We all do this. You meet someone new, and within a few minutes you've half-formed an opinion based on who they hang around with. An Ai quietly does the same thing to your business — based on the company you keep online.
When your name keeps showing up near certain other names — in articles, lists, directories — an Ai starts to assume you belong in that group. Land next to respected, relevant names and you get scooped into the “good options for this” pile. Land next to random ones and nothing happens.
Who you're named next to tells an Ai what kind of business you are.
The bakery problem
Short version: Being mentioned next to an unrelated business does little; being mentioned next to a relevant, credible one helps.
Say a physical therapist does a cute cross-promotion with the bakery next door. Lovely for the neighborhood — but it does nothing for how an Ai sees the clinic. Now flip it: that same clinic shows up next to a running club, a sports-medicine doctor, and the local marathon's sponsor page. Suddenly it's keeping exactly the right company.
What's worth your time, and what isn't
Short version: Pursue complementary businesses, industry groups, the chamber, and relevant sponsorships. Skip random retailers and “district” pages — they won't hurt you, they just won't help.
These are relationships you can build for real — no tricks required. The reassuring part: appearing near irrelevant stuff won't hurt you. It just won't move the needle, so don't stress about it.