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Getting cited in Google AI Overviews as a local business

Google says there are no additional requirements, special files or special schema needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode: a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet, and inclusion is never guaranteed. For a local business that means doing the basics well, and keeping your Business Profile current.

This is the part of AI search that Google runs. Google says eligibility runs through normal Google Search indexing, so there is no separate application to make.

What Google tells site owners to do

1. Check your page is indexed. Verify your site in Google Search Console (free) and use its URL Inspection tool on your homepage. If the page is not indexed, nothing else on this list matters.
2. Allow crawling. Google lists making sure crawling is allowed in robots.txt and by any CDN or hosting service you use. Open yourdomain.in/robots.txt and look for a blanket Disallow: /.
3. Put important content in text. Hours, services, prices and the answer to common questions should be written in the page, not only in images or video.
4. Keep structured data matching the visible text. Google says to make sure it matches. Mark up only what the visitor can see. See the schema guide.
5. Make the page pleasant to use. Google lists a great page experience. Check yours on a phone.
6. Link your pages together. Google advises making content easily findable through internal links on your site, so link from the home page to each service page.
7. Add good images and video where useful. Google suggests supporting text with high-quality images and videos.
8. Keep your Business Profile up to date. Google names Merchant Center and Business Profile information in its own list. Use the checklist.
9. Answer real customer questions on your pages. Our observation, not a Google rule: a short page that states plainly what you do, where, when you are open and what it costs gives any summary something accurate to quote.

What Google says you do not need

Google says you do not need to create new machine-readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in these features, and that there is no special schema.org structured data to add. That includes llms.txt. Other AI tools may read llms.txt, which is why we still add one, but do not expect it to change Google’s answers.

What nobody can promise

Whether an AI Overview appears for a search, which businesses it names, and in what order is Google’s decision, and it can differ from one search or person to the next. Be careful with anyone who sells guaranteed placement in AI Overviews. For the ChatGPT side, see how to get recommended by ChatGPT.

Checklist

• Homepage indexed (checked in Search Console).
• robots.txt does not block Googlebot.
• Facts in text on the page.
• Structured data matches the page.
• Business Profile verified and current.
• Service pages linked from the homepage.