New data shows how ChatGPT, Google and other AI tools decide which businesses to mention, and what you can do about it.
TL;DR
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The study: A study analyzed 9 million AI answers across nine platforms (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Grok, Claude and Meta AI) covering 400+ brands.
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Plain pages win: 64% of AI citations come from ordinary, well-written pages, not special formats.
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Others speak for you: On buying-intent questions, 82% of citations go to third-party sites and only 3% to a brand’s own pages.
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Your site still pays off: When your own page is cited, AI visibility jumps 5x and the citation lasts 3 to 9 times longer.
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Customers are already there: 45% of US consumers used AI tools for local business recommendations, up from 6% a year earlier (BrightLocal, 2026).
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What to do: Answer real customer questions on your site, keep listings accurate, earn mentions on trusted sites, and post video.
Why this matters to you
Your customers have started asking AI the questions they used to type into Google: “Who is the best plumber near me?” or “Which dentist is good with kids?” BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of 1,002 US consumers found AI is now the third most used tool for local recommendations, behind only Google and Facebook, and ahead of Yelp.
AI tools do not show ten blue links. They give a short answer and name a few businesses. You are either in that answer or you are not.
of US consumers used AI for local business recommendations
of citations on buying questions go to third-party sites
visibility lift when your own page gets cited
What the data found
One honest caveat: this study tracked large enterprise brands, not local shops. For location-based searches, a separate Yext analysis of 6.8 million AI citations adds useful detail: 44% came from business websites and 42% from listings, with reviews and social at 8%. The lesson is the same either way. AI builds its answer from your website plus the places across the web that describe you.
5 things to do this month
- Answer real questions on your site. Add pricing ranges, service areas, FAQs and specifics only you know.
- Fix your listings. Make sure your name, address, phone and hours match everywhere, starting with your Google Business Profile.
- Get mentioned elsewhere. Aim for local directories, industry sites, community pages and “best in [city]” roundups.
- Post simple videos. One question, one answer, your business name in the title.
- Check where you stand. Ask ChatGPT and Google’s AI for a business like yours in your city, and see who gets named.
How we can help
We help local businesses get found and recommended on the top AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude. That covers tracking where you appear today, improving your website content, cleaning up your listings and building the third-party mentions AI relies on.
Want to know if AI is recommending you or your competitors? Reply to this email and we will run an AI visibility check for your business.
Sources: Search Engine Land, “What 9 million AI answers reveal about search visibility” (Nikki Lam, NP Digital, Sept 30, 2026); BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026; Yext AI citations research (Oct 2025).
