generative engine optimization

Google AI Overview Wrong About Your Business? Do This Today

Found wrong hours, services, or a scam link in Google's AI Overview or ChatGPT? Report it, then fix the sources AI actually reads before customers do.

You searched your own business name and the answer at the top of the page got it wrong. Maybe it says you close at five when you are open until eight, lists a service you have never offered, mixes you up with a company across town, or ties your name to a scam. If you are looking up what to do about Google AI Overview wrong information about my business, the worry underneath is simple: a customer may read that answer and believe it. There is no edit button on the answer itself, which can make the whole thing feel out of your hands. It is less out of your hands than it looks. You can record what is wrong, report it through the feedback controls Google and the AI assistants publish, and correct the places those answers draw from. You can start today, and the first pass takes about twenty minutes.

Key Takeaways

Record before you change anything

Save the exact AI answer, the date, the product and every cited link, then list each wrong fact on its own line with the correct value and your proof.

Report it where it appears

In Google, use the thumbs-down control under the AI Overview, choose Report a problem, pick a category and add details. ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity each publish their own feedback routes.

A report is feedback, not a guaranteed fix

None of these providers publishes a promise, timetable or case number for changing a specific answer, so do not wait on the report before fixing sources.

Fix sources in a set order

Start with your verified Google Business Profile and your own website, then the directories and pages that contradict them, then any duplicate or similarly named listing.

A scam association is a different case

Preserve screenshots and links, check for a real fake listing or impersonator, and get qualified legal or agency advice if the facts call for it.

Get Every Wrong Fact on Record in Twenty Minutes

Before you report anything or change a single listing, write down exactly what each AI answer says. AI answers can vary by the wording of the question, the product, your location and the time, so a clear record is what lets you tell a one-off slip from a pattern. It also gives you something to check against later, once you have made corrections. Set a timer and work through four short blocks.

The twenty-minute AI answer audit

  1. 1

    Minutes 0 to 5, Google

    Search your exact business name, then your name plus your city or main service, then your name plus the wrong fact. Take a dated screenshot, copy the full answer text and save every cited link.

  2. 2

    Minutes 5 to 10, two assistants

    Ask ChatGPT and one other assistant, such as Copilot or Perplexity, the same plain question: "What are [business]'s hours and services?" Save the answer, the product name, the date and any citations.

  3. 3

    Minutes 10 to 15, the fact table

    List name, address, phone, hours, services, ownership and any scam mention. Beside each, write what the AI said, the correct value and the proof you have.

  4. 4

    Minutes 15 to 20, compare

    Check each row against your Google Business Profile, your contact and About pages, the cited links, your Maps listing and the main directories you appear in.

That last block usually shows you where the problem started. A wrong closing time that matches an old holiday schedule on your Business Profile points one way. A service you dropped two years ago that still sits on an old page of your site points another. A phone number that belongs to a business with a similar name points somewhere else entirely.

Keep one version of the truth while you do this. Pick the exact business name you use in the real world, one main phone number, your current address or service area, your regular and special hours, and the services you actually sell. Every correction you make from here should match that one fact set.

A spiral notebook open to a page of faint pencil columns beside a closed laptop and a cup of coffee on a wooden desk.
One written list of every wrong fact, the right value and your proof keeps each correction consistent.

Report AI Overview Feedback and Assistant Errors the Right Way

Each provider has its own reporting control, and each one works a little differently. Send the report at the same time you start fixing sources, not instead of it. None of the four publishes a promise that a specific answer will change or a date by which it will. Treat the report as putting the error on record with the people who run the system, and keep a note of what you sent and when.

Google AI Overviews

Google's help page on AI Overviews and how to give feedback tells you to select the thumbs-down under the overview, choose Report a problem, pick a category, add details and submit. Google says the feedback includes your most recent search and its results, so report from the search that actually showed the wrong answer. In the details box, state the wrong fact and the correct one in a sentence each, and point to the page that proves it.

It also helps to know what you are reporting. Google describes AI Overviews as using a customized language model that works with its core web ranking systems, and says the overview appears only when its systems judge it helpful. The overview is not your Business Profile or a page you can edit. Google does not document a business-owner correction route, a response time or a case number for it, which is why the source fixes in the next section carry more weight than the report.

ChatGPT

OpenAI says plainly in its help article on whether ChatGPT tells the truth that it can produce incorrect or misleading output. If you run into ChatGPT wrong information about your business, use the thumbs-down under the response and choose the issue that fits. For a response that raises a safety or legal concern, OpenAI's page on how to report a violation says to pick "Safety or Legal concern" and follow the prompts, and it also offers a webform. That page is written around policy violations, and it does not promise to correct a particular business fact.

Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity

Microsoft's Copilot privacy FAQ says Copilot can misrepresent the information it finds. It points you to Give feedback in Settings or the flag below a response, and it asks you to check the citations. Perplexity's support guidance says to flag the answer, open a support ticket or email its support team, and to include the link to the query, a description of the error, what the answer should have said and examples. Neither documents a guaranteed correction or a timetable.

A closed laptop and a face-down phone resting on a desk beside a short stack of blank index cards held with a binder clip.
A report puts the error on record. Keep a note of what you sent, where and when.
Where to report a wrong AI answer about your business
ProductWhere the control sitsWhat to includePublished promise to fix
Google AI OverviewsThumbs-down under the overview, then Report a problemCategory, the wrong fact, the correct fact, proofNone published
ChatGPTThumbs-down under the response; "Safety or Legal concern" for serious cases; webformThe issue, the response, why it is wrongNone published
Microsoft CopilotGive feedback in Settings, or the flag below a responseThe error and the cited sources you checkedNone published
PerplexityFlag the answer, a support ticket or email to supportQuery link, the error, the expected answer, examplesNone published
ProductGoogle AI Overviews
Where the control sitsThumbs-down under the overview, then Report a problem
What to includeCategory, the wrong fact, the correct fact, proof
Published promise to fixNone published
ProductChatGPT
Where the control sitsThumbs-down under the response; "Safety or Legal concern" for serious cases; webform
What to includeThe issue, the response, why it is wrong
Published promise to fixNone published
ProductMicrosoft Copilot
Where the control sitsGive feedback in Settings, or the flag below a response
What to includeThe error and the cited sources you checked
Published promise to fixNone published
ProductPerplexity
Where the control sitsFlag the answer, a support ticket or email to support
What to includeQuery link, the error, the expected answer, examples
Published promise to fixNone published

Fix Business Info for AI Search, Starting With the Sources You Control

This is where you can do the most to fix business info in AI search. Google says in its guide to how it sources information in Business Profiles that a profile can combine what the owner enters, content crawled from the official website, licensed data from third parties, contributions from users and Google's own interactions. That means a wrong fact can come from several places, and each place may need its own correction. Work through them in this order, which runs from the fixes you control to the ones that take longer.

Your Google Business Profile

If your profile is verified, you can edit your Business Profile from Google Search or Maps. Correct the hours, including special and holiday hours, the phone number, the website link, the address or service area, and the services list. Google's Business Profile guidelines ask you to represent the business as it is consistently known in the real world and to keep the address or service area accurate and precise. Resist the urge to add keywords to your business name; the guidelines ask for the name you actually use.

If the profile is not yours, or it is a duplicate, the wrong place or a map error, use Google Maps' edit or report a place route rather than creating a second listing. Google's guidelines call for one profile per business, and a second one can cause more confusion, not less.

Your own website

Next, find every page on your site that states the wrong fact. Old service pages, an outdated footer, an event page with last year's hours and a stale PDF menu can all keep an old fact alive. Update the visible text on each one so it matches your fact set, then remove or redirect pages for services you no longer offer.

Directories, review sites and look-alike businesses

Then go through each directory, review platform and cited page that contradicts you. Each publisher has its own claim, edit or support process, so record the link, the current wording, the correct fact and your proof before you contact them. If the confusion comes from a business with a similar name, identify the exact listing, compare names, addresses and categories, and correct your own details rather than trying to change theirs.

How big each fix is likely to be
Where the wrong fact startsWhat fixing it takesLikely job size
Your Business Profile or websiteUpdate the facts, special hours and page text, then allow time for recrawlingSmall
A directory, review site or data providerA separate claim, edit or support request for each publisher, often with proofMedium
A duplicate or similarly named businessIdentify the exact listings, correct names, pins and categories, avoid a second profileMedium to large
The AI combined correct sources badlyReport it, strengthen the sources that back you up, and recheck laterUncertain
A fake listing, impersonator or false scam claimPreserve evidence, report to each platform, possibly seek legal or agency adviceLarge and sensitive
Where the wrong fact startsYour Business Profile or website
What fixing it takesUpdate the facts, special hours and page text, then allow time for recrawling
Likely job sizeSmall
Where the wrong fact startsA directory, review site or data provider
What fixing it takesA separate claim, edit or support request for each publisher, often with proof
Likely job sizeMedium
Where the wrong fact startsA duplicate or similarly named business
What fixing it takesIdentify the exact listings, correct names, pins and categories, avoid a second profile
Likely job sizeMedium to large
Where the wrong fact startsThe AI combined correct sources badly
What fixing it takesReport it, strengthen the sources that back you up, and recheck later
Likely job sizeUncertain
Where the wrong fact startsA fake listing, impersonator or false scam claim
What fixing it takesPreserve evidence, report to each platform, possibly seek legal or agency advice
Likely job sizeLarge and sensitive

No national study ranks how often each of these causes a wrong AI answer, so treat this as an order for triage, not a measure of which problem is most common. Owner-controlled sources come first because you can change them today.

Make Your Own Website the Easiest Place to Check Your Facts

Your site is the one source you fully own, so make it hard to misread. Publish one clear contact or locations page that states your exact business name, main phone number, address or service area, regular and special hours, current services, and anything you do not offer that people often assume you do. Put those facts in the visible page text, not only in hidden code. Link to that page from your service and location pages, and keep an About page that names the business and the people responsible for it.

Structured data can help Google read those facts. Google's documentation on LocalBusiness structured data says the markup can tell Google about your hours and other business details, and its Organization structured data guide covers your name, logo and contact details. Google recommends testing the markup with the Rich Results Test and the URL Inspection tool, and the markup must match what a visitor sees on the page. It clarifies your facts; it does not order an AI system to repeat them.

Skip the shortcuts. Publishing dozens of thin correction pages, one for every way someone might ask about you, works against you. Google's guide to optimizing for generative AI features warns against creating large volumes of query-variation content to manipulate generative answers. One accurate page that stays current does more.

A small wooden desk with a neat stack of blank paper, a pencil laid across it and a closed laptop pushed to the side.
One accurate, current page on your own site beats a pile of thin correction pages.

A wrong closing time is an annoyance. An AI answer that connects your business to a scam is a more serious case, and it deserves a slower, more careful response. Start by preserving evidence: dated screenshots, the full answer text, every cited link and your notes on when you found it. Then check whether something real sits behind it, such as a fake listing using your name, a look-alike website or a misleading page on another site.

If someone is pretending to be your business, that is impersonation, not only an AI error. The FTC's rule on government and business impersonation took effect on April 1, 2024, and the FTC publishes a short guide to business impersonation scams. Google also runs a separate process for reporting content for legal reasons. This is general information, not legal advice. Whether a false claim amounts to defamation or fraud depends on the facts and where you are, so talk to a qualified lawyer or the right agency before you treat a platform report as a legal remedy.

Know When This Is a Quick Fix and When Help Earns Its Keep

You can run the first audit yourself, and for one obvious wrong field on your own profile or site, that is often all it takes. Correct it, report the answer, and check again in a few weeks. Do not resubmit the same report over and over, and do not treat one screenshot of one answer as proof of a lasting problem.

Outside help starts to make sense when the job gets bigger than one field. That includes a wrong fact that shows up across several sources, several locations or a past name change, a duplicate or similarly named business, citations that contradict each other, a scam or fraud claim, or nobody on your team who can keep one fact set current. What good help looks like is specific: tracing each wrong fact to its source, correcting what you can prove, sending the right reports and keeping a dated record so you know whether the fix held. Anyone who promises to make Google, ChatGPT, Copilot or Perplexity say a particular sentence by a certain date is promising something none of those providers offers.

A cardboard folder of blank papers tied with string beside a desk calendar with no markings and a pencil on a wooden table.
Good help leaves you with a dated record of every source fixed and every report sent.

If the damage feels wider than AI answers, such as bad reviews or old news stories, our guide on how to repair your online reputation covers that broader work.

Can you fix a wrong AI answer about your business?

Pick an answer to begin.

1. Google's AI Overview lists the wrong hours for your business. What should you do first?

2. What does Google publish about reports on AI Overviews?

3. An AI answer links your business to a scam. Which step matters most early on?

Frequently Asked Questions About google ai overview wrong information about my business

Can I edit a Google AI Overview about my business?

No. Google does not document any way for a business owner to edit an AI Overview directly. Report it with the thumbs-down and Report a problem option, then correct the sources behind it, starting with your Business Profile and your website.

How do I report an AI Overview?

Select the thumbs-down under the overview, choose Report a problem, pick a category, describe the wrong fact and the correct one, and submit. Report from the search that showed the error, because Google says the feedback includes that search.

Will reporting it make the wrong answer go away?

Not necessarily. Google, OpenAI, Microsoft and Perplexity publish feedback routes, but none promises that a specific answer will change or says when. Fix the sources at the same time.

What should I fix first?

Your verified Google Business Profile and your own website's contact, service and About pages. Then correct directories and cited pages that contradict them, and deal with any duplicate or similarly named listing.

How do I stop ChatGPT giving wrong information about my business?

Use the thumbs-down under the response, and for a safety or legal concern choose "Safety or Legal concern." Then correct the public sources it may draw on. OpenAI does not promise to correct a particular fact.

Should I create a new Business Profile to replace the wrong one?

Usually no. Google's guidelines call for one profile per business, and a second listing can add to the confusion. Edit the verified profile, or use Google Maps' edit or report route if the profile is not yours.

What This Means for You

A wrong AI answer about your business is fixable in the ways that count, even without an edit button. Record every wrong fact with the date and your proof, report the answer where it appeared, and correct the sources in order: your Business Profile, your own site, then the directories and listings that disagree with you. For a scam association, preserve the evidence first and get qualified advice if the facts call for it.

Once your facts match everywhere you control, a customer who checks you has one consistent answer to find, and you have a dated record to show a platform or an adviser if the error comes back. Put a date on the calendar to search again in a few weeks, and you will know whether the fix held.

If the wrong facts are spread across more sources than you have time to chase, Web Leveling can trace each one back to where it started and correct what can be proven. Our generative engine optimization work focuses on the sources AI answers draw from: your site, your profiles and the listings that describe you. We cannot make any AI product say a particular sentence, and we will not pretend otherwise. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Tell us what the AI answer says about your business, and we will help you work out where it came from.

Terms

Words used in this post

Tap a term to see what it means.

AI Overview. The AI-written summary Google shows at the top of some search results when its systems judge it helpful.

Google Business Profile. A business's free listing on Google Search and Maps, which the owner can edit once it is verified.

Structured data. Code added to a web page that labels facts such as your name, hours and address so search engines can read them.

Citation. A link an AI answer shows as a source for what it says.

Duplicate listing. A second profile for the same business, which can split or confuse the facts Google shows.

Impersonation. Someone falsely presenting themselves as your business, for example through a fake listing or look-alike website.