02.04Lesson8 min

Get onto the websites ChatGPT reads

Directories, review sites and best-of lists decide most AI answers. How to find the ones for your trade and city, and get onto them honestly.

This is the step that moves AI answers most, because it's where most of what AI reads comes from. Remember the websites ChatGPT linked to in lesson one? Those are your list.

Directories and review sites

Every trade has a few sites AI keeps coming back to. In our Local AI Index, Thumbtack was cited in 26% of all answers, and some trades had their own: avvo.com for personal injury law, carfax.com for auto repair. Claim or create your listing on each one you're not on, complete every field, and use your one-sentence description.

Best-of lists

Articles like “The 7 best HVAC companies in Des Moines” are some of ChatGPT's favourite sources. Some are written by local news or bloggers, some by directories, and some by marketing firms. For each one AI cites that doesn't include you:

  • Read how it picks: many say what they judge on (reviews, licences, years in business) and how to suggest a business.
  • Send the author a short, polite note with the facts that make you worth including: your rating and review count, years in business, licences, the towns you serve.
  • Never pay for a fake “editorial” pick that isn't disclosed. It can backfire, and it isn't honest to the people reading.

Reddit and forums

AI often quotes Reddit when people ask who to hire. If you join in, do it as yourself, say who you are, and only answer real questions helpfully. Never post as a pretend customer.

Do this before the next lesson

  • Go back to the websites from lesson one. Sort them into directories, review sites, best-of lists and other.
  • Claim or create your listing on every directory and review site you're missing from.
  • Pick the two best-of lists AI cited most, and send each author a short note.
Read: which websites does AI trust?

In Groow

Groow finds the websites AI cites for your questions, shows which list your competitors but not you, reads every best-of list and drafts the note to each author for your OK.

Try Groow free