05/08/2026
A year ago, only 6% of people used AI tools like ChatGPT to find local businesses.
Today that number is 45%. That's not a typo — it nearly 8x'd in twelve months.
What that actually means: when someone searches "best [your business type] near me" on ChatGPT instead of Google, it gives them 2-3 specific recommendations, not a long list. If your business isn't one of those recommendations, that customer never sees you — they just call whoever AI mentioned.
The good news: the easiest first step is one you probably already have started — make sure your Google Business Profile is fully filled out (hours, services, photos, categories) and that your business name, address, and phone number match exactly everywhere online. That's the foundation AI tools pull from.
Go try it — open ChatGPT or Perplexity right now and search for your own business type in your city. Did you show up? Tell us what happened in the comments 👇