to start if you only have an hour this week

1. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude three questions your customers would ask, and note who comes up.
2. Rewrite your homepage’s first paragraph so it says exactly what you do and where.
3. Add a short FAQ to your main service page, with direct answers.
4. Check your name, address and phone number match on your website and Google profile.

Questions Durban business owners ask about AI search

Want to be the business AI recommends?

Your first chat with me is free. I’ll check what AI tools say about your business today and what I’d change first. You can also see how my SEO services work, or read how to get your business found online.