Unlike a search engine's ten links, an AI assistant returns just two or three business names. The article explains how assistants choose, what can be measured and three simple steps that help an independent shop get cited.
The author asked four AI engines the same buyer questions across three runs. The market leader changed from one engine to the next, and being named by an AI did not mean being recommended.
Since Google's AI Overviews arrived, small business websites see impressions rise while clicks fall. The article explains how the site's role changes and which indicators to use to read it.
AI assistants cite only a handful of companies in their answers. For a local small business, the article says, visibility now depends on consistent information, genuine reviews and third-party sources.
A study of 474 small business websites and 118 answers from ChatGPT and Perplexity in Metz finds that small firms can appear in AI answers. The condition is that their sites clearly state who they are.
Shortcuts such as llms.txt files, content chopped up 'for AI' and miracle markup are popular in generative engine optimization. The article notes that Google clarified its position in 2026 on what it takes to appear in its AI answers.