How to NOT Show Up in ChatGPT Answers: #1 Don't Have a Website

For the last decade, the playbook for local businesses—restaurants, plumbers, clinics—was simple: "Get on the platforms." If you were on Uber Eats, Wolt, Yelp, or ZocDoc, you existed. You didn't really need a website; a Facebook page and an aggregator profile were enough.

That era is over.

We recently gained access to the internal "reasoning logs" of a web-searching ChatGPT processing a real-time query. What we found is a major red flag and ChatGPT recommendation Excluding Factor.

It turns out, being listed on a major aggregator isn't just "not enough"—it might actually be the reason AI filters you out of its recommendations if you rely solely on it.

The Smoking Gun: "Steer Clear of Aggregators"

We analyzed a session where the AI was asked to find the best pizza places in a specific district (Mokotów, Warsaw). The AI didn't just grab the top-rated spots from a delivery app. Instead, its internal monologue revealed a strict filtering protocol:

“I need to steer clear of aggregator results that could mislead the user. It's better to cite actual restaurant pages with addresses.”

— Internal Reasoning Log, ChatGPT Model

Read that again. The AI explicitly flagged aggregator results (like Wolt, Uber Eats, or Pyszne) as potentially "misleading."

Why? Because in the eyes of an LLM, an aggregator profile is second-hand information. It is only a credible Source of Truth if it can be confirmed at your own, primary domain.

Case Study: The "Pizza in Warsaw" Test

Let's look at how this played out in a real query: "Pizza in Warsaw, Mokotów"

The Search

The AI performed a web search and found dozens of results. Many were links to delivery platforms listing hundreds of "ghost kitchens" and virtual brands.

The Filter

The AI's reasoning engine kicked in. It noticed that some top-rated options only appeared on aggregators or listicles.

The Decision

The AI actively discarded those options. Instead, it hunted for businesses with verified, standalone websites that listed their physical address and even delivery options, giving more comprehensive information about their services.

The Result

A popular pizza spot that lived entirely on delivery apps was ignored. A smaller, local pizzeria with a basic but official website was recommended as a top choice.

Why AI Distrusts Your Aggregator Profile

To a human, a profile on a delivery app proves you exist. To an AI, it proves nothing. Here is why the algorithm prefers "Landlords" over "Tenants":

1. The "Ghost Kitchen" Problem

AI models are trained to avoid hallucinations and misleading users. Aggregators are full of unverified, not-up-to-date restaurants—brands that exist only in an app, with no physical dining room. If a user asks for "a place to get pizza," and the AI sends them to a cloud kitchen in an industrial park, the AI has failed. To protect itself, it prioritizes businesses with their own domain and a verifiable "Contact" or "About Us" page.

2. Data Ownership = Authority

When you rely on a platform, you are renting your digital presence. The AI knows that menu prices, opening hours, and even addresses on third-party sites are often outdated. An official website represents the primary source. The AI trusts what you say about your business more than what a third-party directory says about you.

3. Address Verification (NAP Consistency)

In our analysis, the AI specifically looked for "actual restaurant pages with addresses." If your address only exists on Facebook or Yelp, it's a weak signal. If it exists on your website, under your branded domain, in a structured footer, it's a hard fact. The AI cross-references this to ensure it's not sending a user to a closed location.

Are You "Digitally Homeless"?

If you are a business owner, ask yourself: If all the aggregators disappeared tomorrow, would the internet still know who I am?

If the answer is "No," in the world of AEO, AI doesn't recommend businesses without their credible, owned information hub.

The Fix: How to Reclaim Your Visibility

You don't need a $10,000 website. You just need to be the "Source of Truth" for your own data.

Launch a "Home Base"

Buy your domain. Even a simple one-page site is better than a Facebook page.

Hard-Code Your Data

Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are text-based on your site (not just in an image).

Use Your Website to Describe Your Services

Your site is where AI expects to validate your business details.

Don't let an algorithm decide you are "misleading" just because you don't own your digital address.

Check Your AI Visibility

Is your business invisible to ChatGPT? Run a free AEO Audit with Aeoh.ai and find out if you are passing the "Source of Truth" test.