More customers now ask AI assistants — ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot — questions like “Which digital agency in Nairobi should I hire?” or “Where can I buy solar panels in Mombasa?”. Google also shows AI-generated overviews above many search results. If your business is not part of those answers, you may be invisible at the exact moment someone is ready to choose.
There is no switch you can flip to guarantee an AI recommendation. But there are practical steps that make your business easier for these systems to find, understand and trust. This guide explains them in plain language.
How AI assistants decide what to say
AI assistants generate answers from a mix of what they learned during training and, increasingly, live web search. When they search, they read pages, compare sources and summarise. They tend to favour information that is clear, consistent across sources, easy to quote and published by sources that look credible. That means the work overlaps heavily with good SEO — with extra emphasis on clarity and consistency.
Step 1: Describe your business clearly and consistently
Write a short factual description of your business: what you are, where you are, what you offer, who you serve and how to contact you. Use the same name, location, phone number and description on your website, Google Business Profile, social media bios and directory listings. Inconsistent details — an old phone number here, a different business name there — make it harder for machines to be confident they are looking at the same business.
Put this description somewhere prominent on your site, such as an “About” section written as plain facts rather than marketing slogans.
Step 2: Make sure AI crawlers can read your site
Check your robots.txt file (yourdomain.co.ke/robots.txt). Some websites accidentally block crawlers used by AI companies, such as GPTBot (OpenAI), ClaudeBot (Anthropic), PerplexityBot and Google-Extended. Whether to allow them is a business decision, but if you want to be visible in AI answers, blocking them works against you.
You can also add an llms.txt file — a plain-text summary of your site written for AI tools. It is an emerging convention rather than an official standard, so treat it as a helpful extra, not a magic fix.
Step 3: Add structured data
Structured data (schema markup) is code that labels the facts on your pages so machines do not have to guess. Useful types for most Kenyan businesses include Organization or LocalBusiness (name, address, phone, logo, social profiles), Service, Product, FAQPage and BreadcrumbList. Most WordPress SEO plugins can add the basics; a developer can add more detailed markup. Test it with Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema.org validator.
Step 4: Answer real questions directly
AI assistants quote content that answers a question cleanly. For each service you offer, publish a page that explains what it is, who it is for, how it works, what affects the cost, and the questions customers ask most often. Use clear headings and short paragraphs. Include definitions, steps and, where relevant, simple formulas or checklists.
Avoid vague copy like “we deliver innovative solutions”. Say what you actually do: “We install solar systems for homes and small businesses in Nakuru and surrounding counties.”
Step 5: Earn mentions from credible sources
Search engines and AI systems look beyond your own website. Mentions in news coverage, industry associations, business directories, partner websites and review platforms help confirm that your business is real and relevant. Practical ways to earn them include sharing genuine news with local media, joining professional associations, listing your business in reputable Kenyan directories, and asking satisfied customers to leave honest Google reviews.
Step 6: Keep your Google Business Profile complete
For local searches, your Google Business Profile is one of the most important sources of information about your business. Fill in every field, choose accurate categories, add photos, keep hours up to date, and respond to reviews. Our step-by-step guide to setting up a Google Business Profile in Kenya covers this in detail.
Step 7: Check what AI assistants say about you
Once a month, ask a few AI assistants the questions your customers would ask — “best [your service] in [your town]”, “is [your business] reliable”, “what does [your business] do”. Note whether you appear, whether the details are correct, and which sources are cited. If information is wrong, fix it at the source: your website, your profiles and your listings.
What not to do
- Do not publish fake reviews or invented statistics. They can damage trust with customers and platforms.
- Do not stuff pages with keywords or create dozens of near-identical location pages.
- Do not expect instant results. Changes can take weeks or months to be reflected.
A simple checklist
- Write a clear, factual business description and use it everywhere.
- Check robots.txt allows the AI crawlers you want.
- Add Organization, Service and FAQ structured data.
- Publish a clear page for each service, with FAQs.
- Complete and maintain your Google Business Profile.
- Earn genuine mentions and reviews.
- Check AI assistants monthly and correct errors at the source.
Want help? Our SEO & AI search (GEO) service covers all of the above, from technical fixes to content and digital PR.