GEO · 18 September 2026 · 1 min read · By seomedigital
How to get your restaurant recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI
Diners increasingly ask AI assistants where to eat. Here’s what helps AI tools find, trust and recommend your restaurant.
“Where’s a good Vietnamese restaurant near me that’s open late?” That question used to go straight into Google. Now a growing share of diners ask ChatGPT, Gemini or read Google’s AI Overview instead. These tools don’t show ten blue links — they name a few places. Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is about making sure yours is one of them.
AI tools recommend what they can verify
AI assistants build answers from information they can find and cross-check: your website, your Google profile, review sites, local directories and articles that mention you. The more consistent and detailed that information is, the more confident the AI can be in recommending you.
Five practical steps
None of these require new technology — just thorough, accurate information in the right places.
- Publish your full menu as text on your website, not only as a PDF or image
- Describe your cuisine, signature dishes, dietary options and atmosphere in plain language
- Add structured data (Restaurant schema) with hours, address, price range and menu link
- Keep details identical across Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp and delivery apps
- Encourage detailed reviews that mention dishes and occasions
Answer the questions diners ask
Add a short FAQ to your website: Do you take bookings? Is there parking? Do you have vegan options? Are you good for groups? These are exactly the questions people ask AI tools, and clear answers make your restaurant easy to quote.
Measure what you can
AI visibility is harder to track than search rankings, but you can test it: ask the major assistants the questions your customers would ask and note whether you appear. Repeat monthly and you’ll see the effect of your changes.