How to optimise Google Business Profile for AI search

Google Business Profile is still important — but AI models use it differently from Google Maps. Get 5 specific GBP optimisations that boost your visibility on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.

Your Google Business Profile is your most important AI access pass — but only if it’s optimised for AI search. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini use GBP data to recommend local businesses. An unoptimised profile will be overlooked, even if your service is better than your competitors’. Here’s exactly what you need to do to get noticed.

We don’t have a figure for what proportion of AI searches are local — this isn’t published by either OpenAI or Perplexity, and we won’t speculate. But the trend is well documented: BrightLocal’s consumer survey (2026) shows that 45 per cent now use AI for recommendations on local businesses, compared with 6 per cent the previous year, and that Google’s share of local discovery has fallen from 83 per cent to 71 per cent. Please note that BrightLocal surveyed 1,002 US consumers — not Danes. There is no equivalent Danish survey.

How do AI models use your Google Business Profile?

Local AI visibility is your business’s visibility in results from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot when users search for local services. In 2026, local AI visibility differs from traditional local SEO. Whereas Google Maps alone determined whether you were found locally, AI models now draw on data from Trustpilot, Krak, LinkedIn, your website — and yes, Google Business Profile too, though often as a secondary source.

We previously had a table here showing the percentage ‘weighting of GBP’ per AI platform. It has been removed: none of the providers disclose how they weight sources, so the figures could not be substantiated. We’d rather leave the field blank than fill it with guesswork.

What has actually been measured is how rarely local businesses are recommended at all. SOCi’s Local Visibility Index (Jan. 2026) — 2,751 brands, approx. 350,000 locations, US data — found that ChatGPT recommends 1.2% of locations, Perplexity 7.4 per cent and Gemini 11 per cent, compared with 35.9 per cent in Google’s classic 3-pack. This holds true across markets: there are far fewer slots in an AI response than in a results list.

5 specific GBP optimisations for AI search

1. Write an AI-optimised description

Your GBP description is often the first thing the AI reads. Use the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) model: in the first sentence, state exactly what you do, for whom, and where. “Accountant with 15 years’ experience in SME accounting and VAT” is better than “We offer professional advice on accounting”.

2. Update opening hours and services weekly

Up-to-date data is likely to be an advantage, but we haven’t found any published research on how much an updated GBP profile influences AI responses — so we won’t put a figure on it. The practical reason for keeping your profile up to date is simple and good enough in itself: incorrect opening hours will cost you customers, whether it’s a human or an algorithm reading them.

3. Add all relevant categories

Google allows up to 10 categories per profile. Most SMEs only use 1–2. AI models scan all categories to understand your business. If you’re a plumber, add: Plumbing contractor, Plumbing services, Drainage services, Heat pump installation, Energy advice — each category gives the AI an extra cue.

4. Set up a Q&A section with AI-relevant questions

Gemini often draws directly on the GBP Q&A section; Create 5–10 questions that customers typically ask, with clear, factual answers: “How much does a plumber charge per hour?” → “860 kr/hour excluding materials, including travel within the service area”.

5. Link to your llms.txt and your pricing pages

GBP allows one website link and one booking link. Use them strategically: Link to your llms.txt-enabled website and to your pricing page. AI crawlers follow these links and use them to verify your GBP data.

Relark.dk: From invisible to crawled by AI

When we started with Relark.dk, it was a modern React SPA — great for the user, but invisible to AI crawlers. The GEO Score was 49.9 (F). After optimising robots.txt, structured data and SSR — it was picked up by GPTBot, ClaudeBot and PerplexityBot. Read the full case study: Relark.dk GEO case study.

How do you measure your GBP’s AI visibility?

At Geoa, we measure your visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity — including the extent to which your GBP features in the AI’s responses. Get a free 60-second trial: Start GEO-test for free. See also our guide: How GEO works.