Not long ago, if someone wanted to find a local web designer or SEO agency, they’d type it into Google and scroll through the results. That’s still happening – but something significant has shifted.

A growing number of people are now asking AI tools for recommendations. Specific questions like:

  • “ChatGPT, which web design agency in Oldham would you recommend?”
  • “Perplexity, find me a reliable SEO company near Manchester”
  • “Hey Siri, who does good website maintenance in Rochdale?”

And here’s the thing – these tools are giving answers. Specific names, specific businesses, specific recommendations. The question is whether your business is one of them.

Why Are People Using AI Instead of Google?

It’s largely a convenience thing. AI tools give you a direct, conversational answer rather than making you wade through ten blue links and try to figure out which one to trust. For many queries – especially local service searches – it’s simply faster and more useful.

Google has noticed this too, which is why they introduced AI Overviews – the AI-generated summaries that now sit above the traditional search results for many queries. These summaries pull from websites and make direct recommendations, often without the user ever needing to click a link.

The shift isn’t replacing Google. But it’s changing how a meaningful portion of your potential customers find and choose a business like yours.

How Does ChatGPT Decide Who to Recommend?

ChatGPT and similar tools don’t work exactly like a search engine. They draw on training data, live web browsing (in newer versions), and structured signals from across the web. In practice, the businesses that tend to get recommended share a few things in common:

1. They’re Mentioned in Multiple Credible Places

AI tools look for consistency and authority. If your business is mentioned on your own website, in local directories, in news articles or blog posts, on Google Business Profile, and in review platforms – that creates a web of trustworthy signals.

2. Their Website Answers Questions Clearly

When an AI reads your site, it’s looking for clear, useful answers to the questions your customers ask. A page that directly answers “What is web design?” or “How long does an SEO campaign take?” is far more valuable than a page full of marketing buzzwords.

3. They Have Genuine, Positive Reviews

Reviews are a trust signal that feeds into AI recommendations. Google reviews, Trustpilot, Clutch, and similar platforms all contribute to how credible your business appears to both humans and AI.

4. Their Business Information Is Consistent

Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) needs to be identical everywhere it appears online. Inconsistencies – even minor ones – reduce your credibility in AI systems that cross-reference multiple sources.

5. Their Site Uses Structured Data

Schema markup is code you add to your website that tells machines exactly what your content means. A LocalBusiness schema with your services, location, and hours helps AI tools extract and use your information accurately.

What This Means for Businesses in Greater Manchester

If you run a business in Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, or Manchester, this is genuinely exciting news – because most of your local competitors haven’t thought about this at all yet.

The businesses investing in AEO right now are getting ahead of a curve that everyone else will eventually have to climb. The cost of getting started is much lower than it will be once this is mainstream knowledge.

Think of it like being early to local SEO back in 2012. The businesses that got their Google Business Profile set up properly and started building local citations early dominated their areas for years. AEO is at a similar inflection point.

How Codevall Can Help

We specialise in helping businesses across Greater Manchester get found online – and that now includes getting found by AI. Our AEO service covers:

  • Schema markup implementation
  • Website content restructured for AI readability
  • Local citation building and NAP consistency
  • FAQ content creation targeting voice and AI queries
  • Review strategy to build AI-visible authority

Find out more about our AEO services or book a free consultation to talk through what’s possible for your business.