The short answer: AI tools recommend businesses they can clearly understand and trust. For Google's AI features, that starts with the same thing as regular search: a page Google has indexed and can show in a normal result. From there, clear answers, consistent business details, genuine reviews and real local knowledge are what earn the mention.
How AI answers actually get built
There's a lot of mystery sold around "AI SEO." Most of it isn't needed. In May 2026, Google published guidance on optimizing for its generative AI features, and the core message was reassuring: AI Overviews and AI Mode run on the same ranking and quality systems as regular Google search.
Put simply, when someone asks Google's AI to plan a Maui trip, it breaks the question into related searches, pulls strong pages from its search index, and writes an answer grounded in those pages. If your page isn't indexed and eligible to appear in normal results, it can't be part of that answer.
Other AI assistants work differently under the hood, but they reward similar things: pages that answer questions directly, facts that match across the web, and signals that real people trust you.
You don't need a secret trick. You need to be the clearest, most trustworthy answer to the questions your customers ask.
Eight steps that put Maui businesses in AI answers
1. Get your Google Business Profile complete and accurate
Categories, hours, services, photos, a clear description. For local questions like "best poke in Kīhei," this is often the first source AI leans on. Keep holiday hours current; a visitor sent to a closed door on Kamehameha Day remembers.
2. Make your details identical everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number should match exactly on your website, Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor and every directory. When sources disagree, AI tools are less confident recommending you.
3. Answer real questions on your own pages
Write pages around what customers actually ask: "Is your tour good for kids?" "Do you take walk-ins?" "Where do we park?" Open each section with a direct answer, then add detail. That structure is easy for people to skim and easy for AI to quote.
4. Add knowledge only a local would have
Google's guidance puts weight on content that's valuable, unique and not interchangeable with generic material elsewhere. For a Maui business, that's your edge. Which beach is calmest in the morning, what to expect on the Hāna Highway, how whale season affects your schedule. A mainland template can't fake that.
5. Earn a steady stream of genuine reviews
Recent, detailed reviews tell AI tools and people alike that you're active and trusted. Ask right when the job is done, with a direct link, and reply to every review.
6. Keep your site fast and crawlable
A page that won't load, hides its text in images, or blocks search crawlers can't be used. Real text, clear headings and a fast phone experience are the foundation.
7. Don't accidentally block AI search tools
Some security settings and robots.txt files block AI search crawlers by mistake. Tools like OpenAI's and Perplexity's search crawlers need access to cite you. One common mix-up: Google's "Google-Extended" setting only controls whether content is used for Gemini training and grounding in Gemini apps. Google has said it doesn't affect inclusion in Search, and blocking it doesn't remove you from AI Overviews.
8. Add structured data that matches your page
Schema markup describes your business, services and FAQs in a format machines read easily. It has to match what's visible on the page. Markup that claims things the page doesn't show can backfire.
Check your AI readiness
Tick what's true for your business today. Everything unchecked is a to-do.
Do FAQ sections still matter?
Yes, just for a different reason than before. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in May 2026, so FAQ markup no longer produces those expandable dropdowns in search. But a visible FAQ written in your customers' words is still one of the clearest ways to answer questions for people and for AI. Keep it honest, keep it current, and write it for humans first.
What doesn't work (and can hurt)
- Hidden text aimed at AI. Invisible "fact sheets" or instructions to chatbots tucked into your code count as hidden text under Google's spam rules.
- Fake mentions and reviews. Google's AI features rely on the same spam protections as regular search. Manufactured buzz tends to get filtered out, or worse.
- Mass-produced AI pages. Dozens of generic pages written to catch AI traffic are the opposite of what Google's guidance rewards.
- Special "AI versions" of your site. Google has said you don't need separate files or special markup to appear in its AI features.
How to test where you stand
Open ChatGPT and Google, and ask the questions your customers would. "Best snorkel tour for families on Maui." "Dentist in Kahului open Saturday." "Where to get breakfast in Pāʻia." Note who gets named, what the AI says about them, and which websites it cites. Then compare those businesses to yours on the eight steps above. The gaps usually jump out.
Do it again every couple of months. AI answers shift as the web changes, and the businesses that keep improving tend to keep showing up.
A worked example: a Pāʻia café
Let's make this concrete with an imaginary café in Pāʻia. Here's how its "about" section might read before and after being written for people and AI alike.
Before
"Welcome to our little slice of paradise! We're passionate about great coffee and good vibes. Come experience the aloha spirit with us."
It's friendly, but it says almost nothing an AI could use. Where is it? What does it serve? When is it open? Who is it for? Every café on the island could have written it.
After
"We're a small café on Baldwin Avenue in Pāʻia, open daily from 6:30 a.m. We serve Maui-grown coffee, açaí bowls and breakfast sandwiches, with vegan options. There's limited street parking; most customers walk over from the shops. Surfers heading to Hoʻokipa often stop in early."
Now there are clear facts: location, hours, menu, dietary options, parking, and a detail only a real local business would know. When someone asks an AI "where can I get breakfast in Pāʻia before surfing?", this page gives it everything it needs to recommend the café confidently.
Specific beats clever. Every time.
What to ask customers to mention in reviews
Reviews help most when they're detailed. You should never script reviews or offer rewards for them, but you can make it easy for happy customers to be specific. A gentle prompt like "If you have a minute, we'd love a review. It helps to mention what you ordered or which tour you took" often leads to reviews that name your services, your location and what made the visit great.
Those natural details help people choosing between you and a competitor, and they give AI tools more real information about what you're known for. Reply to every review, thanking people by name and responding thoughtfully to criticism.
Keeping an eye on your AI presence
AI answers change as the web changes. A simple routine every couple of months keeps you ahead:
- Ask ChatGPT and Google's AI five or six questions your customers would ask.
- Note if you're mentioned at all, and what's said about you.
- Check the facts. If an AI states wrong hours or services, find where that information lives on the web and correct it at the source.
- Look at which sites the AI cites. Being listed accurately on those sites can help.
- Update your own pages with anything customers keep asking that you haven't answered yet.
Myths worth ignoring
- "You need a special AI SEO package." Most of what helps is strong SEO and genuinely useful content, done carefully.
- "Keyword stuffing works on AI." AI tools read for meaning. Stuffed text reads worse to people and machines alike.
- "Blocking AI protects your business." For most local businesses, being readable and citable is the goal. Blocking AI search crawlers only removes you from answers your customers are reading.
- "It's too late to start." AI answers are still settling. Businesses that get clear and consistent now have a real advantage.
Where to go from here
Most of this is just good Maui SEO done carefully, which is exactly the point. If you're working across multiple islands, our sister site covers AI search optimization across Hawaiʻi in depth. And if you want to see where your site stands today, the readiness scorecard on our homepage takes about a minute.