I asked ChatGPT about my industry and my competitors came up (not me)

The other day I ran a silly test and it left me with a sour face. I opened ChatGPT and typed «best marketing agencies in Getafe». Three came up. None of them was mine. And look, it's not ego: it's that the client who asked already has three names before they ever reach me.

I've been at this for ten years and I've watched the way people search change several times. First it was the Yellow Pages. Then Google. Then the good old «someone recommended them to me». And now there's a new layer on top: a lot of people ask AI directly. They don't want ten blue links; they want to be told who to call.

«Who can fix this near me?», «which accountant do you recommend for freelancers?», «give me three good, cheap options». That doesn't always get typed into Google any more: people say it to ChatGPT the way you'd ask a friend who knows. And here's the uncomfortable part: if AI doesn't mention you, you don't exist for that client. No matter how good you are.

The good news is that this can be worked on. And with no weird tricks or paying anyone. I'll tell you the way I told a client last week, who runs a workshop and was convinced this «was for big companies». It isn't.

What AI looks at before it names a brand

I don't have access to the code behind ChatGPT or Gemini, of course. But after a lot of tinkering and watching which businesses come up and which don't, there's a fairly clear pattern. Three signals:

• That you answer the client's exact question, in their own words, somewhere on your website.
• That others name you: reviews, directories, local press… with your name and address always written the same way.
• That your information is clear and tidy: what you do, who for and where, with no guessing required.

The first one surprises people the most, so let me dwell on it.

The trick is answering the specific question

Most people think that to «show up in AI» you have to publish a lot. Not true. AI doesn't reward whoever writes the most; it rewards whoever is easiest to understand. If your client asks «how long does a bathroom remodel take?» and there isn't a single line on your website answering that in their words, AI has nowhere to pull you from.

Think about that question your clients always ask you on WhatsApp or in person. The ballpark price, the timescales, «do you do such-and-such?», the area you cover. Almost nobody puts it on their website. You put it there, with a clear, honest answer. It's gold for Google and for AI —because that's exactly what they're looking for— and along the way you settle the client's doubt before they go and look elsewhere.

Write to be understood, not to look impressive

Here we make a very trade-specific mistake: we write as if someone else in our industry were going to read it. «Comprehensive 360º communication solutions». What is that? Neither your client knows nor does AI. And what isn't understood doesn't get recommended.

The rule I give everyone is homespun, but it works:

• Write plainly: one idea per sentence, no jargon from your industry.
• Answer your client's real questions, the ones they actually ask.
• Keep your details tidy and always the same everywhere: name, address, services. If Google Maps says one thing and your website another, you lose.

A trick I use to find those words: I read how clients write to me on WhatsApp or in reviews. Those are the words real people use. If they say «cheap website» and you write «digital presence solutions», you're speaking different languages. The one who connects, sells; the one who sounds like a manual bores people, and neither AI nor anyone else recommends them.

The test you can run in two minutes

Before spending a euro or an hour on anything, do this. It's free and it'll sting a little, but it's the best snapshot of where you stand. Open ChatGPT (or Gemini) and type: «best [your industry] in [your city]». And see what happens:

• If you come up: perfect. Read what it says about you, check it's correct and improve it. You're already halfway there.
• If your competitors come up and you don't: that's exactly your job for the coming weeks. Answer those questions on your website, get reviews and keep your details consistent all across the web.

What AI answers is, more and more, the first thing your client sees. No longer the fifth page of Google, but the first sentence of a chat. It pays to be there.

And before you automate anything with AI…

I say this because right now everyone wants to «add AI» to their business, and sometimes the order is back to front. AI multiplies what you already have. If your message is weak, it'll repeat it weak and faster. If you're not clear on what you sell, who to and why people choose you, no tool is going to solve that for you.

So fix the basics first —the message, the questions answered, the details tidy— and then use AI to go further. It's like putting a racing engine in a car with no wheels: if the basics fail, speed doesn't help.

This isn't a fad that'll blow over next month. It's the new front door for your clients. And, as with almost everything in this business, the winner is whoever starts sooner and whoever makes themselves easiest to understand.