Artificial intelligence is changing the way people find businesses, compare options and make decisions. That is why it is worth understanding how to position your business in AI. This does not mean that Google, social media or your website no longer matter. It means there is now another entry point for your future customers.
A person can ask ChatGPT about a digital marketing agency, use Google AI Overviews to research a service or turn to Gemini to compare businesses before visiting their pages. To have a better chance of appearing in ChatGPT and other AI searches, your business needs something quite basic: clear, consistent, specific information that is easy to verify online.
There is no formula that guarantees appearing in ChatGPT or in an AI-generated answer. What does exist are concrete actions you can take so that systems find and understand your business better.
During a talk given by Francesca Belmer, Product Marketer at Yext, we learned several facts and ideas about how artificial intelligence finds, compares and cites information about businesses. Part of the recommendations in this article come from that talk and from the research published by Yext Research on search, digital visibility and AI behavior.
Are people really using AI to find businesses?
Yes. AI search is already part of the process of discovering businesses. Yext’s 2026 Consumer Search Behaviors Report surveyed 3,848 consumers around the world and found that 42.7% had used an artificial intelligence tool to look for a local business during the previous month.
Among the people who already used AI for local searches, 71% said they used it more than a year earlier. That means almost half of the consumers surveyed had already used AI for this type of search, and seven out of ten AI users were using it more than the year before.
These figures are global and do not specifically represent the behavior of consumers in Nicaragua. Even so, they show an important change in how people look for information and discover businesses.
Search no longer starts and ends only on Google. It can begin in ChatGPT, continue on Google, go through Instagram, reach your website, check your reviews and end with a WhatsApp message.
That is why thinking about AI and digital marketing does not mean giving up what you already do. It means making sure your whole digital presence is understandable and consistent.
How does artificial intelligence find information about your business?
The short answer is that it can consult different sources of information available online. Depending on the tool, the question and the user’s location, an answer can draw on your website, business profiles, service pages, reviews, social media, directories and other external sources.
This matters because many companies believe that what ChatGPT, Gemini or other tools say about them is completely out of their control. In reality, an important part of that information can come from digital spaces that the business itself manages.
Yext Research analyzed 155.5 million AI citations for 1,623 brands and four artificial intelligence models during the first quarter of 2026. The study found that 80% of citations pointed to websites or listings that brands could maintain or directly influence.
This does not mean that 80% of all AI answers on the internet come from business sources. It means that, within the specific set analyzed by Yext, four out of five citations came from sources over which brands had some level of control.
The practical conclusion is quite simple: your website and your business profiles matter.
Does AI look for information the same way a person does?
Not exactly, but there is an important similarity: both people and search tools can consult several sources before reaching a conclusion. Imagine ChatGPT recommends a restaurant you have never visited. You probably would not book right away without checking anything else.
Maybe you look up the restaurant on Google, visit Instagram, read a few reviews, check where it is located and look at the menu. After seeing several sources, you decide whether it gives you enough confidence.
Yext’s global study found similar behavior. After receiving an AI recommendation, 53% of consumers surveyed looked up the business on Google or Bing, 49% visited the website directly, 42% consulted the sources cited by the AI, 28% checked reviews and 20% visited the business’s social media.
That is why appearing in an AI answer is only one part of the process. Your business also has to look trustworthy when that person decides to verify the information.
What happens if my name, phone or address are different on every platform?
It can create confusion both for people and for the systems trying to understand your business. Suppose you have a bakery called Dulce Vida, but on Instagram you appear as Dulce Vida Cakes, on Facebook as Dulce Vida Nicaragua, Google has a different phone number and your website still shows an old address.
A person would probably wonder which information is correct, which phone number to use or whether the business is still in the same location. Systems that try to connect a company with its services and different profiles also need clear signals.
This does not mean that changing one word in your Instagram name will make ChatGPT automatically stop showing your business. It also does not mean that all your profiles have to be exact copies.
What matters is that the fundamental business information does not contradict itself.
What information should I review?
Start with the profiles you already use. Your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google Business Profile, website and other directories should share consistent information about who you are, how to contact you and what services you offer.
| Information | What to review |
|---|---|
| Business name | Use your business name consistently |
| Phone | Keep your main number up to date |
| Address | Fix old or incorrect addresses |
| Service area | Explain clearly where you work |
| Website | Always use the correct domain |
| Hours | Keep current hours |
| Category | Describe correctly what type of business you are |
| Services | List and explain your main services |
| Products | Add relevant products when applicable |
| Social media | Keep the description and main details up to date |
You do not need to immediately create profiles on dozens of directories. First make sure the important profiles you already have are complete, up to date and do not contradict each other.
Do I need a website to appear in ChatGPT?
Not necessarily. An AI tool can find information about a business in directories, profiles, posts, reviews and many other sources.
However, your website is one of the sources you have the most control over. On your social media you depend on another platform’s structure, while on your site you can decide which services to explain, which questions to answer, how to present your experience and which pages to create.
That is why having only Instagram can work as a starting point, but it creates limitations if you want to build a more complete digital presence. A website also does not guarantee appearing in ChatGPT, but it lets you publish detailed, structured information that other channels do not always allow.
At Ruah Media we work on web design for companies thinking not only about how a page looks, but also about how it organizes and communicates a business’s information. That is what we did in the redesign of the SLG website, a freight agency in Managua.
Is it better to have social media, a Google Business Profile or a website?
You should not think of them as competitors because they serve different functions. A good digital presence usually combines several channels, depending on the type of business and where your customers look for information.
| Channel | Main strength |
|---|---|
| Website | Explain services, experience and processes in depth |
| Google Business Profile | Show local information, categories, hours, reviews and services |
| Social media | Show activity, personality, visual content and community |
| Directories | Help confirm business details across other sources |
| Reviews | Show customers’ experiences and opinions |
A local business can have an excellent Instagram and a neglected Google Business Profile. Another can have a good website but incorrect information on other profiles.
The goal should be for the important platforms to work together and present a consistent version of your business.
What problems can make it hard for AI to understand your business?
One of the main problems is contradictory information. Different addresses, phone numbers or names can make it hard for a person or a tool to determine which information is current.
Another frequent problem is using descriptions that are too general. Phrases like “we offer comprehensive solutions” may sound good, but they do not explain what you actually do.
It is also common to find websites with very little content. An attractive design does not replace information, and a page should let you clearly understand what services the company offers.
Outdated information can also cause problems. Old hours, services that no longer exist or incorrect phone numbers create a bad experience regardless of whether the user arrives from Google, Instagram or ChatGPT.
Finally, depending exclusively on one platform can be risky. Your digital presence is stronger when your customers can verify important information in different places.
Do reviews help you appear in AI?
They can be part of the sources used by some tools, but their importance does not end there. Reviews also take part in a person’s verification process after discovering a business.
Yext’s study found that, after receiving an AI recommendation, 28% of users consulted reviews on Google, Yelp or similar platforms.
That means a recommendation can spark interest, but other customers’ experiences can help determine what happens next.
If you have satisfied customers, ask for real reviews. Do not write for them exactly what they should post. A simple request like “Could you tell us about your experience and which service we did for you?” can generate much more natural and useful comments.
Do I need to create a lot of content to position my business in AI?
Not necessarily. You need useful content.
A small business does not have to post five times a week to get started. First check whether your social profile answers the fundamental questions about what you do, where you work, what services you offer, how your process works and what someone should know before hiring you.
Then identify frequent questions that deserve a complete explanation. If ten customers ask you the same question, there are probably also people searching for it on Google or asking an AI tool.
That can be a good content topic.
Do photos and videos help?
Your digital presence should not be built only with text. People who discover a business also want to verify that it exists, that it is actively working and that it can show what it does.
Original photographs can show products, facilities, team, processes, projects, events and results. Videos can explain processes, demonstrate expertise or show projects in a way that a written description cannot always do.
That is why a business should try to build its own content archive instead of depending exclusively on stock images or generic content. For example, in the Biscuit Club case the event photography became content for its social media and to promote its next edition.
You can see examples of Ruah’s audiovisual, photographic and creative work in our portfolio. We also offer professional photography and video production services for brands and companies.
Can I position my business on Google and in AI without doing SEO?
You can appear in an answer without having a formal SEO strategy. However, if you have a small business and want to position it on Google and in AI, working on SEO can improve several of the elements that also help build a clear digital presence.
SEO involves organizing the site properly, creating useful pages, explaining services, working on content, improving internal links, making crawling easier and understanding how people search.
AI search does not make these fundamentals disappear. In many cases it makes them even more important.
Checklist: how to prepare your digital presence so AI understands your brand
You do not need to rebuild your whole strategy. Start by reviewing how your business currently appears online and what information may be incomplete or outdated.
- Search for your business name on Google.
- Check which phone number, address and website appear.
- Verify your information on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
- Review your Google Business Profile if you have one.
- Update your services and categories.
- Look for old addresses or phone numbers.
- Check whether your site clearly explains each important service.
- Identify five frequent questions from your customers.
- Ask real customers for reviews.
- Check what information appears when you ask about your business or services in different AI tools.
Do not make changes only because ChatGPT answered something incorrectly once. Look for patterns, identify what information is missing online and start by fixing the original source.
Frequently asked questions about AI and digital marketing
How do I get my business to appear in ChatGPT?
There is no registry that guarantees appearing in ChatGPT. You can improve your chances of being found by building a clear digital presence, with a useful website, specific pages, consistent business information, updated profiles and content that answers real questions.
Does Google Business Profile help with artificial intelligence?
It can help because it contains structured information about a business, including category, location, hours and services. Directories and listings represented an important part of the citations analyzed by Yext in its 2026 study.
How long does it take for a business to appear in AI answers?
There is no guaranteed timeframe. Different platforms collect and update information in different ways, so it would not be right to promise a mention within a specific number of days.
AI does not replace your digital marketing strategy
The most important change is not that people have stopped using Google, Instagram or websites. It is that they can now start the process in more places and go through several platforms before contacting a company.
A person can discover your business with AI and then search for it on Google. Another can find you on TikTok and later ask ChatGPT about your services. Another can arrive from Google and check Instagram to confirm the company is still active.
Your website, social media, Google Business Profile, content and reputation should not work as separate pieces. They should tell a consistent story about your business.
That is one of the most important actions you can take today to prepare for the growth of artificial intelligence search.
Do you need help organizing your business’s digital presence?
At Ruah Media we help companies and entrepreneurs build a clearer, more professional and easier-to-understand digital presence. We are a digital marketing agency in Nicaragua with experience in strategy, web design, audiovisual production, photography and design.
We work on web design, social media management, video production, photography and graphic design services. You can also see some of our projects in our portfolio.
If you do not know what Google, ChatGPT or a potential customer sees when searching for your company, we can help you identify what information is missing and which areas are worth improving first.
