What Makes AI Recommend One Local Business Over Another?

A customer used to type “roofer near me,” scan a map, read a few reviews and decide who to call. Now they might ask, “Who repairs slate roofs on older homes near St. Catharines, and who could look at mine this week?” An AI assistant might give them a short list and a reason for each choice. The buyer could already be narrowing down who to call before they ever visit a website.

That changes the job for a local business. Showing up in search still matters. But can someone quickly tell whether you do the specific work they need? Can they find a reason to trust you with it? Give people clear answers and real evidence, and make sure that information is easy for AI assistants to find too.

I wouldn't call this the end of Google. I'd call it another place where a buyer's shortlist can take shape.

From search results to a shortlist

Google says its local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, so the traditional local SEO basics still matter. A complete Google Business Profile, genuine reviews and a useful website are still a good place to start. Google's local ranking guidance (opens in a new tab) explains those fundamentals.

What’s changing is the level of detail in the question.

“Roofer near me” is mostly about category and location. But “Who repairs slate roofs on century homes near St. Catharines?” asks for something much more specific. An assistant needs enough information to understand not just that you’re a roofer, but that you actually do that kind of work.

That’s where vague website copy starts to fall short. “Quality roofing solutions” doesn’t tell a buyer much about what you specialize in. Which roofs do you repair? Where do you work? What types of projects are you experienced with? What happens when someone contacts you for an assessment? The clearer those answers are, the easier it is for both people and AI systems to understand where you fit.

Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode may make several related searches to answer a complex question, and that ordinary SEO foundations still apply to its AI search features (opens in a new tab). That’s specific to how Google approaches AI search, but the broader takeaway is that the fundamentals still matter.

So instead of thinking about AI search as a completely separate system, I’d think about it as another layer on top of the search work businesses should already be doing.

Here’s a simple way to picture how a buyer’s question might turn into a shortlist.

What the research actually shows

A 2026 BrightLocal study (opens in a new tab) ran more than 200,000 non-branded local questions through ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews. The study tracked business locations over 60 days. Across the tracked locations, the business appeared in 66% of the matching Google Maps searches, compared with 32–38% of the AI answers tested. When the researchers repeated the AI questions, the businesses named overlapped by only 20–33% on average.

My takeaway: showing up on Maps doesn't mean you'll appear in an AI answer. And one screenshot, whether it names your business or not, doesn't tell you how you're doing.

It’s one study with a specific test setup, so I wouldn’t treat those percentages as a universal benchmark. The tests don't tell us why a business appeared or whether it got an inquiry. I’d use the study as a reason to test the kinds of questions your real customers would ask — not as proof of some new AI ranking formula.

A separate 2026 BrightLocal consumer survey (opens in a new tab) found that 45% of 1,002 US respondents had used AI for local-business recommendations in the previous year. I'd still pay attention to Google and the other places your customers look.

Make the reason to choose you easy to verify

If I were looking at your business this week, I'd check the same things a careful customer would.

First, check the basic facts. Do your site and business profiles agree on what you do, where you work, your hours and how to contact you? Don't list an office address if you don't meet customers there. If you work across Niagara but only show a St. Catharines address, say where you actually provide service. Start with your Google Business Profile, then check listings your customers use.

Next, show the work you want more of. If someone needs a specialist, a broad services list won't answer their question. Explain the jobs you take, who they're for, where you do them and what happens next. A contractor could spell out the difference between repairs and replacements. A professional firm could say which clients a service is for. Be specific, but only claim credentials, response times or availability you can back up.

Then, make your claims easy to check. If you work on heritage homes, show a real project you have permission to share. A genuine customer review about a slate repair can tell a buyer more than a generic claim. Keep relevant profiles up to date; an association profile or reputable local article can help someone check a credential or specialty. The point is to give buyers evidence beyond your own service page. That same information may also help an AI assistant understand what you actually do. Don't script reviews or invent testimonials.

Finally, make contact easy. A recommendation won't help much if a buyer can't figure out how to reach you. Give people a clear way to call or ask about the service. Don't promise an appointment slot your team hasn't confirmed. Our SEO and AI search work connects visibility with the pages people need once they come looking.

Test real customer questions over time

Start with a few questions your real customers would ask when they’re ready to hire. Include the service, location and details that would shape their choice. “Who repairs slate roofs on older homes in Niagara-on-the-Lake?” tells you much more than “best roofer.”

Try those questions across the AI assistants your customers may use, then repeat the same checks over time. Pay attention to which businesses are named, which sources appear and whether the answer gets your business details right.

The goal isn’t just to see if your name shows up. A mention isn’t the same as a website visit, and a visit isn’t the same as a qualified inquiry. Ask new customers how they heard about you and keep an eye on the calls and forms that actually matter to the business.

Then look for gaps you can fix. If an AI answer misses a service you genuinely offer, make that service clearer on your site. If it picks up an old phone number, correct the source. If another business is recommended instead, look at the evidence supporting that recommendation before changing your own copy.

I’ve written more about the difference between visibility and trust.

Start with one service

I'd start with the service you'd most like to be hired for. Can someone see what you do, where you do it and a real example or review that shows why you're a good fit? Make the next step easy too. That helps a buyer whether they find you through ordinary search or an AI answer.

The goal isn't to somehow rank #1 in ChatGPT. It’s to make what you do, where you do it and why you’re a good fit clear enough for people to understand — and for AI assistants to find when someone asks for exactly that.

If you'd like a second set of eyes on where your business is clear and where a prospective customer has to guess, talk to Mango Media. We’ll review your search-to-inquiry path together.