When someone asks an AI assistant for a rainy-day activity, a good tour for a family of four or a club to join, the answer is built from what the assistant can find and understand about you. It does not guess kindly. If your information is thin, contradictory or hidden, you are simply left out.
The good news: what helps assistants also helps ordinary visitors. Here is what to put in place.
1. Say plainly what you are
Write one clear sentence that says what you do, where, and for whom. Put it at the top of your homepage and repeat it, in the same words, on your social profiles and listings.
- Weak: "Experience the magic of our heritage."
- Strong: "A small museum of local textile history, a ten-minute walk from the main station, with a family trail for ages 5 to 10."
2. Answer the questions people actually ask
People talk to assistants in full sentences: "Is there a step-free tour in the afternoon?" or "Which stadium tour suits a group of 12 teenagers?" Write a page of real questions and short, direct answers. Cover:
- Opening hours, seasons and closure days
- Accessibility: steps, lifts, quiet times, assistance animals
- Duration, group sizes, languages offered
- Parking, public transport, nearest meeting point
- What happens in bad weather
- Booking and cancellation rules
3. Keep the facts identical everywhere
Assistants compare sources. If your website says you open at ten, Google Maps says nine and a ticketing page says closed on Mondays, the assistant may pick the wrong one or avoid you. Once a quarter, check your name, address, phone number, hours and description on every place you appear.
4. Look after your Google Business Profile
Choose accurate categories, add real photos, list services, and answer the questions section. Reply to reviews in a calm, specific way. These profiles are among the most-used sources behind local recommendations.
5. Make your pages readable by machines
- Put key facts in text, not only in images or PDFs. A timetable inside a poster image is invisible.
- Use clear headings, such as "Opening hours" and "Getting here".
- Give each tour, show, class or event its own page with date, duration and booking details.
- Ask your web developer about structured data for events, local businesses and tickets.
- Make sure the site loads quickly on a phone.
6. Earn mentions from other trustworthy places
Assistants lean on what others say about you. Aim for accurate mentions on your tourism board's site, local news, partner hotels, cultural or sports associations, and review platforms. Invite guests to describe what they did and who it suited; detailed reviews give assistants wording to draw on.
7. Use the language of your visitors
If many guests come from abroad, offer the essential pages in their languages, written by a person who knows the language, not left to automatic translation alone. Use the names visitors use for your attractions, not only internal ones.
Test it yourself
Every month, ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude the questions a visitor would ask, without naming yourself:
- "What is a good activity for a wet afternoon in [your town]?"
- "Which [tours, clubs, galleries] near [area] are suitable for wheelchair users?"
- "What should I know before visiting [your type of venue] in [your town]?"
Note whether you appear, what is said, and what is wrong. Then trace each error to its source and correct it there. Keep a simple log so you can see change over time.
Mistakes to avoid
- Hiding practical details behind a booking form
- Letting old events and prices-free pages with outdated dates stay online
- Writing only in marketing language
- Expecting a quick result: assistants update unevenly, so corrections take time
- Trying to trick the system with stuffed keywords; clear and honest works better
Start with one hour: write your one-sentence description, check your hours in three places, and add five real questions with answers. That alone puts you ahead of many organisations.