Ep 120 How To Get ChatGPT to recommend you

How can you get ChatGPT to recommend your business?

You can make it more likely that ChatGPT recommends your business by making it easy for AI to understand who you are, what you specialise in, who you help, where you work and why you are credible. Consistent information across your website, professional profiles, directories and other trusted online sources helps build that picture.

Nothing about this is definitive yet. AI companies haven't published a complete formula for recommendations, so much of what we currently know comes from experiments and observations within the marketing world. But the shift is already happening, and there are practical things you can do now to make your business easier for AI to understand.

Why does ChatGPT matter for finding a business?

People are increasingly asking AI tools to research options and recommend professionals rather than simply searching through pages of Google results.

Someone looking for an IBS dietitian might ask, "Who's the best IBS dietitian near me?" Someone looking for support with PCOS might ask, "Can you recommend a dietitian for PCOS?"

Instead of receiving a long list of websites to investigate themselves, they may receive a short list of people or businesses that the AI believes could help.

That means being brilliant at what you do isn't necessarily enough. If ChatGPT can't work out who you are, who you help or why you're credible, it may not put your name forward.

This is particularly interesting for dietitians and registered health professionals because the things that make you easier for AI to recommend are largely the things that already demonstrate good professional practice: clear expertise, evidence of credibility, trustworthy information and consistency.

What information does ChatGPT need to understand about your business?

ChatGPT needs to be able to build a consistent picture of your business from the information it can find online.

That includes your name, professional title, specialist area, the people you help and where you provide your services. Ideally, this information should be consistent across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, professional directories, social media and other public profiles.

If one profile describes you as a children's dietitian specialising in fussy eating, another says paediatric nutrition support and another simply says dietitian, you're creating an unnecessarily muddled picture.

I want you to make this ridiculously obvious.

 

Choose one clear professional title and one simple way of describing who you help and with what problem. Then use that information consistently across your online presence. A useful starting point is:

[Your name] is a [your role] helping [your specific audience] with [their specific problem] in [your location or online].

You don't need to copy that word for word. The important thing is that the information is clear and consistent.

How can you make your website easier for ChatGPT to understand?

Make your website simple to scan, with clear headings, specific information about your services and straightforward answers to the questions your ideal clients ask.

Think of a tidy filing cabinet rather than a messy junk drawer.

Your homepage and key service pages should make it obvious what the page is about. Use a clear H1 heading, followed by useful H2 sections that answer the questions a potential client is likely to have.

For example:

• Who is this service for?

• How does it work?

• What can I expect?

• What problems can you help with?

• What results can clients expect?

• What does the service cost?

• What questions do people commonly ask?
  
  

You should also make sure your page title and meta description accurately describe the page.

And if H1s, H2s and meta descriptions sound like complete gobbledygook, don't worry. These are simply some of the foundations of a clear digital presence.

How do reviews and case studies help ChatGPT understand your expertise?

Reviews, case studies, podcast appearances, press coverage and credible professional listings can provide evidence that supports what you say about your business.

It's one thing for you to say, "I'm an expert in IBS."

It's another thing for AI to find multiple credible sources that support that picture.

Client reviews are particularly useful when they explain the problem the client came to you with and what changed as a result of working with you.

Instead of a review saying, "She was really useful and knew her stuff," you could ask:

What did you come to me for? What changed? And how do you feel now?

This naturally encourages the client to describe the problem and outcome in their own words.

Those real words can also help you understand how your ideal clients describe their problems, which can then inform the content you create on your website.

Which online profiles and directories should your business have?

You don't need to list your business in every directory you can find. Focus on relevant, credible places where your professional status and expertise can be verified.

Depending on your profession and niche, this could include your Google Business Profile, professional registers, relevant professional organisations and specialist directories.

For dietitians, I mentioned the BDA Freelance Dietitians Directory in the episode. For registered nutritionists, the Association for Nutrition can provide another credible source for professional status.

There may also be specialist directories relevant to your niche. For example, an IBS dietitian might consider a relevant specialist directory, while a sports dietitian might look at the appropriate professional register or directory for their field.

The important thing is not simply collecting listings. Your professional title, specialism, location and credentials should match across them.

What should you put on your website so ChatGPT can answer questions about your business?

Create content that answers the real questions your ideal clients are asking.

An FAQ page is a straightforward place to start. Make a list of five to ten questions people regularly ask before working with you, then answer each one clearly and simply.

Focus particularly on questions related to the problems you help people solve, rather than only administrative questions such as appointment times or pricing.

Your website should also have clear service pages for the things you actually want to be found for.

For example, a local dietitian might have a page focused on "IBS dietitian in Bristol", while someone working entirely online might use language such as "online IBS dietitian".

The key is to use the language your clients actually use. If your clients call something one thing and you insist on using a much more clinical phrase, you're making it harder for both humans and AI to understand what you do.

Why does your location matter when trying to get recommended by ChatGPT?

AI needs clear information about where you provide your services, particularly when someone is looking for a local professional.

You can mention your city or service areas on your website, including your footer and contact page, as well as on your Google Business Profile.

Even if you work entirely online, it's still useful to give your business a clear location rather than leaving AI to guess where you're based or who you serve.

The exact way AI uses location information may change, but at the moment it is one of the signals worth making explicit.

How can you show ChatGPT that your business is legitimate and trustworthy?

Make your professional credentials, contact details and business information easy to find and consistent across your online presence.

For registered healthcare professionals, this can include your professional registration details, qualifications, clear contact information and links to relevant professional registers.

Avoid exaggerated promises and make sure your website and public profiles don't contradict one another.

For example, if your website uses your married name but an important professional listing still uses your maiden name, it may be worth updating it.

The aim is to make it straightforward for AI to understand that you're a real, legitimate professional who is safe and appropriate to recommend.

How often should you check whether ChatGPT recommends your business?

I'd recommend testing it roughly once a month using around ten searches that your ideal client might make.

Try different versions of the questions rather than asking exactly the same thing each time. For example:

• "Who's the best IBS dietitian in Bristol?"

• "Paediatric dietitian for fussy eating"

• "Online dietitian for PCOS"

Keep a record of whether you're mentioned and which businesses or professionals are being recommended instead.

This isn't about obsessively checking your ranking every five minutes. It's about understanding what AI currently knows about your business and spotting opportunities to make your online presence clearer.

I'd also recommend asking new enquiries how they found you. If someone says ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or another AI tool, make a note of it.

That information will become increasingly useful as we understand more about how people are discovering businesses through AI.

What can you do today to help ChatGPT understand your business?

You don't need to rebuild your entire website or spend the next six months becoming an AI search expert. If you've got an hour, make these four changes:

1. Fix your homepage hero section.
Make sure it clearly explains who you are, who you help and, where relevant, where you work.

2. Check your contact details.
Add your full name, professional registration details where appropriate, location and contact information. Make sure they match the information elsewhere online.

3. Add five FAQs.
Choose five genuine questions your clients or potential clients have recently asked about your specialist area and answer them simply.

4. Refresh your Google Business Profile.
Check that your services, opening hours and business description are current, and add some recent photos if your profile is looking a little 2021.

That's enough for today.

You can then build from there. Perhaps next month you look at your case studies and FAQs, and after that you review your professional directories and look for opportunities to be featured on relevant podcasts, press or trusted websites.

You don't have to do everything overnight.

How do you test whether ChatGPT knows your business exists?

Think of three questions your ideal client might ask when they're looking for someone like you.

Put those questions into ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude and see what comes back.

Are you being recommended?

If not, look at who is being recommended instead. What information do those businesses have online? Where are they listed? How clearly do they explain their expertise? Do they have reviews, case studies or credible mentions?

You might discover that AI already knows exactly who you are.

Or you might discover that it has absolutely no idea you exist yet.

Either way, you'll know where you stand, and that's a really useful place to start.

If you'd like to take this further, start with that one-hour check today. Make your expertise easier to understand, make your information consistent and give AI more evidence of the brilliant work you're already doing.

You don't need to shout louder online. You just need to make it easier for the right people, and increasingly the right AI tools, to understand exactly why you're the right person to help.

The Master Plan:

Helping you build the business of your dreams. Get your 22 point step-by step workbook here: https://www.sarahalmondbushell.com/master-plan

 

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.sarahalmondbushell.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dietitiansinbusiness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dietitiansinbusiness

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beyondtheclinicbusiness

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheClinicPodcast

 

Episode transcription:

Did you know the way that people are finding dietitians like you online has massively changed over the last year or so?

When someone is looking for support with, say, their IBS or their PCOS or their child's fussy eating or whatever health condition they're navigating, people aren't always opening Google, clicking through 10 different websites and comparing options like they used to. Instead, people are asking questions like, "Who's the best IBS dietitian near me?" Or "Who can help my child with fussy eating?", "Can you recommend a dietitian for PCOS?" And the AI overviews are answering.

 

And people are trusting the answers it gives. AI will give them a short list, maybe three or four names of people it considers best to support them, which raises a really important question.

 

If someone asked Google Gemini or ChatGPT or any other AI tool for a dietitian like you, would it actually know that you exist? You could be an incredible clinician, have years of experience under your belt, tonnes of client results, a clear niche that not many people specialise in, but if AI can't clearly understand who you are and who you help and why you're the right person, it might never put your name forward.

 

One of my dietitian clients and I actually tested this on one of our coaching calls. She searched 'Who is the best children's allergy dietitian in the UK?' and looked at the Gemini AI overview. And despite her being a really well-known specialist in exactly that area, she wasn't mentioned at all. She was genuinely shocked, but it was a really important reminder that being brilliant at what you do, doesn't automatically mean that AI knows to recommend you.

 

So in today's episode, I'm going to explain what we currently know in the marketing world to make AI more likely to recommend you step-by-step. From the changes to make on your website, to the information you need to have in the right places online, to the really simple things that you can do today that will make a big difference.

Now it's fair to say that this is a well-educated speculation because nothing definitive yet has been published by the AI companies. But the big gurus in this world are conducting their own experiments and reporting back. And actually, when I've tried what's been suggested, it does work.

 

Now, you might be thinking, 'Okay, well, this sounds interesting, but is this really something I need to worry about right now?'. And you know what? The honest answer is yes, because this shift in how people are finding and choosing nutrition professionals online is already happening right now.

 

For years, the only advice was to get your website ranking on Google, write SEO-optimised blogs and used well-placed keywords, create content that people loved and wanted to share and drive more and more people back to your website.

 

And that made total sense when Google was mainly a list of links and people did the searching themselves. But we are moving into a world where AI is increasingly doing that research for people, summarising the information and saying, 'Here's who could help you.'

 

Now, another reason it's important to pay attention to this right now is because AI tends to keep recommending the people that it already has the confidence in. If AI already understands who you are, what you specialise in and why you're credible, it will keep recommending you. So I'd really recommend investing a little time into this now, rather than trying to play catch up later.

 

Now for some good news. All of this has absolutely nothing to do with who can shout the loudest online, who has the biggest following or who is posting the most content. Hallelujah.

 

The things that help AI understand and recommend who you actually are, are the things that already make you a great clinician. It's about being clear about who specifically you help. It's about showing evidence of your expertise. It's about building trust and having consistent information about your work.

 

And this is why I think dietitians and registered healthcare professionals are actually in a really strong position here because really, this is much less about marketing yourself and much more about making sure that your genuine expertise is just clear and obvious and easy to understand.

 

So the big question is, 'How does AI actually decide who to recommend?'. Well, from what we understand, AI is basically asking six questions about you before it feels confident to recommend you.

 

The first question it's asking is, 'Do I actually understand who this person is and what they specialise in?'. Basically, does AI get a really consistent and clear picture of you? Your name, your job title, your niche, who you help and where you work. This needs to match across your website, your Google business profile, LinkedIn, any directories you're on, Instagram, and actually anywhere you've got a public profile. Because if social media says that you're a children's dietitian specialising in fussy eating, but your website says pediatric nutrition support, and your Bupa directory listing says dietitian, AI is really going to struggle to understand exactly what you do and who you help and a confused AI is much less likely to recommend you.

 

The second question is, 'Can I see evidence that other people trust this person?' It's looking for things like client reviews and case studies, and these can be ones that you publish yourself. It's looking for podcasts where you've been featured. It's looking for press mentions and being listed in credible directories. All of these help build that picture that you are a credible expert.

 

The third question AI is asking is, 'Does this person actually answer the questions that people are asking?'. The closer your content is to the real questions that someone is asking the bots, the easier it is for AI to recognise that you're the person who can help. So when you're writing your website copy or blog posts, think 'What is my ideal client actually worried about? What are they asking me or what are they typing into AI?'. It also really helps if your website uses the exact words and phrases that your ideal clients are actually using.

 

The fourth question AI is asking is, 'Does this look like an active up-to-date business?'. If you've got a website that hasn't been touched since 2019 or has broken links or outdated information, it's going to make it much harder for the AI to feel confident in recommending you. It doesn't mean that you need to constantly be tweaking your site. It just means that your online presence shouldn't look abandoned. It needs to be kept up-to-date. So if your website hasn't had any TLC in a little while, then go and give it some.

 

Now the fifth question it's asking is 'Where does this person provide their services?'. It helps to give AI some explicit information about your location across your online presence. You can mention your city or the areas that you work on, on your website, in your footer, on your contact page. And you can also mention this on your Google Business profile. Now, what if you work 100% online? Well, it's still useful to have a clear location attached to your business rather than leaving AI to guess where you're based or who you serve. It's just something that the AI likes at the moment.

 

And the sixth question AI is asking is, 'Is this person safe and trustworthy to recommend?'. AI is looking for signs that you are a legitimate healthcare professional. It's going to be looking out for things like clear contact details, your professional credentials, consistent information about your qualifications and no exaggerated promises. So make sure that your professional details are consistent across your website and your social media and your professional directories, your Google business profile again, the HCPC register. If anyone is still using their maiden name, might be time to change it. And of course, any other places where you're listed online.

 

So now we know what AI is looking for, let's get it practical now. I'm going to take you through some really specific steps that you can start taking today so that AI has got the right information to be able to start recommending you.

 

So step one, is just to make it ridiculously obvious who you are and who you help. So the first thing I want you to do, to get really clear on this, is just write out one simple sentence that describes who you help and with what problem. A simple template that you can follow is *your name* is a... (and then insert your role) helping... (and then insert your specific audience) and then with... (and then you insert the specific problem they've got), in... (and then your location or online). And then use that one-liner or a version of it consistently across your online presence.

 

So put it on your homepage and then mirror that information across your about page, your contact page, your footer, again, your Google business profile and any other profiles where you're listed. And equally as importantly, pick one clear professional title and stick with it. If you're a registered dietitian, don't call yourself a dietitian in one place and a nutritionist in another and a gut health nutrition expert somewhere else. You want AI to see the same clear picture of who you are, what you do and who you help wherever it finds details about you.

 

Okay, step two, make your website ridiculously easy for AI to understand. Think of a tidy filing cabinet rather than a messy junk drawer. When AI lands on your website, you want it to be able to quickly scan the page and understand exactly what it's looking at.

 

So start with a really clear H1 heading that tells the AI, and actually any humans who land there, what this page is about. For instance, the service, who it's for and where relevant, the location. And then structure the rest of that page with clear H2 headings and sections that answer the obvious questions that somebody would have. 'Who is this for? How does it work? What can I expect? How much does it cost?' and all of those FAQs that people might ask.

 

It's also useful to add a few client results or short case studies to prove that your clients get the outcomes that you say you can help them achieve. And don't overlook the boring but important bits too. Make sure your page title and your Meta description really clearly describes what's on the page as well. And if I'm saying this and H1s and H2s and Meta descriptions all sounds a bit like gobbledygook, come and talk to me because this is just the foundations of a digital presence.

 

Step three, let's give AI some proof that you are the real deal. So this is all about what exists outside of your own website that backs up what you're saying about yourself. Because it's one thing for you to say, 'I'm an expert in IBS', but it's another thing for the AI to find lots of other credible places that confirm that. So first, make sure that you've claimed and properly completed your Google business profile, and if relevant, your Apple Business Connect and Bing Places too. And then look at where you're listed elsewhere online. You do not need to be in every directory under the sun, but you just want to be properly listed in a handful of relevant and credible places, like the BDA Freelance Dietitians Directory. This one carries quite a bit of weight because every listing is HCPC registered, of course, and a BDA member.

 

Plus, you can also make your specialism really clear here as well. Then there's places like Nutritionist Resource. Now this one's got specific categories for things like ARFID or fertility nutrition, so you can talk about what you specialise in. And it also checks practitioners credentials before listing them, which signals to AI that you're qualified and safe to be recommended.

 

If you are an AFN registered nutritionist, then the Association for Nutrition is another really credible place where AI can verify your professional status. And of course, we can't forget your HCPC registration. Make sure your professional details are easy to find and crucially, match the information that you're using everywhere else online. And then think about any specialist organisations that are relevant to your niche.

 

If you're an IBS dietitian, for example, it could be something like the Monash directory. If you specialise in pediatric feeding, it could be the SOS directory. If you're a sports dietitian, there's the SenR. Then also try and get some client reviews. So when asking for reviews, make sure to always ask, 'What did you come to me for? What changed? And how do you feel now?'.

 

That way, the review naturally explains the problem that you helped with and the outcome that they experienced, rather than just saying, 'Oh yeah, she was really useful and knew her stuff.' If you've got capacity, it's a really great idea to try and explore other opportunities like being a guest on someone else's podcast or being featured in the local or national press.

 

Okay, moving on to step four, give the AI the answers that it's looking for. The easiest way to do this is to have an FAQ page on your website. Make a list of five to ten of the top questions that people tend to ask you before working with you, and then just answer them simply and clearly in a way that AI can easily understand and pick up and use when someone asks it a similar question.

 

Think of sort of clinical questions or nutrition questions here, rather than administrative ones like, 'When are your appointment times?' or 'How much do you charge?' Also make sure that you've got a clear services page for the things that you actually want to be found for. If you're a local dietitian, it could be a page like 'IBS dietitian in Bristol'. If you work online, it could be, 'Online IBS dietitian'.

 

As we've said, you can also use case studies to show AI the kind of people you actually help, keep them short, keep them specific. So talk about what the client came to you with and what support you provided, but crucially what changed for them. And remember keeping everything in your clients words and language is super key here rather than filling your website with clinical jargon.

 

Step five, stay recommended. AI search changes so quickly. So you want to check in every now and again to see whether it actually still knows who you are. I'd recommend maybe once a month doing 10 searches that your ideal client might make, such as "Who's the best IBS dietitian in Bristol?', 'Pediatric dietitian for fussy eating' or 'Online dietitian for PCOS'. Think of a variety of different things that people might be typing into the AI tools. Try lots of variations and keep a record of whether you're being mentioned or who's being recommended instead. And also when you get a new enquiry, it's worth asking 'How did you find out about me?' Because if someone says ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude or another AI tool, make a note of that.

 

And remember, you do not need to do all of this overnight. Break it down. Here's a bit of a suggestion for a doable work plan. So in the next month or so, I would maybe think about getting my online information consistent. So update that Google Business Profile. Make sure your key services page is really clear. Then maybe in month two, focus on your FAQs, and a couple of really useful case studies that you might want to put on your website. And then by 90 days, you could look at relevant directories and professional listings, update them, and then make a forward plan to get some more credible mentions, like being featured in the press or a podcast interview, or even a feature on another trusted website. It's totally okay to build this one piece at a time.

 

But if you want to do something with this episode straight away, give yourself an hour and make these really quick four changes. Number one, fix your homepage hero section. That's the bit people see when they land on your website before they start to scroll. Make sure it clearly says who you are and who you help and if relevant, where you work. Number two, check your contact details. Add your full name, your HCPC number and a link to the register, your location, if it's relevant, and your phone number to the footer and the contact page and make sure that they match everywhere else that you're listed. Number three, add five FAQs. Think of the five most recently asked questions that your clients or your potential clients genuinely ask you about your specialty and then just add a quick, simple answer to each. And then number four, have a look at that Google business profile.

 

Give it a bit of a refresh, check your services and your opening hours and description are still up-to-date and add some recent photos if they're still looking a little 2021. And then that's it. You don't need to rebuild your entire website today. Just spend an hour or so making it easier for AI to understand exactly who you are, what you do and who you help. Now, last thing, why not run a little test? So this week, have a think about three questions that somebody might type into ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude when they're looking for somebody like you. And put those questions in and just see what comes back. Are you being recommended? If not, who's being recommended instead? And what do those people seem to have online that you might be missing? I'd love for you to let me know what your results are. You can DM me a screenshot of what you find.

 

You might be pleasantly surprised by what comes up or you might discover that AI has absolutely no idea that you exist yet. Either way, you'll know where you stand and that's a really useful place to start.

 

Now join me next week when I'm going to be talking about why blogging isn't working like it used to. We're not getting the clicks that we used to get and I'm going to be diving into exactly what's going on. See you then. Bye for now.