More people are asking ChatGPT to recommend businesses, compare providers and narrow their options.
Take luxury hospitality. A traveller might ask about a beachfront hotel, a romantic weekend property or a small destination wedding venue. So how does ChatGPT decide which businesses to mention?
There is no guaranteed formula. ChatGPT needs to understand the request, find relevant information and assess which businesses fit best.
ChatGPT Starts with the Customer’s Question
Travellers are using ChatGPT and other AI tools to ask specific questions when comparing where to stay. More specific questions create more specific criteria.
They might ask:
- Which boutique hotels in Byron Bay are close to the beach and restaurants?
- Where should we stay in Noosa for a luxury couples weekend?
- Which Whitsundays resorts are suited to a small destination wedding?
Travellers can then narrow the results with follow-up questions about room types, private dining, accessibility, nearby experiences or budget.
Each question gives ChatGPT more context. The more detail someone provides, the more specific the information needed to identify relevant businesses.
ChatGPT Needs to Find Information About Your Business
When ChatGPT searches the web, OpenAI uses a search crawler called OAI-SearchBot to discover website content. Access can be controlled through robots.txt, the file that tells crawlers which parts of a website they may visit.
Our team checks that important pages are accessible and not unintentionally blocked by robots.txt, website settings or security tools. We then review what ChatGPT can learn from those pages.
Access is only the first step. A page can be crawlable and still give ChatGPT too little information to understand where the business fits. For a hotel, that could include room types, location, dining, wedding facilities, accessibility and nearby experiences.
HOM tip: avoid broad descriptions such as “luxury accommodation”. Look for details a customer may use to narrow a choice, such as beachfront access, private dining, accessibility or wedding capacity.
ChatGPT Can Look Beyond Your Website
Your website is only one part of the picture. ChatGPT may also find information through reviews, booking platforms, directories, travel publications and other credible sources.
If a hotel promotes romantic stays, while reviews mention anniversaries and travel publications feature it in couples’ guides, those sources reinforce the same association.
We review how consistently a business is represented across its wider online presence. Conflicting locations, facilities or descriptions can make that picture harder to interpret. Consistent information helps reinforce what your business is known for.
Being Found Does Not Mean Being Recommended
Finding a relevant business is only the first step. ChatGPT still needs enough evidence to understand why one option may suit the request better than another.
Two Sydney hotels may both offer premium rooms and harbour access. One also explains rooftop dining, late checkout, nearby restaurants and guest reviews mentioning weekend stays. The other gives only a broad description of its facilities. For someone planning a luxury weekend in Sydney, the first hotel gives ChatGPT more specific evidence.
When a competitor is repeatedly recommended, we look at what supports that association and where the gap sits across website content, reviews, case studies or external mentions. There is no guaranteed ChatGPT recommendation, so our focus is to strengthen the evidence behind the business and make it easier to recognise.
How HOM Tests ChatGPT Visibility
We build realistic questions around the ways customers may search for your business, then review:
- Which businesses ChatGPT recommends
- How your business is described
- Which competitors repeatedly appear
- Which sources are referenced
- What information may be missing
We vary location, occasion, facilities and customer needs to see how results change. One prompt is not a permanent ranking, so our team looks for patterns and repeats relevant tests over time. Where customers click through from ChatGPT, we can monitor referral traffic in GA4 and connect that visibility with website visits and enquiries. The goal is straightforward: make your business easier for ChatGPT to find, understand and support with relevant evidence.
