It's mostly a retrieval problem
When an assistant answers a question about local or commercial options, it typically retrieves sources from the live web, then summarises them. So the real question isn't 'what does the model think of you' — it's 'what does it find, and does that source name you'.
Which means the levers are familiar: be present in the sources that get retrieved, and be described there clearly.
Consistency beats volume
Models are cautious about ambiguity. A business whose name, services and location are stated identically across its site, profiles, directories and coverage is far easier to recommend confidently than one with four variations of its own name in circulation.
Third parties carry more weight than you do
Your own claim to be the best is discounted heavily. A trade publication, a review corpus or an industry body describing you the same way is not.
This is why digital PR has quietly become an AI visibility tactic.
Specificity gets quoted
Answers get built from sentences that can stand alone. A page saying 'we optimise Google Business Profiles for multi-branch retailers across the central North Island' is quotable. A page saying 'we deliver bespoke digital solutions' is not.