Be the answer to "best near me"

The AIs don't invent recommendations, they repeat what the web already says. So the way to be the answer to 'best [service] in [town]' is to be the business the web keeps pointing to: in reviews, in local roundups, in directories, in your own clear content. Become the obvious pick, and the AI just relays it.

Be in the sources it reads

Get strong, recent reviews (the AIs lean on them heavily), get listed and consistent across the directories and maps, and get mentioned on local sites, the 'best plumbers in [town]' blog posts, the local news, the community pages. Each of those is a source the model can pull and quote.

Say clearly what you are and where

On your own site, state plainly what you do, the towns you serve, and why you're good, in words a model can lift. Comparison and 'best of' style content in your niche gets quoted too. Vague, salesy copy gives the AI nothing to work with; clear facts give it a reason to name you.