Blog · AI Picked You Media

Notes on getting found

Plain English articles for business owners in Hamilton and across the GTA: how Google and AI decide who to name, what your website and listings need to say, and what it all honestly costs. No hype, no invented numbers, nothing you cannot check yourself.

November 12 2026

Your competitor is in ChatGPT and you are not: a checklist

A customer asks ChatGPT for a business like yours and your competitor gets named. Test it yourself in 10 minutes, find the gap, and work through the fix list.

Read the article

November 11 2026

Getting your business ready for winter searches in Ontario

Winter searches are short, urgent, and decided fast. Update your hours, name your winter services, and make sure the phone gets answered before the first storm.

Read the article

November 10 2026

How to tell if Google has indexed your website

A page Google has not indexed cannot show up in search results. Two free checks any owner can run, what the answers mean, and what to fix when a page is missing.

Read the article

November 9 2026

What a good near me page looks like

A near me page has to answer three questions on one screen: the service, the place, and how to call. What a good one carries, and the mistakes that make one fail.

Read the article

November 8 2026

Do Instagram hashtags help Google find you?

Hashtags help people find you inside Instagram, but they do almost nothing for Google or AI search. What they do, what they do not do, and what actually helps Google find you instead.

Read the article

November 7 2026

Five things to check on your website from your phone right now

Most of your customers meet your business on a phone, not a laptop. A tappable number, a readable first screen, a fast load, plain words, and a contact step that works, checked in about ten minutes.

Read the article

November 6 2026

How AI Overviews pick which businesses to show

Google's AI Overview names two or three local businesses at the top of a search. Where it gets its facts, why some Hamilton and GTA businesses appear and others do not, and what to fix this week.

Read the article

November 5 2026

llms.txt, the honest answer

A small text file is being sold as the shortcut to getting named by AI. There is no evidence Google or ChatGPT uses it. What it is, and what actually works instead.

Read the article

November 4 2026

Service area pages, explained for local businesses

One page per town you serve, written in plain words, tells Google, AI, and customers that you work there. What a good one carries, and the thin copy mistakes to avoid.

Read the article

November 3 2026

Why reviews that name the exact service beat generic five stars

A review that names the job, the place, and one real detail helps customers, Google, and AI understand what you do. How to ask for that kind of review without breaking the rules.

Read the article

November 2 2026

What a contractor's homepage must carry

What you do, where you work, and how to call you, in the first screen, plus services in plain words and proof a homeowner can check fast.

Read the article

November 1 2026

How long does a new website take to show up on Google?

A new site can be found in days but trusted for the searches that bring customers only later. What happens in between, and what to fix while you wait.

Read the article

November 1 2026

Why AI does not name your business

When customers ask ChatGPT or Google AI who to call, the answer names a few businesses and skips the rest. Here is how that answer gets built, and the gaps that leave a good business invisible.

Read the article

November 1 2026

7 Google Business Profile mistakes that cost local businesses calls

Wrong category, mismatched phone numbers, empty services, stale hours, no photos, unanswered reviews, a broken website link. Seven free to fix mistakes that quietly cost you calls.

Read the article

November 1 2026

“I get customers from Instagram. Do I need a website?”

Instagram is a great shop window, but it cannot show up in Google or AI answers, and you do not own your facts there. An honest look at what social does well and what only a website can do.

Read the article

November 1 2026

How much does a small business website actually cost in Ontario in 2026?

DIY builders, freelancers, agencies and done for you monthly websites all price a different thing. A plain breakdown of each route, the hidden costs nobody quotes, and what we charge.

Read the article

November 1 2026

How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules

Ask at the right moment, make it one tap, ask for the story, reply to every review. The honest system for earning reviews, and the shortcuts that will get your profile in trouble.

Read the article

November 1 2026

A 10 minute test: ask ChatGPT and Google AI about your own business

A practical self audit any owner can run from the couch: ask who the tools recommend, ask what they know about you, check their facts, and learn exactly what to fix first.

Read the article

November 1 2026

AI search vs regular Google search: what changed for local businesses

Search used to return ten links. Now AI writes the answer and names two or three businesses. What changed, why your website matters more than ever, and why listings still carry half the weight.

Read the article