More and more people are asking AI for recommendations. Instead of typing a few words into a search box, they ask a full question: "Where should we have a relaxed family dinner in Kailua?" or "What's a good spa in Portland for a birthday treat?" Tools such as ChatGPT, Google's AI answers and other assistants reply with a short list of suggestions.
If you run a small business in Hawaiʻi or on the West Coast, you may be wondering how those tools decide who to mention, and how to make sure your business is understood correctly. Here's a plain-English look at what matters.
How AI search decides what to recommend
No one outside these companies knows every detail, and the tools keep changing. But the basic idea is simple: AI tools gather what's publicly available about a business and try to understand it well enough to recommend it with confidence.
They tend to draw on things like:
- Your website, especially the words on it: what you offer, where you are and who you serve
- Business listings, such as your Google Business Profile and other map and directory listings
- Reviews and what customers say about you
- Mentions elsewhere, such as local news, visitor guides, event pages and community websites
When all of these tell the same clear story, an AI tool can describe your business accurately. When information is missing, unclear or contradictory, it may leave you out, or worse, describe you incorrectly.
Why your website matters even more now
Social media posts and photos are lovely, but AI tools rely heavily on clear, readable words. Your website is the one place where you control exactly what's said about your business, in your own words. If you're weighing whether you need one, read Do I still need a website if I have Facebook or Instagram?
A website helps AI tools most when it plainly answers the questions people ask:
- What do you do? Say it simply, near the top of your homepage.
- Where are you? Name your town, island or neighborhood, and the areas you serve.
- Who is it for? Families, couples, visitors, locals, small groups, special occasions.
- What should people know before they come? Hours, booking, parking, prices or price ranges, and what to expect.
Simple steps to help AI understand your business
- Keep your details identical everywhere. Your business name, address, phone number and hours should match on your website, your Google Business Profile and every other listing. Small differences can cause confusion. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through the basics.
- Add a helpful questions section. A short list of real questions and answers on your website is easy for both people and AI tools to understand.
- Write about your place in specific words. "A family-run café on the north shore of Kauaʻi, known for fresh poke and early breakfast" tells far more than "great food, friendly service."
- Keep things current. Update hours, seasons, menus and prices whenever they change, especially before a busy season.
- Give your website the behind-the-scenes labels search tools look for. Websites can include hidden details that tell search tools your business type, location and hours. Your visitors never see them, but search tools do.
- Encourage honest reviews over time. Reviews help people and AI tools understand what your business is like. Never buy or invent them; simply invite happy customers to share their experience.
- Get mentioned locally. A listing with your local visitor bureau, chamber of commerce or a neighborhood guide helps confirm that your business is real and well regarded.
Check what AI says about you
Try asking a few AI tools about your business by name and about your type of business in your town. You may be pleasantly surprised, or you may find old hours, a wrong address or a description that misses what makes you special. If something's wrong, the fix usually starts with your website and your listings.
What not to worry about
You don't need to chase every new tool or rewrite your website every month. The same things that help people choose you also help AI tools recommend you: clear words, accurate details, real photos and a website that's easy to use on a phone. Good foundations last.
Need a hand?
If you'd rather have someone take care of this for you, our Search & visibility setup and Google Business Profile setup help Hawaiʻi and West Coast businesses present clear, consistent information wherever people search.
Curious how your website looks to a first-time visitor? Try our free First Look, or start a conversation and tell us about your business.