1.2% of Local Businesses Get ChatGPT Recommendations

SOCi's 2026 Local Visibility Index analyzed more than 350,000 business locations across 2,751 brands and found that ChatGPT recommends just 1.2% of local businesses when someone asks for a recommendation. Perplexity does slightly better at 7.4%, and Gemini reaches 11%. For comparison, Google's local 3-pack shows 35.9% of businesses.

That means a homeowner who asks ChatGPT for a plumber has a 98.8% chance of never hearing your name. The AI picks one or two businesses from a pool of dozens in the area, and the rest disappear.

The question is not whether AI search matters for your trade business. It does. The question is what the 1.2% have that the other 98.8% do not.

What Makes a Business Get Recommended by AI

A separate 2026 study by Foxxr looked specifically at home service contractors across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and remodeling. Researchers tested prompts across multiple AI engines and tracked which businesses appeared in recommendations. The contractors that showed up shared a pattern that the invisible ones did not.

They had specific, confirmable content on their websites and business listings.

That sounds simple, but it matters more than most contractors realize. AI engines like ChatGPT do not just match keywords. They look for claims they can verify. If your website says "licensed plumber serving Bergen County" but does not name the license number, the service area by town, or the types of jobs you handle, the AI cannot confirm anything about you. It moves on to a business whose site says "New Jersey Master Plumber License #12345, serving Teaneck, Hackensack, and Englewood, specializing in tankless water heater installation and emergency pipe repair."

The second business is confirmable. The first one could be anyone.

Specificity Is the Signal

The Foxxr report found that contractors with a 100% share of AI voice in their market shared several traits:

Their Google Business Profile listed specific services, not just "plumbing." Their website had service pages for each type of job, not a single generic page. Their reviews mentioned the actual work performed ("fixed a slab leak under the kitchen floor on a Saturday") rather than generic praise ("great service, would recommend"). Their business listings on third-party sites matched their website information exactly.

Generic content produces zero share of AI voice. The AI engines skip over it because they cannot verify it.

Why ChatGPT's Recommendation Rate Is So Low

ChatGPT's 1.2% recommendation rate is the lowest among the major AI engines. There is a reason for that gap. ChatGPT pulls from a different data mix than Gemini or Perplexity. It relies more heavily on training data and less on real-time web crawling, which means it tends to recommend businesses with stronger digital footprints across multiple sources. A business that appears in local directories, gets mentioned in local news, has a complete Google Business Profile, and shows up in review sites is more likely to be in ChatGPT's training data.

Gemini's 11% rate is higher partly because it pulls directly from Google's local search data in real time. Perplexity's 7.4% falls between the two because it crawls the web but applies stricter citation standards.

For a trade business, the practical takeaway is that appearing in ChatGPT requires more than a good website. It requires presence across the sources ChatGPT was trained on: directories, review platforms, local press, and community references.

How to Get Your Trade Business Into the 1.2%

Closing the gap between invisible and recommended comes down to a few concrete steps.

Make your business confirmable. Add your license number to your website. List the specific towns you serve, not just a county. Name the exact services you offer on dedicated pages. If you install tankless water heaters, write a page about tankless water heater installation. If you handle emergency drain cleaning, say that.

Fix your Google Business Profile. Fill out every field. Add photos of real work, not stock images. Respond to reviews. Post updates. Google's Business Profile is the single most important data source for AI engines that crawl the web, and an incomplete profile tells the AI your business may not be active.

Get listed on the directories AI engines read. Yelp, Angi, Thumbtack, Better Business Bureau, and local Chamber of Commerce listings all feed the data pool that ChatGPT and Perplexity draw from. Inconsistent information across these sites hurts your AI visibility because the AI cannot tell which version is accurate.

Write content that answers specific questions. Instead of "Our plumbing services," write "How much does it cost to replace a water heater in Bergen County?" Specific, question-based content matches the way people ask AI engines for help. A homeowner asks ChatGPT "who fixes slab leaks in Teaneck" and the AI looks for content that matches that exact question.

For a deeper dive on the mechanics, read how ChatGPT picks local businesses and why 87% of contractors are invisible to AI search.

The Data Behind the Numbers

The SOCi Local Visibility Index is not a small sample. It analyzed 350,000+ business locations across 2,751 brands in multiple markets. The Foxxr Home Service AI Visibility Report tested home service contractors across five trades and multiple geographic markets. Both studies were published in 2026.

The numbers are consistent with what BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey found: consumer use of AI tools to find local businesses jumped from 6% to 45% in one year. People are asking AI for recommendations. The businesses that get recommended are the ones with confirmable, specific, consistent information across the web.

For more on how to get ChatGPT specifically to recommend a plumbing business, see the plumbing-specific guide.

FAQ

What percentage of local businesses does ChatGPT recommend?

ChatGPT recommends 1.2% of local business locations, according to SOCi's 2026 Local Visibility Index, which analyzed over 350,000 locations across 2,751 brands. Perplexity recommends 7.4%, Gemini 11%, and Google's local 3-pack shows 35.9%.

How do I get my trade business recommended by ChatGPT?

Make your business information specific and confirmable. Add your license number, list the exact towns you serve, create service-specific pages, complete your Google Business Profile, and ensure your listings match across directories like Yelp, Angi, and the Better Business Bureau.

Why does Gemini recommend more businesses than ChatGPT?

Gemini pulls directly from Google's local search data in real time, giving it access to more current business information. ChatGPT relies more on training data, so it tends to recommend businesses with stronger digital footprints across multiple sources like directories, review sites, and local press.

What is share of AI voice for contractors?

Share of AI voice measures how often your business appears in AI-generated recommendations compared to competitors in your market. Contractors with 100% share of AI voice have specific, confirmable content that AI engines can verify. Those with 0% have generic information the AI cannot confirm.

Does my Google Business Profile affect AI search visibility?

Yes. Google Business Profile is the most important data source for AI engines that crawl the web, including Perplexity and Gemini. An incomplete profile signals inactivity to AI. Fill out every field, add photos of real work, respond to reviews, and keep your service list specific.

Run your free AI visibility audit to see where your trade business stands across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI.