How to get found on Google and AI in 2027

By Robbie Olsen, Doorway Web Co. · Updated November 2026 · 7-minute read

When someone needs a plumber, a haircut or a place to eat, they search on their phone or ask an AI assistant. In a few seconds they pick one of the first businesses they see and trust. You don't need a big budget to be one of them. You need a few basics done right, and kept up to date. Here they are, in order of how much they matter.

1. Claim and fill out your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is the box with your name, map pin, hours, photos and reviews that shows up when people search for you or for "near me." For many local searches, it's the first thing customers see, often before your website. It's free.

• Claim it. Search your business name on Google. If you see "Own this business?", claim and verify it, so you control what it says.
• Pick the most specific category. "Septic system service" beats "Contractor." "Mexican restaurant" beats "Restaurant." You can add a few secondary categories too.
• Fill in everything. Phone, website, hours, service area or address, services or menu, and a short description in plain words.
• Add real photos. Your storefront, your team, your trucks, your work. Real photos build more trust than stock photos.

2. Set your holiday hours before every holiday

This is the easiest win most businesses miss. Your regular hours don't tell Google whether you're open on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or New Year's Day. Google recommends confirming your hours for official holidays, even when they're the same as usual. Around a holiday, if you haven't, your listing may show a warning that your hours "might differ." Customers who see that may call someone else, or show up to a locked door.

3. Pass the 5-second phone test

Open your own website on your phone. Within 5 seconds, can a stranger tell what you do, where you do it, and how to reach you? Most local searches happen on phones. If people have to pinch, zoom or hunt for your number, they hit the back button.

• Put your phone number at the top of every page as a tap-to-call button.
• Right under your name, say what you do and where: "Septic pumping and inspections in Crow Wing and Cass counties."
• Make buttons big enough for a thumb, and text big enough to read without zooming.

4. Make sure your site shows the padlock

Look at the address bar when your site loads. You should see a padlock and an address starting with https. If your browser says "Not secure," many visitors will leave, and they shouldn't type anything into your forms. Most hosting companies include a free security certificate (SSL). Ask yours to turn it on and to send every visitor to the https version.

5. Spell out your services and the towns you serve

Google and AI assistants can only recommend you for things your website actually says. A homepage that just says "Quality service since 1998" doesn't tell them much. List each service in plain words, the way customers search for it: "drain cleaning," "water heater repair," "gel nails," "Friday fish fry." Then name the towns, counties or neighborhoods you serve. Give your biggest services and areas a sentence or two of their own.

6. Keep your name, address and phone exactly the same everywhere

Your business shows up in many places: Google, Facebook, Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, your chamber directory and your own website. When your name, address and phone number match everywhere, search engines and AI tools can be more confident they all describe the same business. Old phone numbers and old addresses cause confusion and lost calls.

7. Get more reviews, the right way

Reviews matter to customers and to Google. The best way to get more is simple: ask every happy customer, every time, with a direct link to your review page. A text or email right after the job works well.

Two rules keep you safe. Google's policy doesn't allow businesses to offer anything in return for reviews, such as discounts, free items or other rewards. It also doesn't allow asking only the customers you expect to be happy. Ask everyone the same way (here's a summary of Google's review rules). Reply to every review, good or bad, briefly and politely. Future customers read your replies.

8. Help AI assistants find and describe you

More people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, or read Google's AI Overviews, for questions like "Who's a good electrician in Baxter?" Recommendations from AI are a growing part of how people find local businesses (see BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey). These tools build their answers from what they can read about you online, so the basics above matter even more:

• State the facts plainly on your website: what you do, where, your hours, how to reach you, and what makes you different. A short "About" paragraph and an FAQ answering common questions help a lot.
• Keep listings consistent (step 6), so every source agrees.
• Keep your Google profile complete and active (steps 1 and 2).
• Earn mentions on trusted local sites: your chamber directory, local news, community groups and organizations you sponsor.

Try it yourself: ask an AI assistant to recommend your type of business in your town, and ask it what it knows about your business. If it gets details wrong or doesn't mention you, those are the facts to make clearer online.

9. Keep everything current

An old phone number, last year's Christmas notice or a 2019 copyright date makes people wonder whether you're still open. Set a reminder to check your website, Google profile and Facebook Page at least twice a year, and before every holiday. It takes ten minutes.

Want a second set of eyes? Our free website check scores your site in about a minute. And if the holidays are sneaking up on you, we can update your holiday hours on Google, Facebook and your website for you.

This guide may be shared, printed or republished free with credit: "From Doorway Web Co. (doorwaywebco.com)". Questions or corrections? Email [email protected]. Doorway Web Co. is an independent studio and is not affiliated with Google, OpenAI, Microsoft or BrightLocal.