Why Isn’t ChatGPT Recommending My Business? - with Matt Gaskin

In this episode of The Inquisitor Podcast, Marcus speaks with returning guest Matt Gaskin about a shift most businesses still haven’t recognised properly:

AI search is changing how buyers discover and evaluate suppliers.

Matt argues that your website is no longer just a marketing brochure. It is now a trust and credibility signal for AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, and Perplexity AI.

The conversation began after Matt shut down his Google and Facebook ads because they generated huge amounts of noise, poor-fit enquiries, and almost no conversions. That forced him to ask a difficult question:

“If a real buyer asked AI who to recommend in my market, would my business even appear?”

The answer was no.

What followed was a six-month investigation into how AI systems evaluate businesses online, what creates trust signals, and why many websites unintentionally confuse both buyers and AI models.

Marcus and Matt explore:

• Why visibility and recommendation are not the same thing
• How unclear messaging creates “entity drift” and confuses AI systems
• Why FAQs, buyer answers, case studies and authority signals matter more than flashy design
• The risks of generic “we serve everyone” positioning
• How businesses accidentally train AI to attract the wrong customers
• Why many websites are still built for Google’s old SEO model rather than AI recommendation engines
• The hidden technical and strategic problems that stop businesses appearing in AI-generated shortlists
• What founders, sales leaders and marketers should audit immediately

Matt also explains why smaller specialist firms can still outperform larger competitors in AI search by being clearer, more specific, and more useful.

This is not a conversation about gaming algorithms.

It is a conversation about clarity, trust, buyer intent, and whether your digital presence genuinely reflects the value your business provides.

If you suspect your marketing generates activity but not meaningful opportunities, this episode will probably make you uncomfortable in all the right ways.

 

connect with Matt Matt Gaskin | LinkedIn

connect with Marcus Marcus Cauchi | LinkedIn