How do I get my home care business named in ChatGPT and Perplexity?
How home care providers can get named in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews: let AI crawlers in and answer families' questions in plain text.
You can't pay or sign up to be named in ChatGPT or Perplexity. Both tools search the web and quote the websites their search crawlers can read, so your site needs to let those crawlers in and answer the questions families ask in plain text. The providers that get named are usually the ones whose websites give the clearest, most specific answers.
Can ChatGPT and Perplexity read your website?
Start here, because nothing else matters if the answer is no. Each tool has its own search crawler, and your website's robots.txt file tells them whether they can visit.
ChatGPT uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find websites for its search answers. OpenAI says sites that block OAI-SearchBot will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers.
Perplexity uses PerplexityBot to find and link websites in its results. Perplexity recommends allowing it in robots.txt if you want to appear.
Google shows websites in AI Overviews and AI Mode only if the page is indexed and eligible to show in normal Google Search with a snippet.
OpenAI also runs a separate crawler, GPTBot, which collects content for training its models. The settings are independent, so you can block training and still allow search. Changes can take about 24 hours to apply.
Ask whoever manages your website to check robots.txt, and also any firewall or bot protection on your hosting. Google's guidance says crawling needs to be allowed by robots.txt and by any CDN or hosting setup. Some security settings block these crawlers without anyone noticing.
What do AI tools need to find on your website?
When a daughter asks ChatGPT "who offers overnight respite in Parramatta under Support at Home", the tool looks for a page that answers exactly that. Make sure your website says, in plain text:
Every service you deliver, by its name, on its own page
The suburbs, towns and regions you cover
Who you support, such as Support at Home clients, NDIS participants or private clients
Your prices, or a clear link to your prices page
What happens after someone calls, from first contact to first visit
Your phone number and how to make a referral
Put this in real text on the page, not only in images, PDFs or sliders. Google says important content should be available in text form and easy to find through links within your site. Link each service page from your main menu and from related pages.
If your website uses structured data (code that describes your business to search engines), it must match what visitors can see on the page. Google also says you don't need any special AI files or extra markup to appear in its AI features.
How do you write pages that AI tools will quote?
AI tools quote short, clear answers. Write the way you would answer a family on the phone.
Use the question as the heading, such as "Do you provide nursing on weekends?"
Answer it in the first one or two sentences, then add the detail.
Be specific. "We visit clients in Blacktown, Penrith and the Hills District, seven days a week" is easier to quote than "we proudly serve Western Sydney."
Use the current program names. Families and assessors now talk about Support at Home, so a website that still only mentions Home Care Packages looks out of date to people and to search tools.
Show when a page was last reviewed, especially your prices page.
A good frequently asked questions page helps here. Fill it with the real questions your intake team hears every week.
What else should you keep up to date?
Google lists an up to date Business Profile as one of its best practices for its AI features. Check your hours, phone number, service areas and categories, and add photos of your team.
Keep your business name, address and phone number the same everywhere you are listed, including My Aged Care and any directories you use. If a family sees a different number in each place, so does every search tool.
How do you check if it's working?
Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google the questions your clients ask, with your suburb in them. Look at which websites they cite. If a competitor is named and you are not, compare their page with yours. Usually theirs answers the question more directly.
Results change often and no one can guarantee a mention. A clear, current website that crawlers can read is the part you control.
If you're not sure whether AI tools can read your website, send us the link and book a 30 minute chat. We'll look at it with you and tell you what stands out.
Sources
This article is general information. AI search tools change often, so check each company's current guidance before making changes to your website.
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