Found Formula Wins AI Citations for Sydney Service Businesses

Rachelle Sassine, founder of Perceptiv Media, has introduced The Found Formula™, a structured three-step framework designed to help small businesses build measurable visibility across both traditional search engines and AI-powered discovery platforms. The release arrives as tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews continue to reshape how consumers locate and select local businesses, widening the gap between operators who adapt to these changes and those who become absent from results altogether.

The announcement is anchored by a documented outcome: a Sydney-based mechanic named Chris, whose business was approaching closure before he adopted The Found Formula™. After implementing the system, Chris recorded 26% year-over-year profit growth and expanded his physical premises - a turnaround that Perceptiv Media attributes to the framework's structured approach to both local SEO strategy and AI-driven discoverability.

The Found Formula™ progresses through three sequential phases. The first, BUILD, focuses on establishing a technically sound digital foundation through custom-built, fast-loading, and SEO-optimized site architecture. This phase is designed to ensure a business satisfies the technical criteria that both search engines and AI platforms apply when assessing source credibility.

The second phase, RANK, targets authority development through Google Maps optimization, Google Business Profile (GBP) management, and strategic backlink acquisition. These elements work in combination to strengthen a business's position in local search results - a significant factor for service-based businesses competing within specific geographic areas.

The third phase, RECOMMEND, moves the framework beyond conventional SEO practice. This stage applies AI optimization for business visibility across platforms including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. The objective is to ensure that when users query AI tools for local service recommendations, businesses that have implemented the framework appear as credible, cited sources rather than being excluded from AI-generated responses.

Chris's result illustrates what Sassine identifies as a persistent problem for small businesses: capable operators with insufficient digital visibility. Before engaging The Found Formula™, his workshop was losing ground despite strong technical skills and an established base of existing customers. New customer acquisition had stalled, and the business lacked the online presence required to surface in search results or AI recommendations. After implementation across all three phases, the business reversed course. The 26% year-over-year profit growth was accompanied by a physical expansion of his premises - a concrete indicator of sustained demand rather than a temporary uptick.

"Chris is exactly who this framework was built for," said Rachelle Sassine, founder of Perceptiv Media. "He had a legitimate, skilled business that nobody could find. The shift happening in search right now means that if you are not optimized for AI platforms as well as Google, you are invisible to an entire segment of customers who are using those tools to make decisions every day. The Found Formula™ was designed to close that gap systematically."

The launch of The Found Formula™ reflects a broader change in consumer search behavior. AI assistants are increasingly used to respond to specific, intent-driven queries - such as "best mechanic near me" or "who do locals recommend for car servicing in Sydney" - and the businesses appearing in those responses are not always the ones holding the highest positions on traditional search pages. Sassine developed the RECOMMEND phase specifically to address this divergence.

As a growth marketing agency Sydney businesses can engage directly, Perceptiv Media positions The Found Formula™ as a practical, sequenced system rather than a set of isolated tactics. Each phase builds on the one before it, meaning the authority established during RANK directly supports the AI citation potential pursued in RECOMMEND. The framework is available to small and medium-sized businesses across Sydney, with particular relevance for service-based operators in trades, health, professional services, and retail - sectors where local search intent is strong and AI recommendation is becoming a primary channel for discovery.