How can your business appear in ChatGPT and Google AI in 2026?

A potential customer might search Google for a local agency. They might also ask ChatGPT what sort of website their company needs, or read a Google AI answer before clicking through. The route to your website is changing. The useful question remains familiar: can a search service reach your page, understand what it says and consider it a useful source?

No setting can guarantee that ChatGPT or Google AI will recommend your company. You can remove technical obstacles and publish information that genuinely helps prospective customers. This guide turns Google's and OpenAI's current advice into practical steps for Belgian small businesses.

Search is changing; SEO still matters

People do not rely solely on a conventional list of Google results. They also ask AI assistants questions, use Google AI Mode and encounter AI Overviews above some search results. That does not mean every query triggers an AI response, or that conventional search has disappeared. A business needs useful pages wherever a customer starts.

Google says its established SEO principles still apply to generative search. To qualify as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode, a page must be indexed and eligible to appear with a snippet in Google Search. Meeting those requirements does not guarantee indexing, a link or a particular position. Clear service pages and useful internal links therefore matter more than an extra AI-specific file.

What are Google AI Overviews and AI Mode?

AI Overviews are summaries Google shows for some searches, accompanied by links for further reading. AI Mode is a conversational Google Search experience for more involved questions, comparisons and follow-ups. Both can use related searches to find supporting sources, so the links shown may vary with the question and the experience.

Imagine a business owner asking not just what a website costs, but which pages it needs, who writes the copy and what maintenance involves. A homepage that says ‘we create digital experiences’ offers little detail. Separate, specific pages about website development and maintenance answer distinct parts of that decision. They are also easier for readers to navigate.

How can a website appear in ChatGPT Search?

OpenAI says any public website can appear in ChatGPT Search. To make your content eligible for summaries and snippets, do not block OAI-SearchBot from the relevant pages. Check robots.txt, but also your firewall, CDN and bot protection. A page hidden behind a login or returning an access error will not be a reliable public source.

OAI-SearchBot crawls for ChatGPT search results. GPTBot is a separate crawler for content that may be used to train OpenAI's foundation models. OpenAI says these choices are independent: you can permit the search crawler while disallowing the training crawler. ChatGPT-User may visit a page after a user's action, but it is not the crawler that determines Search inclusion. Decide on search access and training access separately.

Crawler access alone is no promise of a citation. ChatGPT may draw on other sources, and its answers change with the question. Start by making the important pages public, accurate and genuinely useful. Adjust crawler rules only after deciding which content you want available.

SEO, GEO, AEO and AI SEO: what is the difference?

SEO improves a website for search engines and people through sound technology, content, structure and usability. GEO means Generative Engine Optimization; AEO means Answer Engine Optimization. ‘AI SEO’ is a broad label for efforts to be visible in generated answers. These labels describe a focus, not a secret technical requirement. Google still treats optimisation for its generative search features as SEO.

For a small business, concrete questions beat acronyms. Can a visitor quickly tell what you offer, who it is for, where you work when location matters, and how to get in touch? Can a crawler read the same facts? Which page best answers a specific customer question? If a proposed ‘GEO solution’ cannot identify the website problem it solves, look at the fundamentals first.

1. Make the right pages accessible and indexable

Start with your core service pages. Do they return a successful response? Are Googlebot and, if you want ChatGPT Search visibility, OAI-SearchBot allowed to access them? Check for accidental noindex instructions, incorrect canonicals, broken redirects and security rules that return 403. Inspect a URL in Google Search Console instead of assuming that what works in your browser works for crawlers.

2. Put essential information in the page

A static or pre-rendered page can provide its main content directly in HTML. That avoids depending on a complex JavaScript app before the basic answer becomes available. Dynamic sites can be crawlable too, provided their important text and links are delivered properly. Check the final HTML response: are the service, intended customer, process, relevant area and contact route actually present?

3. Answer real customer questions on distinct pages

Explain what a service includes, who it helps, how it works and what happens next. A broad website-development page and a genuinely local service page can serve different intentions. Adding a town name to dozens of otherwise identical pages cannot replace useful local context. First-hand knowledge and precise explanations have more value than interchangeable slogans.

4. Build a readable page hierarchy

Use a clear H1 for the main subject, H2 headings for major questions and H3 headings for their parts. Link with meaningful labels such as ‘website maintenance’, not just ‘read more’. Group services logically and connect relevant articles to the pages that explain those services. The result is easier for visitors to use and for search systems to interpret.

5. Keep canonical URLs and languages consistent

If similar content is available at several URLs, identify the intended canonical page. Connect Dutch, English and French versions correctly, and link internally to final URLs rather than through redirects. When rebuilding a site, review established URLs and their successors before launch so the new structure does not discard useful routes.

6. Use structured data to describe visible facts

BlogPosting, Organization and Service structured data can describe page content and support eligibility for relevant search appearances. It must match what visitors can see, including titles, authors, dates and services. Google requires no special AI schema for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Markup alone cannot guarantee a mention or a ranking.

7. Maintain content and technical quality

Keep services, prices if published, opening hours and contact details accurate. Change a modified date when the article genuinely changes. Review loading performance, mobile readability, keyboard access and semantic HTML. These make the site more useful to people while reducing technical friction for systems accessing its content. A fast page with no answer is still a poor answer.

8. Measure outcomes by page

Know which service pages should generate enquiries and which articles should answer early-stage questions. Compare visibility, visits and confirmed enquiries over sensible periods. If a page is seen but seldom attracts relevant visitors, review its search intent, title and actual content. One manual ChatGPT prompt is not a reliable trend: answers vary with context and time.

Do you need an llms.txt file?

Not for Google AI Overviews or AI Mode. Google says Search does not use llms.txt as special markup for these features. A business may choose to maintain such a file for another system that uses it, but it does not guarantee ChatGPT Search inclusion. It cannot replace crawlable HTML, sensible internal links, robots.txt or a sitemap.

Other supposed hacks deserve the same scepticism: breaking every sentence into tiny ‘AI chunks’, repeating keyword variants across every page, or adding structured data that contradicts visible information. Those changes often increase maintenance and reduce readability. Invest in valuable answers and a stable website first.

How do you measure ChatGPT and Google AI traffic?

In analytics, inspect referrals from chatgpt.com. OpenAI says ChatGPT Search links include utm_source=chatgpt.com, which can help identify visits. Connect the source with the landing page and a real outcome, such as a received enquiry. Not every answer earns a click, and other AI products may label their traffic differently.

Google Search Console now has a generative AI performance report for Search, showing impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode when enough data is available. Those impressions are also included in overall Web performance. Review pages, countries and devices, then use website analytics for visits and conversions. An impression is not a visit or a lead, and a change in Google traffic cannot automatically be attributed to AI.

A checklist for Belgian small businesses

• Select three important service pages and one useful information page.
• Inspect their indexing status, HTML and canonical URL in Search Console.
• Review robots.txt and bot protection for Googlebot and OAI-SearchBot where appropriate.
• Explain each service, target customer, relevant location and next step in plain language.
• Link related articles and service pages directly to their final URLs.
• Check that metadata, headings, structured data and visible facts agree.
• Record a baseline for organic visits, available AI impressions and confirmed enquiries.
• Review the pages when your services or the search products materially change.

You do not need to perfect everything in one day. If the most important page contains only a vague slogan, improve its explanation first. If it answers the question well but is not indexed, fix the technical cause. Address the obstacle you can actually demonstrate.

Make your website a useful source

Being found through ChatGPT and Google AI starts with accessible pages, precise answers, clear structure and trustworthy facts. New search experiences make those basics more visible; they do not create a shortcut to a guaranteed recommendation.

Unsure whether your site is crawlable, whether your service pages explain enough, or how to measure this traffic? Codegenie can review the current website and the questions your customers ask. That can show whether focused content work, technical maintenance or a new website is the sensible next step.

• Explore Codegenie's website development service
• Learn about website maintenance
• Discuss your website with Codegenie