How to make ChatGPT to recommend your business?
The Rise of LLM Search
Conversational AI is no longer just for writing emails or answering trivia. Tools like ChatGPT are now helping people discover coffee shops, restaurants, gyms, and more in their local area. That means businesses need to think beyond Google and into how Large Language Models (LLMs) find and rank local places.This shift raises an important question for local businesses:
How can you get ChatGPT to recommend your business?
To answer that, we need to look at how LLMs discover and rank local places and it’s not as simple as tapping into Google Maps or Bing.
Where ChatGPT Gets Its Local Business Data
Contrary to popular belief, ChatGPT doesn’t rely directly on Google Maps or Bing for local search. Ask it something like:
“Best sushi restaurants in Amsterdam”
And you’ll often see a map alongside a list of businesses, complete with ratings, photos, and addresses. So where is this information coming from?
✅ The LLM Local Search Data Stack:
Foursquare
Core data source: name, category, address, photos, ratings.
Mapbox
Powers the visual map output.
Reprompt
Supplements and corrects outdated Foursquare data with fresh insights.
How The System Works
When you ask ChatGPT a local query like “cafés near me” it doesn’t just guess or generate an answer from scratch. Instead, it triggers an internal tool call that queries external APIs, primarily from Foursquare.Here’s what happens behind the scenes:Foursquare responds with a list of relevant businessesMetadata like ratings, photos, and price level are includedMapbox generates the accompanying map visual It’s important to note: ChatGPT doesn’t create the rankings. Those come directly from Foursquare, with enhancements from Reprompt.
The Problem: Outdated or Incorrect Data
Common issues include:
Old or incorrect business hours
Missing or outdated photos
Incorrect country codes (e.g. showing a U.S number with +1 instead of a Dutch +31)
Businesses that have closed or moved still appearing in the results
This is where Reprompt steps in. It uses AI-powered crawlers to scan the web, your website, social profiles, and third-party directories, to supplement missing or incorrect data. It even adds a “proof” layer to verify where the updates came from.
But there’s a catch: coverage isn’t universal. If your business isn’t accurately listed on Foursquare, and Reprompt hasn’t picked it up, you may be invisible to ChatGPT, even if you’re thriving in real life or ranking well on Google.
How a business is appearing in Foursquare
How the same business is appearing on Chat GPT only with different data!
How to Optimise for ChatGPT and LLMs
If you want your business to show up in ChatGPT and other AI-driven tools, you need to be intentional about your presence in the data ecosystem these models rely on. Here’s how to increase your local visibility in LLM search:
✅ 1. Get Listed (or Updated) on Foursquare
Join the Foursquare Placemakers community:Claim or add your businessUpdate core NAP (Name, Address, Phone)Add categories and accurate keywords Placemaker documentation lets you contribute directly.
✅ 2. Use Accurate Categories and Descriptions
Make sure your listings reflect:
Precise categories (e.g., “Vegan Bakery” instead of just “Restaurant”)
Keyword-rich, natural descriptions
Services and specialities
Even though ChatGPT displays data primarily from Foursquare, the Reprompt layer enriches it by pulling additional information from other directories like:
Yelp
TripAdvisor
Google Maps
Niche directories
Double-check that your citations across all platforms include:
Correct Address
Hours of operation
Phone number
Website
Photos and reviews
Implement LocalBusiness schema using Schema.org:
Name, address, and phone
Category and hours
Price range
Location specific coordinates
GBP link
Reprompt’s LLM-powered agents:
Scrape social media, local websites, embedded listings
Identify POIs (Points of Interest) across platforms
Assign trust levels to updates
Collaborate with human reviewers via Foursquare’s Place Engine
Its Place Engine:
Combines human edits and AI agent contributions
Tracks trust levels per contributor
Powers thousands of apps and now LLMs like ChatGPT
They’ve even open-sourced core place attributes (name, address, location) to allow greater access and innovation.
Staying visible in the world of AI-powered search requires more than just a good Google Business Profile. At GMBapi.com, we make sure your business is fully prepared for discovery by tools like ChatGPT by:🚀 Distributing Your ListingsWe automatically sync your GBP data to key directories like Foursquare, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and dozens of other platforms that feed into LLMs.🔁 Keeping Information Up to DateFrom new opening hours to fresh photos or updated phone numbers, we push changes daily across all your listings – so your information stays accurate everywhere, all the time.🌟 Managing Your ReputationTrack and respond to reviews from a single dashboard, helping you build trust with customers and AI models alike.🤖 Preparing for LLM DiscoveryWe’re actively developing features to ensure your business data is fully optimised for emerging LLM platforms, so you stay ahead of the curve as search evolves.
🚀 Distributing Your ListingsWe automatically sync your GBP data to key directories like Foursquare, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and dozens of other platforms that feed into LLMs.
🔁 Keeping Information Up to DateFrom new opening hours to fresh photos or updated phone numbers, we push changes daily across all your listings – so your information stays accurate everywhere, all the time.
🌟 Managing Your ReputationTrack and respond to reviews from a single dashboard, helping you build trust with customers and AI models alike.
🤖 Preparing for LLM DiscoveryWe’re actively developing features to ensure your business data is fully optimised for emerging LLM platforms, so you stay ahead of the curve as search evolves.
