Google Business Profile and AI: why it matters, and what to fix

Why your Google profile matters to AI

• Gemini and Google's AI answers use Google Maps data directly: rating, number of reviews, category, opening hours, area.
• ChatGPT and Perplexity search the web; they land on directories, maps and sites that often reuse those same details.
• All AI assistants cross-check: if your name, address or phone differ from one source to another, they're less sure it's the same business, and prefer to name someone else.

The 8 things to check

1. The exact name

The same everywhere: Google profile, website, directories, invoices. No keywords added to the name (“Smith Garage – car repair Sion”): it breaks Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.

2. The primary category

It's the strongest signal for “best {trade}”. Pick the most precise one (“Auto repair shop” rather than “Business”), then add secondary categories for your other trades.

3. Reviews: count, rating, regularity

AI often justifies its picks with the rating (“4.8 stars from 250 reviews”). Ask every happy customer for a review, with a direct link. Reply to every review, negative ones included, calmly.

4. Opening hours, including special hours

A business shown as “closed” or with wrong hours is dropped from “open now” answers.

5. The website

The profile's link should lead to your real website (not a Facebook page if you have a site), ideally the page for your city or main service.

6. Phone and address

Identical to your website, character for character if possible. Our consistency check compares the two automatically.

7. Description and services

Describe what you do in your customers' words: “electric car repairs”, “winter tyres”, not “mobility solutions”.

8. Photos and posts

They won't get you recommended on their own, but a living profile (recent photos, posts) signals an active business.

And on your website

Repeat the same details on your website, as text, and add a LocalBusiness structured data block: it's the clearest way to tell search engines and AI “here's my name, address, phone and opening hours”. Our free generator prepares it in 5 minutes.