AI Is the New Word of Mouth. Is It Mentioning You?
Updated: Oct 5
2-minute read
Booking a birthday lunch for your mum should be straightforward. Until you factor in your uncle’s wheelchair, your sister’s vegetarianism, space for the kids...and the new puppy.
You ask an AI assistant:
“Find a restaurant in Exeter for a family birthday lunch, with wheelchair access, a spacious table and good veggie options.”
It suggests a few places. You check the details and book.
Across town, another restaurant has level access, a private room, a garden, and vegetarian dishes that extend beyond risotto.
It sounds perfect. But it never appeared.
A recommendation needs something to go on.
AI can act a little like a well-connected friend: you explain what you need, and it suggests somewhere suitable.
The difference? Your friend might have eaten there. An AI tool using web search relies on the information it can find, and can misunderstand it.
Your website, business listings and other online sources help establish whether you fit the request. Clear information gives these tools something useful to work with. It doesn’t guarantee a place on the shortlist.
Your best selling points might be hiding
You know the entrance is step-free. A regular customer knows the private room is quiet. Your chef knows the vegetarian menu is excellent.
Does your website say any of that?
“Something for everyone” is cheerful but vague. “Three vegetarian main courses, with vegan options clearly marked” answers a question.
Accessibility deserves the same precision. A photograph of the entrance doesn’t explain whether there are steps inside or an accessible toilet. Describe the facilities accurately so customers can judge what works for them.
If a detail could decide the booking, give it a sentence.
There’s a name for this, naturally
Answer Engine Optimisation, or AEO, means making your content useful to tools that answer people’s questions.
It starts with the questions customers already ask. Google’s guidance also recommends keeping important information in text and business details up to date for its AI search features.
No need to write a dissertation on lunch.
Five useful things to do this week
Collect real questions. Look through enquiries. What do people ask before booking?
Write direct answers. “Our private room seats 12” beats “the ideal setting for every occasion”.
Put answers where they matter. Dietary information belongs beside the menu; access details should be easy to find before booking.
Check for contradictions. Your website, Google Business Profile and booking page should agree on hours and facilities.
Try a realistic search. Check which businesses appear and whether the information is correct. Treat one answer as a spot-check: results can vary.
The same principle applies to salons, guest houses and garages: explain the details that help someone choose.
You already answer these questions on the phone. Put those answers online, and give your next customer a better chance of finding you.
Preferably before someone books Mum’s birthday at Taco Bell.
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