If someone asked ChatGPT to recommend a business like yours, would your company appear in the answer?
It's an interesting question, and one that many business owners probably haven't considered yet.
We're all familiar with customers searching Google for local businesses, but people are also using AI tools such as ChatGPT to find products, compare services and ask for recommendations.
For example, someone might ask:
"Can you recommend an accountant in Hull?"
"Where can I buy a mobility scooter near Beverley?"
"Who's a good commercial cleaning company in East Yorkshire?"
"Can you recommend someone to build a website for my business?"
ChatGPT may respond by recommending businesses it considers relevant.
But here's the interesting part: how would you know whether ChatGPT is recommending your business or one of your competitors?
And what can you do to improve your chances of being discovered?
A potentially interesting development emerged on 6 November 2026, when screenshots appeared showing a new OpenAI feature called "Claim your business in ChatGPT".
According to early industry reporting, the proposed feature could allow businesses to:
Claim and verify their business within ChatGPT.
See how often ChatGPT mentions their company.
Track visits to their website from ChatGPT.
Keep business information, products and services up to date.
Provide information to help answer potential customers' questions.
In some ways, it sounds like a combination of Google Business Profile and Google Search Console, but designed for ChatGPT.
However, it's important to stress that this is still an emerging development.
At the time of writing, OpenAI hasn't officially confirmed the public launch or when UK businesses will be able to access the feature.
Yes, and this is an important distinction.
Your business doesn't need an officially claimed ChatGPT profile to be mentioned in its answers.
ChatGPT can use information from publicly available websites and other sources when responding to questions.
However, being mentioned by ChatGPT and officially claiming your business are two different things.
Claiming a profile, if and when that feature launches, also won't necessarily guarantee that your business appears more frequently in recommendations.
While we're waiting for more information, there are some straightforward things businesses can do to improve their online presence.
It might sound obvious, but your website should make it easy for both customers and search platforms to understand your business.
Make sure you clearly explain your products, services and the areas you cover.
For a local business, relevant location information can be particularly helpful.
Check that your contact details, opening hours, business name and other important information are correct.
Keep details consistent across your website and relevant business profiles.
Accurate information helps customers and reduces confusion about your business.
Think about the questions people regularly ask before contacting you.
How much does your service cost? Which areas do you cover? How does your product work? What happens after someone makes an enquiry?
Providing genuinely useful answers on your website is good for customers and may help search platforms better understand your business.
These are sensible improvements regardless of whether ChatGPT introduces a business claiming service.
Not at all.
At Getextra, we've always believed that successful digital marketing starts with a good website, useful information and making it easy for potential customers to get in touch.
That hasn't changed.
Google remains an important source of website visitors and enquiries, while AI-powered search introduces another way for customers to discover businesses.
Rather than chasing every new technology, we'd encourage businesses to understand how it could fit into their existing marketing.
Ultimately, the objective is still the same: helping the right customers find you.
We've published a more detailed article on the Getextra website explaining the proposed business claiming feature, what businesses can do now and what it could mean for their future online visibility.
We'll also be updating the article with a free, step-by-step DIY guide once OpenAI confirms how businesses in the UK can claim their profiles.
Our aim is to make the process easy to understand, without unnecessary technical jargon.
Read the full Getextra guide:
How to Get Your Business on ChatGPT – Add, List and Claim Your Business
We'll keep the guide updated as more information becomes available.
Article contributed by Getextra, a digital marketing agency based near Hull, helping businesses improve their websites, Google Ads, SEO and online visibility.
