Want to Be the “Go-To” in Your Area? Here’s the Secret: Teach the Internet Who You Are

If you’ve been in business for more than a week, someone’s probably told you to “do some SEO.” Usually followed by vague talk about keywords, blogs, or maybe paying someone’s cousin to set up a few dodgy backlinks.

But here’s the shift no one’s talking about loudly enough: SEO isn’t just about Google anymore.

These days, potential customers are asking ChatGPT, Meta AI, or even Grok where to find the best plumber, accountant, dog groomer, or electrician in their area. And these AI tools aren’t giving a list of ten blue links. They’re giving a straight answer, often naming specific businesses.

So the question is – is yours one of them?

Start With a Bit of Snooping

Go to ChatGPT and ask, “Who’s the best [your service] in [your area]?” See what comes up.

Then ask it how it chose that business. Ask what it looked at. And ask what you’d need to do to get recommended next time.

Chances are, you’ll get an answer that sounds like this:

• It looked at your website.
• It checked out your Google Business Profile, and probably a few others like Yelp or Facebook.
• It noted whether you had reviews, how recent they were, and how consistent your information was across platforms.
• It evaluated whether you seemed legit or half-asleep online.

And yes, it looked at your content.

AI Has a Long Memory

These tools aren’t just reading your website like a school report. They’re looking for patterns. They notice if your business shows up again and again, saying smart things, answering practical questions, helping people understand what you do and how to choose someone good.

If you’re putting out content regularly, especially the kind that answers real customer questions, you become the business the AI starts to trust. Not because you’re the loudest. But because you’re the most helpful and the most consistent.

What Kind of Content?

The stuff people search for. Things like:

• “How much does it cost to paint a 3-bedroom house in Christchurch?”
• “Why does my heat pump smell funny?”
• “When should I replace my hot water cylinder?”
• “How do I choose a good landscape designer?”

These aren’t marketing slogans. They’re real questions real people type into search engines or ask AI tools. If your content answers them, you show up. If it doesn’t, you won’t.

This Isn’t a Fancy Marketing Strategy

This is about becoming the business everyone in your area knows to go to. And AI is now the shortcut for how that knowledge gets passed around.

You don’t need to go viral. You don’t need a film crew. You need to continue providing practical answers to the questions your customers are already asking. Written, spoken, filmed – it all helps.

Do that, and next time someone asks, “Who’s the best around here?” – the answer will be you.