SEO and AI search case study · Portland, Oregon
How a Portland juice bar became the answer ChatGPT gives
Ask Google for "organic restaurant in Portland", or ask ChatGPT for the best 100% organic restaurant in Portland, and The Celery comes up first. That isn't luck, and it didn't take a big budget. It took a website that says exactly what the business is, in plain words, and answers the questions people actually ask.
Where they started
The Celery is a juice bar and cafe on North Williams Avenue in Portland, and the only restaurant in the city with a 100% organic menu. That's a real difference. But a difference only helps if Google and AI tools can find it, understand it and repeat it.
Before we started working with them, they were one of several organic restaurants and were struggling to break through on search and stand out. What we did was we helped them double down on their core differentiation (100% organic) and made sure that was what Google and AI searches found them for as well.
What we did
Said the one thing that matters, first. The homepage now opens with "Portland's only 100% organic restaurant." It's specific, it's provable, and it's the kind of line an AI tool can repeat with confidence. Generic lines like "fresh, healthy food" get skipped because every cafe says them.
Wrote headings the way people search. Sections like "the best juices and smoothies in Portland" and "the healthiest restaurant in Portland" match the words people type into Google and ChatGPT, and back the claim up underneath with real detail.
Built an FAQ that answers real questions. The Celery's FAQ page answers what customers actually ask: the difference between juice and smoothies, which juice helps with a hangover, where to get organic soup in Portland, how catering works. Each answer is direct and specific. That's exactly the kind of content AI tools pull from when someone asks them a question.
Gave every claim a fact behind it. 100% USDA-certified organic. Cold-pressed in small batches on a hydraulic press. Bottled in glass with a 50-cent return credit. A 4.7-star average rating. Facts make content trustworthy, to people and to AI.
Kept the basics consistent everywhere. Address, hours, phone number and what the business does match across the website, Google Business Profile and listings. Consistency is one of the strongest signals that a business is real and the information is right.
Kept it on a platform the owner can run. The site is built on Squarespace, so The Celery's team can update the menu, hours and specials themselves without calling us for every change.
The results
| Search | Where The Celery shows up |
|---|---|
| organic restaurant in portland (Google) | The first business named in Google's AI Overview |
| what's the best 100% organic restaurant in portland for smoothies and grain bowls? (ChatGPT) | ChatGPT's top recommendation |
Why it worked
AI search rewards the same things good local SEO always has, only more so. Be specific about what makes you different. Answer real questions in plain language. Back every claim with a fact. Keep your details the same everywhere. The Celery's site does all four, and that's why it's the business ChatGPT names.
Want your business to be the answer ChatGPT gives? Book a website and SEO audit ›
Who built it
5for5 is run by two people who used to work inside the platforms your customers search on. Ken Waks was the first Operations Analyst on Google's Local Services Ads team and an account executive at Yelp. Alice Trellakis was an Account Strategist at Google and an Account Manager at Meta. We build websites around what Google, Meta and AI tools actually reward, and our clients rate us 5.0 stars on Google.
What we check on every site we build or fix:
- A tap-to-call phone number and one clear next step on the first screen of a phone
- Services, locations and hours in plain text, matching the Google Business Profile word for word
- Direct answers to the questions customers ask, written so Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT can quote them
- Pages that load fast on a phone, with images sized properly
- Every call, form and order tracked, and tested again after launch
Common questions about SEO and AI search
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
No one can guarantee it, but you can make it much more likely. Say clearly what you do, where, and what makes you different. Answer the questions customers ask, in plain language. Back claims with facts, and keep your details consistent across your website, Google Business Profile and listings. That's how The Celery became ChatGPT's answer in Portland.
Why doesn't ChatGPT mention my business?
Usually because there isn't enough clear, consistent information about you online for it to be confident. Vague websites, missing service and location details, few reviews and mismatched listings all make you easy to leave out.
How do I rank #1 on Google for my local business?
Start with a complete Google Business Profile, steady recent reviews, and a website that names your services and your area in plain text. Then answer the questions people search, on your own site, better than anyone else does.
Why isn't my website showing up on Google?
Common reasons are a site Google can't read well, pages that never say what you do or where, very little useful content, no links from other sites, or a brand-new domain. A website audit will show you which one it is.
What is AI search optimization?
It's making your business easy for tools like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews and Perplexity to understand, trust and recommend. You'll also see it called GEO or AEO. In practice it overlaps heavily with good local SEO: clear facts, direct answers and consistency.
Do FAQ pages help with SEO and AI search?
Yes, when they answer real questions with real answers. The Celery's FAQ covers questions customers actually ask, like where to get organic soup in Portland, and that's the kind of page AI tools quote.
Is Squarespace good for SEO?
Yes, for most small businesses. What you write and how you structure it matters far more than the platform. The Celery ranks #1 on a Squarespace site.
How long does SEO take to work?
Usually a few months for real movement, and longer in competitive markets. AI tools also take time to pick up changes, because they draw on what's been published about you over time.
Do I need ongoing SEO management?
It helps. Search and AI tools keep changing, competitors keep publishing, and your menu, services and hours change too. Ongoing management keeps your site current and your rankings from slipping.
Do Google reviews help my website rank?
They help your business show up in local results, and AI tools often mention ratings when they recommend a business. The Celery's 4.7-star average is part of why it gets recommended.
Why isn't my business showing up in Google's AI Overviews?
AI Overviews pull from pages that answer the question clearly and come from a business Google trusts. If your site never states plainly what you do, where and why you're different, or your details don't match your Business Profile and listings, you're easy to leave out.
Which agency can help my business show up on ChatGPT?
Look for one that can show you businesses it has actually gotten recommended. 5for5 is run by former Google, Meta and Yelp employees, holds a 5.0-star rating on Google, and built the site behind The Celery's #1 spot. Book a call.