How AI recommends local businesses — a study of lawyers, accountants, and dentists
AI recommends a tiny fraction of local businesses, and which ones surface varies dramatically by city size, category, and query language — patterns our study across 6 cities, 3 engines, and 2 languages reveals in detail.
How to Evaluate an AI Visibility Provider Before Signing
Before signing with any AI visibility agency, ask for a documented case study with live links, proof of organic editorial placements on third-party sites, and a clear month-1 deliverable plan. If a provider guarantees ChatGPT recommendations, relies only on in-house content, or can’t show external validation – walk away.
How to get your B2B service firm recommended by AI
Getting your B2B service firm recommended by AI requires editorial presence in the sources AI actually reads – not directory listings on Clutch or DesignRush. Our study of 20 prompts across 5 service categories and 3 AI engines found that AI and search produce very different vendor shortlists, that the opportunity varies dramatically by category, and that most service firms are completely invisible to AI right now. The good news: in fragmented categories, a relatively small number of well-placed editorial mentions can shift your visibility significantly.
How ChatGPT Decides Which Businesses to Recommend
ChatGPT recommendations are usually driven by corroborated trust, not by a single Google ranking. In practice, brands get named more often when the model can verify the same positioning across third-party lists, reviews, editorial mentions, and clear on-site proof. Strong SEO helps discovery, but distributed validation drives recommendation confidence.