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How window replacement companies get recommended by AI: one real 20-answer test

By BeAIOptimized · November 10, 2026

Short answer: Across 20 answers about Madison, WI, the 5 leading AIs named 49 different window businesses. The most-named local installer appeared in 12, but its own website was cited in only 4. A small family installer we tracked was named in none. Every energy answer used efficiency terms, and every drafty-old-house answer raised historic homes.

Homeowners with cold, rattling windows now ask an assistant who to hire. We tried it in Madison, WI: four ordinary window questions, sent once each to ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity, for 20 answers. We do not print the installers' names, but each figure below was counted from those replies.

Source: our real test of window replacement companies in Madison, WI, November 10, 2026: 4 questions × 1 try × 5 AIs = 20 answers.

What the Madison window test turned up

We asked: "best window replacement company in Madison WI", "who should I hire to replace drafty windows in my older house in Madison Wisconsin", "affordable replacement window installer near Madison WI" and "energy efficient new windows for a home in Middleton WI, which company should I use". Location was set to Madison for every call.

• The names were spread thin. After joining obvious name variants and leaving out window makers and programs, 49 local businesses were named. On 3 of the 4 questions, no business was named by all 5 AIs. Only the plain "best company" question had one installer that all 5 agreed on.
• The leader was named far more than its site was used. The most-named installer appeared in 12 of 20 answers, but its website was cited in only 4. In 8 of the answers that named it, its own site was not among the sources. Reviews and listings elsewhere can carry a name.
• National brands' local offices were everywhere. 15 of 20 answers named at least one national window brand's local office or dealer. 15 answers mentioned a major window brand by name, as a maker or as part of a dealer's name.
• A small, well-reviewed installer still got nothing. The family installer we tracked has a site and strong reviews, but 0 of 20 answers named it and none cited its site.
• Sources were mixed. A company website was cited in 16 answers and a directory or review site in 11: BBB in 6, Angi in 5, Yahoo Local in 3. City, historic-preservation or energy-program pages were cited in 5.
• The question shaped the advice. All 5 drafty-older-house answers talked about historic homes, and 4 of 5 raised restoring the old windows or adding storm windows. All 5 energy answers used terms such as Energy Star, U-factor or low-E glass. Warranties came up in 17 answers, vinyl or fiberglass in 14, licensing in only 4.
• Some assistants gave long lists, one gave short ones. Per answer, Grok named 8.0 businesses on average, Claude 7.2, Gemini 7.0, ChatGPT 5.0 and Perplexity 2.8.

Names came from each answer through a small model, then were checked by hand: one installer under two labels counts once, and window makers, rebate programs and preservation groups are not counted as local businesses. Website counts are unique sites per answer.

Twenty answers in one city on one day is a snapshot. A town with fewer big franchise offices, or a different week, can give other results, so the paid report uses questions about your own area.

What a window company can take from this

These are patterns from one Madison test, not a ranking. What your company needs depends on your own website, your listings and the installers around you.

• Answer the old-house question head on. Every drafty-older-house answer talked about historic homes. If you work on older houses, say which ones, how you handle trim and plaster, and when repair makes more sense than replacement.
• Use the energy words people and AI use. Energy Star, U-factor and low-E glass showed up in every energy answer. Put the real ratings of the windows you install in plain text.
• Mention local rebates you help with. 8 answers pointed to Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program. If your customers use a local rebate, explain how you help them claim it.
• State your warranty in words. Warranties came up in 17 of 20 answers. A clear warranty page is easy for an assistant to quote.
• Keep BBB, Angi and your other listings matching. The leader was named mostly from sources other than its own site. Your name, phone, service area and the window lines you install should match on every listing.

AI search is still new, which is an opening. Businesses that make their information clear for AI now are easier to find when a customer asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude or Perplexity who to call.

One thing to do this week

Add a short page on replacing windows in older homes in your area: which house styles you work on, whether you restore or replace, the ratings of the windows you install, and any local rebate you help with. In this test, all 5 drafty-older-house answers raised historic homes and 8 of 20 answers mentioned the state rebate program.

Why the fix depends on your own company

Two window companies in the same city can be left out for different reasons. One may be named for "best" but never for energy questions. Another may have a fine site that assistants never open. A third may have its warranty and window lines only in a brochure PDF. The small installer in this test had strong reviews and still went unnamed, so the reason has to be found, not guessed.

The AI Recommendation Report ($49) finds it. We put 15 real customer questions about window replacement in your area to ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity, twice each, for 150 answers. You see how often you're named next to up to 3 local competitors, which websites each assistant leaned on, and your Top 5 Fixes. The Report + Fix Kit ($99) adds ready-to-paste wording and step-by-step instructions.

Want to see the format? Open the sample report, made for an insurance agency in the same $49 layout: who was named, which sites were used and what to change first. No one can promise an assistant will name you, because answers change, but this shows where you stand now.

Questions about the window test or the report? Email Christine at hello@beaioptimized.com.

Results for other trades: drain cleaners · painters · tree service · flooring companies · electricians · pest control · concrete contractors · insurance agents · dentists · plumbers · HVAC companies · roofers · the full 960-answer study.

Common questions