AEO guide 05
Write down one official set of business facts, then make every listing and your website match it. AI assistants read different sources, so a single stale listing can put the wrong hours or phone number in front of a customer.
← All answer engine optimization guidanceWrite a master record
Update core listings
Match your website
Plan holiday hours
Recheck each month
Why this matters
An AI assistant does not call you to check your hours. It repeats what it finds in your Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Business, your website, or an old directory. Microsoft puts it plainly: in AI answers, a stale fact produces a misleading response. If you changed your phone number two years ago and one directory still lists the old one, an assistant may pass it on.
Google says keeping your Business Profile current and keeping structured data consistent with your visible page content are part of appearing well in its AI features. No controlled study proves that consistent listings raise AI visibility. But every assistant reads at least one of these sources, and customers who check an answer against your listing will notice when they disagree.
Responsible practices
Keep a single document with your business name as customers see it, phone, address or service area, regular hours, services, booking link, and website address. Every listing and page should copy from it. When something changes, update the master record first.
Claim Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect), Yelp, and Facebook. Bing Places can import from your Google Business Profile, which saves time, but check every imported field. Add the directories or booking platforms that matter in your trade, such as a home services directory or a salon booking app.
Update holiday hours and planned closures on every listing before the date, not the morning of. Most listings let you set special hours ahead of time. Check your website's hours page at the same time.
LocalBusiness structured data is code that tells search engines your name, address, phone, and hours. Google says it must match what visitors see on the page and that it is not required for AI features; Bing recommends using it. When your hours change, update the markup and the visible text together.
Industry reporting says Google discontinued Business Profile questions and answers in late 2025, and AI now writes answers from your profile, reviews, and website. Put answers about parking, payment, service area, emergency visits, and what to bring on your website in plain text. That gives assistants your own words to work from.
Google's automated calls to businesses can suggest updates to your profile, which show as pending for up to five business days, so check for them. Clean up duplicate or old listings where you can. Creating a Wikidata entry is not a realistic option for most small businesses, because Wikidata requires notability and may delete promotional entries.
Worked example
Hypothetical example: a family dental practice switches phone providers and gets a new main number. The office manager spends one afternoon updating every source.
The change took an afternoon because the office already had a list of every listing and login.
Facts check
Write a one-page master record of your business facts and date it.
Compare your Google, Bing, Apple, Yelp, and Facebook listings against it, field by field.
Set upcoming holiday hours on every listing now.
Search your old phone numbers and addresses to find outdated listings.
Add answers to your five most common customer questions to your website.
Update LocalBusiness structured data whenever your hours, phone, or address change, and check it matches the page.
Keep a list of every listing, who has access, and when it was last checked.
Check Google Business Profile for pending edits from Google or the public, and tell you before accepting them.
Avoid these mistakes
AI assistants decide what to show, change often, and can give different answers to different people, so mentions, citations, and recommendations are not guaranteed.
Questions business owners ask
Start with Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, and Apple Business. Google's AI features rely on the Business Profile, ChatGPT shows Yelp data, Copilot relies on Bing, and Siri uses Apple Business. Then add the directories and booking platforms customers in your trade use.
Not necessarily. Most small businesses can manage a handful of core listings by hand with a master record and a monthly check. A paid service may help if you have many locations, but make sure the listings stay in accounts your business owns.
Industry reporting says Google discontinued the Business Profile questions and answers feature in late 2025 and now uses AI to answer questions about a place. Google has not published a help page confirming the dates. Either way, answering common questions on your website gives the AI accurate material to use.
For most small businesses, no. Both have notability rules, and entries written to promote a business are often deleted. Your time is better spent on accurate listings and genuine reviews.
Primary guidance
Keep your facts straight