No one outside Google or OpenAI knows the exact recipe. What they publish is clear, though. Google says local results lean on relevance, distance and prominence. Its AI answers link only to indexed pages and need no special AI markup. And ChatGPT search only shows sites its search crawler is allowed to reach.
What we know, and what we don't
There's a lot of confident advice online about "ranking in AI". Much of it is guesswork. In this post we stick to what Google and OpenAI say in their own help pages. Where we give our own view, we say so.
Here's the honest starting point. Google says it keeps the details of its local ranking system confidential to keep it fair. So anyone who claims to know the exact formula is guessing.
What Google says about local results
Google's Business Profile help explains that local results are mainly based on three things:
- Relevance: how well a Business Profile matches what someone searched for. Google says complete, detailed business info helps it match you to the right searches.
- Distance: how far the business is from the person searching. If the person doesn't share a location, Google uses what it knows about where they are.
- Prominence: how well known a business is. Google says this draws on things like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have. It adds that more reviews and positive ratings can help.
Google is also clear that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
What Google says about AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google's Search Central guide for site owners covers AI Overviews and AI Mode. The main points:
- The same SEO basics apply. Google says there are no extra requirements or special optimizations needed to appear.
- To be a supporting link, a page must be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet.
- These features may run several related searches at once, which Google calls "query fan-out", and then pick supporting pages.
- You don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special schema.
- Structured data should match the visible text on the page.
- Your Business Profile information should be up to date.
Google also says meeting every requirement doesn't guarantee it will crawl, index or show your content.
What OpenAI says about ChatGPT search
OpenAI publishes a page about its crawlers. It says OAI-SearchBot is used to surface websites in ChatGPT's search features. Sites that opt out of it won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers, though they can still appear as navigation links. OpenAI recommends allowing OAI-SearchBot in your robots.txt file if you want to appear. It also says changes to robots.txt can take about 24 hours to take effect.
Our reading (this part is our opinion)
Put those pages side by side and a simple picture comes out. AI answers seem to build on the same things that already help local businesses: a complete profile, real reviews, and clear pages that search tools are allowed to read. We don't see evidence of a separate secret trick. That's our reading of the official guidance, not something Google or OpenAI has stated.
Steps that line up with the official guidance
- Claim and complete your Google Business Profile. Hours, category, services, photos and service area. This speaks to relevance.
- Verify, then reply to reviews. Google says you need to verify before you can reply, and that replies show customers you value their feedback.
- Make sure your website can be indexed. Check that nothing is blocking search crawlers, such as a stray "noindex" tag or a robots.txt rule.
- Allow the search crawlers you want. That includes Googlebot and, if you want to appear in ChatGPT search, OAI-SearchBot.
- Write your services and towns as plain text. Google says important content should be available in text form.
- Add LocalBusiness structured data that matches the page. Google says it can tell Search about things like your hours and departments.
- Keep details the same everywhere. Your website, your profile and your directory listings should agree.
- Set up Google Search Console. Google recommends it for spotting technical problems.
What to watch out for
- Guaranteed placement. Google says indexing and serving aren't guaranteed. No one can promise a spot in an AI answer.
- Required "AI files". Google says you don't need them for its AI features.
- Paying for local ranking. Google says there's no way to do it.
Questions
Can I pay Google to rank higher in local results?
Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence.
Do I need an llms.txt or other AI file on my site?
Not for Google's AI features. Google says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special schema to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
How long does it take for changes to show up?
It varies. Google says recrawling can take anywhere from several days to several months. OpenAI says robots.txt changes can take about 24 hours to affect ChatGPT search.
Will structured data guarantee that I'm mentioned?
No. It helps Google understand your page, and Google says it should match what's visible on the page. But Google says indexing and serving are never guaranteed.
Sources
- https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091?hl=en: Local results mainly based on relevance, distance, prominence (definitions); links and reviews feed prominence; ranking details kept confidential; no way to pay for better local ranking. (checked 2026-10-27)
- https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features: Same SEO basics; must be indexed and snippet-eligible; query fan-out; no AI text files or special schema; structured data matches visible text; keep Business Profile up to date; no guarantee; recrawl days to months; Search Console. (checked 2026-10-27)
- https://platform.openai.com/docs/bots: OAI-SearchBot surfaces sites in ChatGPT search; opt-outs not shown in answers; recommend allowing it; ~24 hours for robots.txt changes. (checked 2026-10-27)
- https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050: Must verify to reply to reviews; replies show you value feedback. (checked 2026-10-27)
- https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/local-business: LocalBusiness structured data can describe hours, departments and more. (checked 2026-10-27)