The New Search: Ranking Your Business with AI

More travellers are starting their trip planning inside AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI summaries. Instead of scrolling through pages of links, they’re asking questions like “Where should I stay in Eastern Ontario?” or “Best fall activities near Ottawa?” and getting a short list of answers.

So the real question becomes: will your business show up?

In this session, we’ll explore how AI tools decide which businesses to recommend and what tourism operators can do to make sure their business is easy for these systems to understand and reference. You’ll learn the basics of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and how small adjustments to your website, listings, and content can make a big difference in whether you appear in AI-driven search results.

Key Highlights:

• How travellers are using AI tools to plan trips and choose businesses

• What AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) actually means

• The types of questions visitors ask AI when planning travel

• Why some businesses get recommended while others stay invisible

• How your website, listings, and reviews influence AI recommendations

• Simple changes that help AI tools understand and surface your business