Myths about AI recommendations: do reviews, SEO or 'being famous' work?

AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity do not simply mirror Google search results when recommending local businesses. They draw on a broader mix of structured information from across the web — and many of the tactics that worked for traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimisation, the practice of improving how a website ranks in search results) have little direct effect on whether an AI mentions your business by name. Understanding the difference can save you a lot of wasted effort.

Myth 1: "If I rank on Google, I'll always be recommended"

This is probably the most common assumption, and it's understandable. For years, being on page one of Google meant being visible. But AI assistants don't work like a search engine results page.

When someone asks ChatGPT "What's a good plumber in Cork?" or "Where can I get a decent haircut in Galway?", the AI isn't running a live Google search and reading back the top result. It's drawing on patterns learned during training — which includes web content, directories, review platforms, and structured data from across the internet — and in some cases pulling from live sources like Bing or specific integrations.

A business that ranks brilliantly on Google may barely feature in AI responses if its information is thin, inconsistent, or absent from the platforms AI systems tend to reference. Conversely, a business with a modest Google ranking but rich, consistent details across directories can appear in AI recommendations regularly.

The relationship between traditional SEO and AI visibility is indirect at best. You can read more about how these two disciplines differ in our article on GEO vs AEO for local businesses in Ireland: what to focus on.

Myth 2: "Star ratings alone are enough for AI"

A strong average rating on Google, Tripadvisor, or Yelp absolutely matters — but AI assistants don't operate like a simple leaderboard that surfaces whoever has the most stars.

Here's what actually happens in practice. AI systems look at the substance of reviews, not just the aggregate score. A café with 4.2 stars and dozens of reviews mentioning "great coffee", "dog-friendly", and "handy for Grafton Street" gives an AI far more to work with than a competitor sitting at 4.7 stars with ten vague reviews that say "lovely place".

Review platforms that AI systems commonly draw on in an Irish context include:

• Google Reviews (attached to your Google Business Profile — GBP — which is the free listing Google provides for local businesses)
• Tripadvisor (especially relevant for hospitality and tourism)
• Trustpilot (more common for service businesses and e-commerce)
• Facebook Reviews
• Golden Pages (Ireland's local business directory, still indexed widely)

The quality, recency, and descriptive detail of your reviews matter more than the number alone. Encouraging customers to leave specific, honest feedback — mentioning what they came in for, the location, what they liked — is more useful than chasing a higher average score.

Myth 3: "AI only uses the business name and address"

This myth undersells how much context AI systems actually process. Your name and address are the starting point, not the finish line.

AI assistants are trained on vast amounts of web content. When that content includes detailed descriptions of what your business does, who it serves, what makes it different, and where it's located — across multiple sources — the AI has more material to draw on when forming a recommendation.

Think of it this way: if three separate sources (your website, your GBP listing, and a local directory) all describe your business as a "family-run physiotherapy clinic in Limerick city centre specialising in sports injuries and post-surgery rehabilitation", that consistency and specificity gives an AI something concrete to work with. A listing that just says "Limerick Physio — 14 O'Connell Street" gives it almost nothing.

What AI actually pulls from (listings, pages, directories, and structured details)

Understanding the sources AI systems draw on helps you prioritise where to invest your time. Based on how AI assistants typically behave, the following types of content tend to carry weight:

A few things worth noting for Irish businesses specifically:

• Google Business Profile is still the single most important listing to keep accurate and complete. It feeds into Google's own AI features (like AI Overviews) as well as third-party AI tools.
• Treatwell and Booksy are widely used for beauty and hair bookings in Ireland and are indexed by AI systems. If you're in that sector and your profile is bare, you're missing an easy win.
• TheFork (also known as LaFourchette) is used by restaurants across Ireland and feeds into AI responses about dining recommendations.

Structured data — meaning information formatted in a consistent, machine-readable way — is particularly useful. This includes things like your opening hours, accepted payment methods, parking availability, and whether you're wheelchair accessible. These aren't just helpful for customers; they're the kind of specific details AI assistants use to match a business to a query.

For a deeper look at the specific signals AI assistants use when picking local businesses, see How ChatGPT and Gemini pick local businesses: what signals matter.

What to do next when your recommendation visibility is low

If you suspect AI assistants aren't mentioning your business — or you've tested it and confirmed they aren't — here's a practical starting point.

1. Audit your Google Business Profile Log in at business.google.com and check that every section is filled in: business category, description, opening hours (including bank holidays), services, photos, and your website link. An incomplete GBP is one of the most common and most fixable problems.

2. Check your consistency across directories Your business name, address, and phone number should be identical across every platform where you're listed. Even small differences (e.g. "St." versus "Street") can create confusion for AI systems trying to verify your details.

3. Claim your profiles on relevant industry platforms If you're a restaurant, make sure you're on Tripadvisor and TheFork. If you're in beauty or hair, Treatwell and Booksy are worth your time. If you're a general service business, Golden Pages and local chamber of commerce directories are useful. Don't leave these profiles blank — fill in descriptions, add photos, list your services.

4. Look at the language you use to describe your business Write your descriptions in plain, specific language that matches how your customers actually search. "Accountant in Dublin 6 specialising in small business tax returns and payroll" is more useful to an AI than "professional financial services".

5. Encourage detailed reviews After a job or visit, ask customers to leave a review and mention what they came in for. You can't script reviews, but you can remind people that specific feedback is more helpful than a quick star tap.

6. Check whether AI assistants are actually recommending you The free check at suggestedby.ai tests whether AI assistants name your business when someone asks for a recommendation in your category and location. It's a useful baseline before you invest time in changes — you need to know where you're starting from.

The gap between "ranking well on Google" and "being recommended by AI" is real, but it's not insurmountable. The businesses that tend to show up in AI responses are those with accurate, detailed, consistent information across the web — not necessarily the most famous or the most optimised for traditional search.