You appear.
Example: a search for “best restaurant lugano” shows two sponsored ads and three results, all alike.
You’re one of many.
Word of mouth today
Word of mouth has gone digital.
People now ask AI the way they would ask a friend. Will you be the one it recommends?
AI has become the new place people go for recommendations. When someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity “What’s the best restaurant in Lugano?” or “Can you recommend a reliable electrician?”, the answer comes back with specific names.
Example with fictional names.
Example: someone asks an AI assistant for a reliable electrician in Lugano. The assistant searches the web and replies with two firms. In third place it says “This could be you.”
Word of mouth has evolved: it’s no longer just between friends, it now runs through billions of conversations with AI assistants.
Start early and you have more time to become known.
Why now
Now is the time to act. Move first and you start ahead.
These aren’t predictions. They’re habits that have already been measured, in Switzerland and around the world.
76%
of adults in Switzerland use AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity. In 2024 it was half.
Comparis, 2026Out of 100 adults in Switzerland, 50 used AI assistants in 2024, 62 in 2025 and 76 in 2026.
Over 4 in 10
Among people who know ChatGPT and similar tools, over 4 in 10 already look up information directly with AI. In 2024 it was fewer than 3 in 10.
Comparis, 2026
Over 1 billion
people use ChatGPT every week, worldwide. Almost half of all messages ask for information or advice.
OpenAI, 2025 and 2026
58%
of consumers have replaced search engines with AI tools such as ChatGPT when looking for product and service recommendations. A year earlier it was 25%.
Capgemini, 2025 · 12 countries, 7 in EuropeExample: the assistant builds its answer from five sources and ends by naming your business.
AI doesn’t know you. It pieces together what it finds.
When it looks for an answer, AI compares information from different sources. When it comes to deciding which businesses to cite or recommend, five factors matter most.
- Access
It can read you.
If your website shuts out the crawlers that AI engines use, or loads slowly and empty, to AI you are a blank page. OpenAI puts it plainly: sites that block its crawler don’t appear in ChatGPT’s search answers.
OpenAI, 2026 - Clarity
It understands what you do.
Services, areas, opening hours, who you work for. Written plainly for people, and in a format machines can read: structured data.
- Consistency
It finds the same details everywhere.
The same name, address, phone number and opening hours on your website, on Google, on local.ch and on search.ch. If two sources don’t match, AI has one less reason to mention you.
- Reputation
It sees you beyond your own website.
Reviews, articles, trade associations and directories help AI understand who you are and how well regarded you are in your field.
- Citability
It finds facts worth quoting.
AI looks for facts, figures and precise answers it can reuse in its own replies. Concrete content backed by sources is more likely to be used.
Aggarwal et al., Princeton, 2024
Not just advertising. A recommendation.
And a recommendation carries a psychological weight that no ad can match.
AI recommendation
You’re chosen.
Example: asked “A good restaurant in Lugano?”, the AI assistant replies with a single name, Griglieria Frassino. The person replies that they’ll book there.
You’re the choice.
Examples with fictional names.
The future of recommendation
Word of mouth has always been powerful. But it was never in your hands.
Until recently you had two options: pay to be seen, or hope to be recommended.
Today people ask AI for recommendations directly. And when the assistant suggests a name, it doesn’t come across as advertising: it comes across as advice.
Example: without our work, when asked “Where can I get a good steak in Lugano?” the assistant names other restaurants. With our work, the goal is for it to name your business.
Example with fictional names. This is what we work towards, not a guaranteed result: the answers change every time.
Advertising lasts as long as you pay. This gives AI reasons to recommend you.
How it works
From first analysis to monthly report, in four steps.
Here is how we work and what we do for you, step by step.
Analysis
We look at how AI sees your business: your website, reviews and keywords. Then we explain what works and what doesn’t, without the jargon.
Signal optimisation
We create and improve the content AI treats as authoritative. Copy, structure, data: everything is optimised to get you recommended.
Presence where AI looks
We make sure information about your company is there wherever AI goes looking for it. Reviews, mentions, content and profiles are all kept consistent.
Monitoring and improvement
We track the results over time and update the strategy whenever the way AI finds and cites businesses changes.
Example of a monitoring report.
September report Falegnameria Robinia SAGL
Done in September
- Two new website pages: bespoke kitchens and doors
- Two new listings: a portal and a trade association
- Replies to 9 Google reviews
- Saturday opening hours corrected on local.ch
AI answers that mention your name
38%
In May, before we started, it was 12%.
From May to September: 12%, 17%, 23%, 31%, 38%.
It starts with a free analysis. Then we act where it’s needed.
Nothing done sight unseen: first we look at where you stand together, then we decide what’s worth doing.
Book your free consultation
30-minute consultation · No obligation
What people ask us
Questions about AI Visibility, before you start.
Straight answers, no jargon.
01What is digital word of mouth?
It’s when tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity mention or recommend your company in their answers. It happens when AI finds clear, consistent and authoritative information online about who you are, what you do and where you work.
AI Visibility is the work that makes this more likely to happen.
02Is AI replacing Google?
Not entirely, but the way people search is changing. More and more people ask tools like ChatGPT or Gemini directly instead of running a traditional search. At the same time, Google itself now shows AI-generated answers in its results.
For a business, what matters today is being visible in both.
03How can I tell if AI already recommends me?
Try it. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity what one of your customers would ask, for example “a good electrician in Lugano”. One question isn’t enough, though: the answers change depending on how the question is phrased and which model is used. That’s why we analyse several real questions from your sector and measure how often your business gets recommended.
04Can you pay to appear in ChatGPT’s answers?
No. Some versions of ChatGPT show ads, but they are labelled as sponsored and kept separate from the answer. OpenAI states that advertisers can’t change what ChatGPT says. Being recommended within the answer can’t be bought: it’s built, from what AI finds about you.
05Can it work for a small local business too?
Yes. Many of the questions people ask AI are about businesses nearby: “a plumber in Bellinzona”, “a restaurant in Lugano”. In these cases AI looks for relevant businesses in the area, not necessarily the biggest ones. What counts is clear, consistent information online, good reviews and reliable local sources that talk about you. All within reach of a small business too.
06Do I need a website already?
Not necessarily, but a website helps a lot. It’s the main place where AI can find clear, up-to-date information about your company. If you don’t have one, or your current site isn’t suitable, we look at it before we start and tell you what makes sense.
07How long does it take to see results?
There’s no timeline that fits everyone. It depends on your sector, your starting point and the sources AI draws on. Some changes can show within a few weeks, others take a few months.
That’s why we don’t promise a fixed position in the answers: we measure your presence before we start and check it again over time, to see how much it has improved.
Can’t find your answer? Ask us directly. We usually reply the same day.
About Markets
Find out how AI sees you. Five real questions, together.
During the consultation we run the searches your customers might make and see who comes up, where you already appear and what could be improved. If it isn’t worth acting in your case, we’ll tell you.
Free consultation · 30 minutes · No obligation · We reply within 1 working day