72% of small businesses say this is the key to AI visibility

72% of small businesses say this is the key to AI visibility

There is good news for every small business owner who's been terrified of AI. The one thing most likely to make you show up in an AI search result is the same thing that's always helped small businesses grow: your reputation.

Global Payments recently surveyed 1,000 U.S. small business owners (SMBs) on how they're thinking about AI. When the researchers asked what matters most for showing up when a customer uses an AI platform to find a business, the answers weren't what most people expect:

• 72% rank customer reviews as one of their top factors for AI visibility.
• 67% say social media presence matters is a top factor.
• 37% say what matters most is making sure their business shows up accurately on local directories and Google Maps.

Put another way, the largest AI visibility levers are reputation and presence. For most small business owners who are used to more "pay-to-play" tactics, that's a welcome shift.

Why AI is just fishing with a wider net

When someone types "find me a coffee shop near me" into ChatGPT instead of Google, that AI isn't just pulling from one data set. It's casting a wide net over everything - your Google Business Profile, your Yelp page, your Facebook reviews, your Instagram, your website - and synthesizing it all into one answer.

Small business owners are already picking up on this. According to the research, 78% already know that AI platforms can recommend their business to potential customers, and 53% are actively taking steps to show up in those results - with another 22% planning to do so. That means roughly three-quarters of your competitors are either already in motion or will be soon.

The SMBs that can see this coming have a real advantage. Traditionally, Google's algorithm rewarded whoever had the biggest SEO budget or the most backlinks. AI rewards whoever has the most presence - and presence is something any business with customers can build.

What does a well-positioned SMB look like when it comes to AI?

For example, consider a restaurant in Wisconsin. It has one location, in a small town, and it is not a digital marketing powerhouse by any stretch. But here's what a business like this needs to do to show up when someone nearby asks an AI for a recommendation:

• A Google Business Profile with store location and current hours.
• A website. Your website should clearly state where your business is located, what you specialize in, why someone should make a purchase or schedule a service from you.
• A Facebook page and Instagram account where customers can leave reviews. The more you're out on social media platforms, the more reviews you can receive.
• Social posts when something's happening - Easter brunch, playoff specials, live music, Mother's Day sales, etc.
• Perhaps most importantly, responding to reviews that come in.

The good news is that a lot of small businesses are already instinctively doing the right things. The research found that 50% of SMB owners are already focused on adding more content online - blogs, product details, event updates - and 33% are actively working on improving their online reviews. Those are good marketing habits.

Savvy businesses treat their online presence the same way they treat their physical store or office: They don't let it go stale. They keep their information current, they post when something's happening, encourage reviews and specifics, and respond when customers leave reviews. That's what AI is looking for.

When should you ask for customer reviews?

A lot of small businesses think of reviews as something to collect passively. That's a mistake. Reviews happen in moments - and if you miss the moment, you've probably lost it.

The best reviews come from people who are feeling something in the moment - gratitude, relief, delight. Wait until that feeling fades and you won't get the same review, if you get one at all. After all, reviews don't just happen - you have to earn them at the right moment.

For businesses using point-of-sale systems with built-in reputation management, that request can happen automatically - prompting the customer right when the transaction closes, before they've walked out the door. The closer the ask is to the moment of service, the better the result.

In-person businesses have more to gain, not less

There's a misconception that AI-driven discovery is primarily a digital commerce thing.

When someone asks an AI to recommend a yoga studio, a contractor, or a restaurant, they're planning to show up in person. That recommendation carries real weight.

Our research found that 62% of small business owners believe AI-driven commerce will influence how customers discover their business - and that includes businesses where every transaction happens face-to-face. The review someone leaves after a great haircut or a car repair doesn't just live on Yelp anymore. It becomes part of the dataset AI draws from the next time someone nearby asks for a recommendation.

In some ways, in-person businesses, whether goods or services, have an advantage here. The emotional moment that produces a great review - the flat tire fixed, the taxes finalized, the dental cleaning complete, the meal that hit exactly right - happens in real life, not through a screen. That authenticity shows up in the review, and AI notices.

The 49% still on the sidelines should get started

About half of small business owners in our survey told us they're waiting until AI tools feel more proven before leaning in. But the data tells an interesting story: 66% of small business owners already expect AI to have a mostly positive impact on their business over the next few years, and 38% are already adopting early and experimenting. Only 2% say they actively avoid new technology.

The businesses that moved early on Google SEO compounded those advantages for years. The same thing is playing out right now with AI, and it's moving faster.

If you're sitting on the sidelines waiting for proof, the risk is that you're not building the habits - the reviews, the content, the presence - that will make AI work for you when you're ready.

The one thing to do for Small Business Week

If you take one action during Small Business Week, set up a Google Business Profile. If you already have one, update it - make sure your hours and location are accurate and match what's listed on your website, add recent photos, post something on your social media accounts. When AI tools search for a local business, they cross reference data from Google and platforms like Instagram and Facebook, Yelp, Apple Maps and pull around them. If you're not there, you're missing that opportunity.

Don't be afraid of this moment. These tools aren't here to replace small business owners - they're here to give you leverage you've never had before.

If there's something that helps you run your business better, grow your customer base, and gives you back a few hours to spend with the people who matter - that's not a threat. That's the whole point.

This story was produced by Global Payments and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM.