AI Search and LLMs: get found on ChatGPT and Perplexity

More and more people no longer type three words into Google: they open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask a full question, the way they would ask a friend. For anyone with a business, this changes where and how you get found.

What LLMs are

LLM stands for Large Language Model. These are the systems behind assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini: software trained on enormous amounts of text, capable of answering questions written in natural language.

The difference from a classic search engine is in how they respond. Google gives you a list of links and you choose. An AI assistant often gives you a ready-made answer, citing a handful of sources — or sometimes none at all.

Why this concerns you

Imagine a traveller who instead of searching "hotel city centre Florence" asks ChatGPT: "where should I stay in Florence within walking distance of the Duomo, breakfast included?". The assistant will suggest a few options. The question is simple: are you one of them?

Being visible to AI assistants ("AI Search") is becoming as important as being visible on Google. It doesn't replace classic SEO: it sits alongside it. Those who take care of both today start with an advantage, because very few people are thinking about it yet.

How to get found by AI assistants

There is no button labelled "appear on ChatGPT". What works is making your content easy to interpret:

• Answer real questions — write the way your customers talk, not in corporate jargon.
• Be explicit — where you are, what you offer, who it's for: clear and up-to-date information.
• Structure your content — headings, lists and tidy text help whoever (or whatever) needs to read you.

The point

People search in new ways. Anyone who is only findable on Google risks disappearing exactly where customers are starting to look. The next useful thing to understand is how, concretely, a search engine reads your site.