How to get your business found online: Google, Maps and AI
By Harry Norris, Aucta AI · Updated 26 October 2026
Customers find local businesses in four places now: Google Maps, the normal Google results, AI assistants like ChatGPT, and reviews. Getting found means showing up in each with the same clear, consistent picture of your business. Start with your Google profile, reviews and a page for each service. Each guide below covers one part in plain English.
On this page
Being found online used to mean one thing: Google. Now it means Google Maps, Google's results, AI assistants and the reviews people read before they call. These guides explain each in plain English, for business owners rather than marketers. If you would rather we did it, that is what our local SEO and AI search plans are for.
The four places customers look
Google Maps
The map at the top of local searches. Driven by your Google Business Profile, reviews and how close you are.
How to rank higher on Google MapsGoogle search results
The normal results under the map. Driven by your website: a clear page for each service and area, built properly.
The small business website checklistAI assistants
ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers. They recommend businesses they can read clearly and see confirmed elsewhere.
How to get recommended by ChatGPTReviews and reputation
What others say about you, on Google and beyond. It moves you up the map and helps people choose you.
Google Business Profile vs a websiteThe decisions to make
- Do it yourself, or get help?Can you do SEO yourself?
- What should it cost?How much SEO costs a small business
- How long will it take?How long SEO takes to work
- Ads or SEO?SEO vs Google Ads
All get found guides
- How to get your business recommended by ChatGPTHow AI assistants choose who to recommend, a free test you can run today, and what actually moves the needle.Read the guide
- How to rank higher on Google MapsHow Google picks the businesses on the map, ten steps to move up, and a calculator for your review gap.Read the guide
- Google Business Profile suspended? What to doFind the likely cause in two minutes, appeal with the right evidence, and avoid the mistakes that make it worse.Read the guide
- How much does SEO cost a UK small business?Typical 2026 prices, what the money should buy, red flags, and a calculator to see if it pays for itself.Read the guide
- How long does SEO take to work?What to expect and when, what speeds it up or slows it down, and a real three-month timeline.Read the guide
- Can you do SEO yourself, or do you need an agency?An honest check on whether to do it yourself, and a free 30-day plan to get started.Read the guide
- SEO vs Google Ads for a small businessHow each works, a side-by-side comparison, a cost per enquiry calculator, and when to use both.Read the guide
- Google Business Profile vs a websiteWhat each does, where each falls short, and a one-minute check on whether a profile is enough.Read the guide
Choosing or improving a website? See our guides to small business websites.
Found on Google, Maps and AI. Done for you.
We look after your Google Business Profile, pages, listings, reviews routine and AI search every month, and report in plain English. From £297 a month, rolling, usually on the website you already have.
Common questions
How do I get my business found online?
Make sure you show up in the four places customers look: Google Maps (through a complete Google Business Profile and reviews), Google's normal results (through a clear website with a page for each service), AI assistants (through a readable site and mentions elsewhere), and review sites. Keep your details identical everywhere.
What should a local business do first?
Claim and complete your Google Business Profile, start asking every customer for a review, and make sure your website has a clear page for each main service. Those three move the needle fastest for most local businesses.
Is SEO still worth it now people use ChatGPT?
Yes. The work that gets you found on Google, such as clear pages, consistent details and genuine reviews, is largely the same work that gets you recommended by AI tools. Doing it well covers both.