The Anatomy of an AI-Friendly Business Listing
How to structure your business information so AI assistants can find, understand, and recommend you.
May Chen
Strategist, Geonauts
AI assistants pull information from business listings across the web. The better structured your listings, the more likely AI is to understand and recommend you.
The Core Components
1. Business Name
✅ Do
- • Use your official, consistent name
- • Match it exactly across all platforms
- • Include location if part of your name
❌ Don't
- • Add keywords that aren't part of your name
- • Use different variations across platforms
- • Include promotional text in name field
✅ "Sunrise Dental Care"
❌ "Sunrise Dental Care - Best Dentist - Affordable - Same Day"
2. Category/Type
✅ Do
- • Select the most specific category
- • Use multiple categories if allowed
- • Choose categories customers search for
❌ Don't
- • Select irrelevant categories for visibility
- • Miss secondary categories that apply
- • Use overly broad categories
✅ Primary: "Italian Restaurant" / Secondary: "Pizza Restaurant", "Wine Bar"
❌ Just "Restaurant"
3. Description
📝 Optimal Structure
[What you are] in [Location]. [What you specialize in].
[What makes you different]. [Who you serve].
✅ Good Example
"Family dental practice in downtown Portland. We specialize in cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign, and same-day crowns. Dr. Smith has served Portland families for 15 years, with a focus on anxiety-free dental care for patients of all ages."
❌ Bad Example
"Best dentist in Portland! #1 rated dental office cheap affordable dentist teeth whitening veneers crowns fillings cleanings..."
4. Address
⚠️ Consistency is Critical
Use the exact same format everywhere:
✅ All platforms: 123 Main Street, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78701
Not:
- • "123 Main St., Ste. 100, Austin TX"
- • "123 Main Street, Austin, Texas 78701"
- • "123 Main St #100 Austin TX 78701"
5. Phone, Hours, Website
| Field | Do | Don't |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | One consistent number, same format everywhere | Different tracking numbers per platform |
| Hours | Specific times (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM), updated for holidays | "Call for hours" or different hours per platform |
| Website | Main website with HTTPS, mobile-friendly | Social media as primary, broken links |
6. Photos
✅ Do
- • High-quality, professional images
- • Exterior, interior, products, team
- • Update at least annually
- • Descriptive file names
❌ Don't
- • Stock photos
- • Low-quality or blurry images
- • Only logos
- • Never update
Platform-Specific Tips
📍 Google Business Profile
- • Complete all attributes
- • Add products/services section
- • Use Google Posts for updates
- • Enable messaging
- • Add Q&A (answer common questions yourself)
⭐ Yelp
- • Complete business specialties
- • Add "From the Business" section
- • Respond to reviews
- • Add detailed service information
The Consistency Audit
📋 Quarterly Checklist
- 1. Search your business name
- 2. Check top 10 results
- 3. Compare: name spelling, address, phone, hours, website, description
- 4. Fix any discrepancies immediately
Schema Markup for Your Website
Required LocalBusiness Fields
Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to validate.
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