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What 200,000 Local AI Searches Reveal About Who Gets Recommended

Writer: Alexis Tjader
Alexis Tjader
11 minutes ago
6 min read

When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI tools to recommend a local business, the answer usually names just two to four companies, and that short list changes often. A 2026 study of 200,000 local AI searches by BrightLocal shows where those answers come from and why your website and Google Business Profile still matter most. Here's what the data says and what to do with it.


Last updated: October 2026


Why this study matters for local businesses


AI search is no longer a niche habit. In BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey of 1,002 U.S. adults, 45% of consumers said they use AI tools for local business recommendations, and 31% had used ChatGPT for that in the past year.


To see how those recommendations actually work, BrightLocal ran about 200,000 non-branded local searches across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews, in more than 1,300 locations over about 60 days. It then analyzed roughly 1.9 million citations, meaning the sources the AI tools linked to.


One note for context: BrightLocal sells local SEO software and used its own tracking tool for the study. The sample is large and the findings line up with what Google says about its AI features, but it's worth knowing who ran the research.


AI only names a handful of businesses


A page of Google results can show dozens of options. AI answers are much shorter. On average, the study found:


  • ChatGPT named 4.1 businesses per answer

  • Google AI Mode named 3.5

  • Google AI Overviews named 2.5


About 10% to 11% of responses named no business at all. For a customer, that means the shortlist is often decided before they visit a single website. For a business owner, it means there is very little room on the list.


Ask the same question twice and the list changes


This is the finding that surprises most people. When BrightLocal repeated the same searches, the lists of businesses overlapped only 20% to 33% on average. A business that showed up once came back in later attempts about half the time (50% for ChatGPT and AI Mode, 58% for AI Overviews).


Results also shifted within the same town. Moving the search location across a city changed which businesses appeared, though most picks were still within about 10 km of the searcher.


The practical lesson: one AI answer is not a ranking report. If you or a competitor checks ChatGPT once and sees a result, that tells you very little. What matters is how often you appear across many similar questions over time.


Where AI gets its information


The study looked at which sources the AI tools cited when recommending businesses. Out of about 1.9 million citations:


  • Business websites made up 42%

  • Google Business Profiles made up about 28.5%

  • Yelp made up about 9.5%

  • Facebook, Tripadvisor, BBB and other directories made up smaller shares


In other words, most of what AI tools pull from is information you control or can influence directly: your own website and your Google Business Profile. That's good news. It means the work is concrete, not mysterious.


This also matches Google's own guidance. Google says there are no special optimizations required to appear in its AI features. Pages need to be indexed and eligible to show in regular search, and the usual SEO basics apply.


Google Maps still shows up more often than AI


For all the attention AI gets, the study found Google Maps mentioned a tracked business in 66% of searches. The AI tools did so in only 32% to 38%. Maps results were also far more consistent from one attempt to the next.


So AI search visibility doesn't replace local SEO. It builds on it. A strong Google Business Profile and well-built local pages help you in Maps today and give AI tools better information to work with.


Service-area businesses have it a little harder


If you travel to your customers (roofers, landscapers, cleaners, contractors), pay attention to this one. Service-area businesses were mentioned in about 29% of searches, compared with about 34% for businesses with a storefront.


The study doesn't say exactly why. A reasonable explanation is that a business without a public address gives AI tools less location information to work with. Whatever the cause, the fix is the same: make it very easy to understand where you work.


  • List your service areas clearly on your Google Business Profile.

  • Name the towns and counties you serve on your website, in plain text.

  • Create a page for each main service that says what you do and where.

  • Keep your business name, phone and service area the same everywhere you're listed.


What we've seen working with service businesses


Across the 20+ businesses we've worked with since 2024, the sites that struggle in search rarely lack a technical trick. They lack clear pages that say what the business does and where it works.


Our own data points the same way. In Google Search Console, the page Google shows most often on our site is a long, specific guide to AI search visibility, not a general post. Specific, genuinely useful pages get shown. Generic ones don't. That's consistent with the BrightLocal finding that business websites are the largest source AI tools cite.


What to work on before 2027


Based on the study and Google's guidance, here's where to focus:


  1. Keep your Google Business Profile complete and accurate. Categories, services, service areas, hours, photos and regular review responses.

  2. Give each main service its own clear page. Say what it is, who it's for, where you offer it and how to get started.

  3. Answer real customer questions in plain text. Cost factors, timing, what happens first. Text is easier for search systems to read than images or video.

  4. Make your listings consistent. Your name, phone number and service area should match on Yelp, Facebook, BBB and other directories.

  5. Earn authentic reviews. Ask happy customers to leave honest feedback. Never buy reviews or ask only for five stars.

  6. Track trends, not single answers. Check the same set of customer questions each month, and watch inquiries and referral traffic from AI tools in your analytics.


None of this guarantees an AI recommendation. Nobody can promise that, because the answers change constantly. But it gives AI tools and Google the clearest possible picture of your business, and it helps you in regular search and Maps at the same time.



Frequently asked questions


Can I pay to get recommended by ChatGPT or Google's AI?


No. There's no way to buy a spot in organic AI answers. Visibility comes from clear, accurate information on your website, Google Business Profile and listings.


How do I check if AI recommends my business?


Ask the same few customer-style questions (for example, "best roofer near [your town]") once a month in ChatGPT and Google, and note whether you're named. Because answers vary, look at the pattern over several months rather than any single result.


Does this replace SEO?


No. The study found Google Maps still mentioned businesses far more often than AI tools did, and Google says its AI features rely on the same foundations as regular search. Good local SEO helps with both.


I'm a service-area business without a storefront. What matters most?


Make your service area obvious. List the areas you serve on your Google Business Profile, name them on your website and keep your details consistent across directories.


Sources



About the author


Alexis Tjader is the founder of ALT Digital Strategies, based in Leesburg, Virginia. She designs websites and manages SEO, Local SEO, Google Business Profile and AI search visibility for service businesses across the U.S., and has worked with 20+ businesses since 2024. More about Alexis


Want help making your business easier for customers and AI tools to find? Book a discovery call and we'll talk about whether ongoing SEO and AI search visibility support makes sense for you.

 
 
 

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