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What is AI search, and why it matters for local businesses

You've probably heard of ChatGPT. More and more people now use it, and tools like it, the way they used to use Google. Here's what that means for a local business, in plain words.

AI search, in one sentence

AI search is when someone asks an AI tool a question, instead of typing it into Google, and the AI writes back an answer.

The best-known AI tools are:

• ChatGPT (made by OpenAI)
• Gemini (made by Google)
• Grok (made by xAI)
• Claude (made by Anthropic)
• Perplexity

Google itself now also shows AI-written summaries at the top of many searches.

How it's different from regular Google search

With regular Google search, you type "plumber near me" and get a map and a long list of websites. You click around and decide.

With AI search, you might type: "My water heater is leaking. Who's a reliable plumber in Glendale Heights who can come today?" The AI reads around the internet for you and replies with a short answer, often naming just a few businesses, sometimes with a reason for each.

That's the big change: instead of a long list, the customer often gets a short list. If you're on it, great. If you're not, the customer may never see your name at all.

Where does AI get its information?

Most AI tools look things up on the web before they answer. They read places like:

• Your website
• Your Google Business Profile (your Google Maps listing)
• Review sites and directories such as Yelp, BBB and Angi
• "Best of" list articles and local news
• Your competitors' websites

Different AI tools lean on different websites. In our own testing, one tool relied mostly on Yelp, while another relied more on BBB and Angi. That's why it pays to be complete and correct in several places, not just one.

Why it matters for local businesses

For years, getting found online meant showing up on Google. That still matters. But now some customers skip the list and just trust the AI's answer.

Here's what we saw in our own test. We asked 5 AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity) 15 questions a homeowner might ask about plumbers, twice each. A family-owned Dallas plumber was named in just 3 of 150 AI answers. Its top local competitor was named in 39. Good businesses can be nearly invisible in AI search without knowing it.

The good news: the main reason was fixable. Its website blocked automated visitors, so AI tools couldn't read it, and only 2 of the 150 answers linked to a page about it.

What is "AI SEO" or "GEO"?

You may hear people call this "AI search optimization," "AI SEO" or "GEO" (generative engine optimization). They all mean the same basic idea: making it easier for AI tools (also called SI, Super Intelligence) to find, understand and recommend your business. You don't need to know the jargon. The basics are things you can do yourself:

• Keep your Google Business Profile complete and correct
• Ask happy customers for reviews
• Use the same name, address, phone and hours everywhere
• Say clearly on your website what you do and where
• Answer common customer questions on your website

Our guide How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT walks through each one.

How do I know if AI recommends me?

Try it: ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity what your customers would ask. Ask a few different ways, and more than once, because answers change.

Or let us do it properly. Our AI Recommendation Report ($49) asks 5 AI tools 15 real customer questions, twice each, and shows how often you're named compared with your competitors, plus the top 5 things to fix. The Report + Fix Kit ($99) adds the ready-to-paste words, written for your business.

Looking at other AI visibility tools too? See a fair side-by-side comparison.

Common questions