How to get AI to recommend your local business without spending any money
Here’s how to get AI to recommend your local business without spending a dime with this concise ‘DIY AEO Template.’
Suppose you ask an artificial intelligence tool, ‘What is the best bakery near me? or, what is a good and reputable plumber in my city?’ Do you think your business could be listed as one of the suggested answer if you are working in any of this domain?
If your business name is missing from the suggested business name list. You do not have to worry.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make that happen. An Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) checklist helps AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity comprehend and suggest your business.
Even better, you can do all of this using a simple Google Sheets AEO template (no software to purchase involved).
What Is AEO?
AEO is also known as Answer Engine Optimization. AEO works well with the idea of getting your site ranked in search engines, but it also helps you to be the answer to people’s questions.
Your business might be recommended when a user ask, for instance, rather than just showing up on page one of Google.
- Who does install solar panels in my community?
- Which is the best family dentist near you?
- Which nearby coffee shop offer free wireless Internet?
The more AI can easily ‘read’ your website, the more likely you are to be recommended.
Schema mark-up is a special coding type that helps search engines to better grasp your business information.
Imagine it as labelling all things on your site.
A AEO template google sheet should tentatively include, such as:
- Business Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Business Hours
- Services
- Website URL
- Schema Type
- Status (Added or Missing)
This easy tracker makes it easy to spot what you’ve done and what you haven’t completed and would need focus attention.
Step 2: Make Sure Your FAQs Pages all User Questions
Websites that have clear answers to frequently asked questions are great for AI assistants.
List the questions that customers are asking all the time.
For example:
- List of services that you provide?
- Pricing of your services?
- Do you provide emergency service?
- What areas do you serve?
- What are the ways a user can reach out to you?
Check and update your AEO spreadsheet to make columns for:
- Customer Question
- Short Answer
- Related Service Page
- FAQ Published (Yes/No)
As time goes on, this forms a useful archive of solutions that AI programs can comprehend and reference.
Step 3: Track Digital PR Co-Mentions
Your business need to build trust. Being named with trusted businesses, organizations, and/or community events is one of the easiest ways to build trust.
Perhaps your company supports a local sports team, collaborates with a charity or features in a local newspaper.
Keep track of these mentions in your Google Sheet and add a column for things like:
- Website
- Mention Date
- Topic
- Link
- Partner Organization
- Follow-up Needed
Such references aid to build up your online reputation, and make your business seem more reputable.
Step 4: Preserve Consistent Accuracy of Business Information
A frequent error is that the business information on the internet varies from one source to another.
You need to verify that your business information appears consistent across all public sources.
- Business name
- Address
- Phone number
- Website
- Business hours
All of them are identical on your website, Google Business Profile, Facebook page and online directories.
All of these listings belong to the same business, making it easier for AI systems to detect this consistency.
Step 5: Monthly Review of Your AEO Progress
AEO is not a one-and-done process.
Review your spreadsheet for 20-30 minutes each month.
Question yourself:
- Have you answered new customer questions?
- Have any new FAQs been released?
- Have we been featured anywhere locally?
- Are all of our business details accurate?
Little changes on a consistent basis can have a significant impact over time.
Build a Growth System with Your Spreadsheet
Build the Growth System approach in your spreadsheet. Use the Growth System approach in improving AEO for your business.
It can be easy to lose track of all of the AEO tasks. This is why it is useful to have a template that is organized.
Our DIY AEO Template will provide you with a pre-made Google Sheets system to organize schema mark-up, plan FAQ content, track digital PR co-mentions, monitor business information, and measure progress in one place.
You no longer have to guess what the AI search engines are looking for, but rather have a set of guidelines that make your business easier to understand, easier to trust and more likely to be recommended. Best of all, you can get going right now for free, without having to purchase costly marketing tools.
Here is Your How to get AI to recommend your local business without spending any money with this ‘DIY AEO Template’