A growing share of customers now meet London businesses through an AI-generated answer rather than a list of blue links, whether in Google’s AI Overviews or in assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. Whether a company appears in those answers depends largely on the same fundamentals that have always governed online discovery: accurate, consistent and verifiable information that machines can find and trust.
There is no special switch to flip. Google states plainly that its AI features have no additional technical requirements beyond normal search eligibility, which means the work for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is about getting the basics right and being visible in places that AI systems draw on.
From search results to AI answers
Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report, published in December 2025, documented how quickly the shift is happening. As reported by ISPreview, the regulator found that around 30 per cent of keyword searches now return an AI-supported overview, that 53 per cent of people in the UK say they often see AI summaries, and that ChatGPT recorded 252 million UK web visits in August 2025 alone.
Much of this adoption is passive: people encounter AI summaries simply by using the search engine they already use. Ofcom also noted early evidence that users who see AI summaries are less likely to click through to the original website. For a café in Shoreditch or an accountant in Croydon, the summary may be the first and only impression a customer receives.
What “AI visibility” and GEO actually mean
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the term increasingly used for making content more likely to be surfaced and cited by AI systems. It was popularised by a 2023 academic paper, “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization”, by researchers including a team from Princeton University, which found that content adjustments could improve visibility in generative engine responses, with effectiveness varying by subject area.
In practice, “AI visibility” for a local business has two strands. The first is whether AI tools can retrieve accurate facts about the business: what it does, where it is, when it opens and how to contact it. The second is whether the business is mentioned or recommended when someone asks a broader question, such as which family solicitors in Islington handle conveyancing.
How the main platforms find information
Google’s guidance on AI features and your website explains that AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a “query fan-out” technique, running several related searches across subtopics to find supporting pages. A page must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet in ordinary search to be used as a supporting link, and Google stresses that appearance is never guaranteed.
OpenAI’s help documentation on ChatGPT search says sites must allow its crawler, OAI-SearchBot, to be eligible, and that ChatGPT sometimes works with third-party search and business-listing providers for local results. Ranking draws on multiple factors and placement is not guaranteed.
Practical steps for London SMEs
None of the following guarantees a mention in an AI answer, and no reputable provider can promise one. Taken together, however, these measures improve the quality and consistency of the information AI systems can find.
- Consistent business details everywhere. Make sure the business name, address, phone number and opening hours match across your website, Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yell, Companies House records and industry directories. Conflicting details create doubt for both people and machines.
- A complete Google Business Profile. Google’s local ranking guidance names relevance, distance and prominence as the main factors, and recommends verifying the business, keeping categories and hours accurate, adding photos and responding to reviews. It also states: “There’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.”
- Structured data that matches the page. Schema.org markup such as LocalBusiness helps search engines read your name, address, telephone number and hours. Google notes that no special markup is required for AI features, but any structured data should accurately reflect visible content.
- Genuine reviews. Encourage satisfied customers to leave honest reviews and reply to them professionally. Never buy or fabricate reviews.
- Clear, factual website content. Plain pages that state what you offer, which London boroughs you serve, your prices or price ranges and answers to common questions are easier for AI systems to summarise accurately than vague promotional copy.
- Credible third-party coverage. Being covered by reputable local media, trade bodies or business associations adds independent evidence that a business exists and is well regarded.
Technical housekeeping worth checking
A website that blocks crawlers by accident cannot be used as a source. Check that robots.txt and any content delivery network settings permit legitimate search crawlers, that key information appears as text rather than only in images, and that pages work well on mobile. Google Search Console includes AI feature traffic in its standard performance report.
Key takeaways
AI answers are becoming a front door to local businesses, but the route in is familiar: accurate listings, a well-maintained Google Business Profile, honest reviews, clear website content and genuine coverage from credible sources. Any outside provider should explain its methods transparently and avoid promising rankings or guaranteed AI mentions.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need special code to appear in Google AI Overviews?
No. Google says there are no additional requirements or special schema markup needed. Pages must be indexed and eligible to appear with a snippet in ordinary search results.
Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT or Google’s AI?
Neither Google nor OpenAI offers paid placement in organic AI answers, and Google says local rankings cannot be bought. Be cautious of anyone selling guaranteed AI recommendations.
What is the single most useful first step for a small business?
Audit your business name, address, phone number and opening hours across your website and major directories, and correct any inconsistencies, starting with your Google Business Profile.
Disclosure: THE LONDON VIP is published by DeCaprio Digital Marketing Ltd, which also operates MR HARRY®, an AI-visibility service for UK businesses (mrharry.ai).