In October 2026 we asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity 216 questions about hiring a local business in Utah. 83.8% of the answers cited at least one real local business, by its website or its Google Maps listing, and 9.7% cited only directories such as Thumbtack, Yelp or Angi. This is the Utah AI Visibility Index: the same 72 questions, asked again each wave, with every cited source recorded and the data published for anyone to check.
216 answers from 3 AI engines. 83.8% cited a real local business. 97.2% of ChatGPT's answers came from a background search that added the word "reviews". 75.0% of Gemini's answers linked a Google Maps listing instead of a website.
How we ran the October 2026 wave
We asked the same 72 questions as our July 2026 study: 12 local service industries (chiropractors, plumbers, auto repair, HVAC, house cleaning, dentists, roofers, landscapers, med spas, electricians, garage door repair and pest control) across six Wasatch Front cities (Salt Lake City, Draper, Sandy, Provo, West Jordan and Lehi). Each question is phrased the way a customer types it, for example "Who is the best plumber in Salt Lake City, Utah?"
On October 16, 2026 each question went to three engines: the ChatGPT app (GPT-6, web search on), the Gemini app (3.5 Flash-Lite) and Perplexity (Sonar, web search on). That is 216 answers. We recorded every cited source and sorted each website into local business, national chain, directory, media or other, with the same rules as July. A link to one business's Google Maps listing counts as naming that business.
Read the two waves separately. July used four engines through their developer APIs. October used the real ChatGPT and Gemini apps, which is closer to what a customer sees, and did not include Claude. The headline share is close (83.3% in July, 83.8% in October), but the method changed, so we do not report engine-by-engine changes as a trend.
What ChatGPT searches for before it recommends a business
ChatGPT does not answer from memory. Before it replies, it runs its own web searches, called fan-out searches, and they are not the words the customer typed. Across our 72 Utah questions, ChatGPT ran 77 background searches.
In 70 of the 72 answers (97.2%), ChatGPT's background search added the word "reviews" to the customer's question. It added the current year in 20 answers (27.8%), "licensed" in 14 (19.4%) and "reddit" in 11 (15.3%). One example: "Who is the best chiropractor in Salt Lake City, Utah?" became the search "best chiropractor salt lake city utah patient reviews credentials 2026".
Keyword tools do not show these searches. In a separate test of ChatGPT fan-out searches about Utah SEO agencies, every long fan-out search we checked in Google Ads data had no measurable monthly search volume. People do not type them. AI does.
Which AI engine names real businesses
| AI engine | Answers citing a real business | Answers citing only directories | Citations to directories | Citations to Google Maps listings | What we tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 54 of 72 (75.0%) | 17 (23.6%) | 53.9% | 10.6% | ChatGPT app, GPT-6, web search on |
| Google Gemini | 59 of 72 (81.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2.7% | 72.0% | Gemini app, 3.5 Flash-Lite |
| Perplexity | 68 of 72 (94.4%) | 4 (5.6%) | 42.4% | 0.0% | Perplexity Sonar, web search on |
Perplexity cited a real business most often (94.4% of answers). ChatGPT sent more than half of its citations to directories (53.9%), and 23.6% of its answers cited directories but no business website or Google Maps listing. Gemini almost never cited a directory: it linked the business's Google Maps listing instead.
Gemini and ChatGPT link to your Google Business Profile
The Gemini app linked a Google Maps listing in 54 of 72 answers (75.0%), and 72.0% of everything Gemini cited was a Google Maps listing. ChatGPT linked a Google Maps listing in 34 of 72 answers (47.2%). For these two engines, a business's Google Business Profile is often the page the customer lands on, not the website.
The directories AI engines cite in Utah
| Directory | Answers citing it (of 216) |
|---|---|
| Thumbtack | 34 |
| Expertise.com | 30 |
| Yelp | 29 |
| Angi | 25 |
| BBB | 24 |
| HomeAdvisor | 22 |
| BestProsInTown | 21 |
| Birdeye reviews | 14 |
Of 992 citations in October, 43.1% went to directories, 33.9% to local business websites and 8.9% to Google Maps listings.
Utah industries where directories take the most citations
| Industry | Citations going to directories (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Med spa | 53.2% |
| Landscaping | 51.9% |
| Chiropractor | 50.0% |
| House cleaning | 47.6% |
| Roofing | 43.5% |
| Pest control | 42.9% |
| Dentist | 40.9% |
| Plumber | 40.7% |
| Electrician | 40.5% |
| Auto repair | 37.0% |
| Garage door repair | 35.6% |
| HVAC | 35.1% |
No Utah business owns AI search
The three engines cited 262 different local business websites and 210 different Google Maps listings. The most-cited business website appeared in 5 of 216 answers (2.3%). In July the most-cited business appeared in 5.2% of answers. Neither wave shows a business that owns its category.
How to show up in ChatGPT and Gemini as a Utah business
1. Reviews come first. ChatGPT added "reviews" to 97.2% of its background searches. Reviews on your Google Business Profile and on the directories above are what it finds.
2. Treat your Google Business Profile as your AI landing page. Gemini linked a Google Maps listing in 75.0% of answers and ChatGPT in 47.2%. Hours, services, photos and categories need to be complete and correct.
3. Keep your directory listings complete. 53.9% of ChatGPT's citations went to directories. Thumbtack, Expertise.com, Yelp, Angi and the BBB were the most cited.
4. Say it if you are licensed. ChatGPT searched for "licensed" in 19.4% of answers. If your trade is licensed in Utah, put the license on your website.
5. Check more than one engine. The engines behave differently: Perplexity cites websites, Gemini cites Google Maps listings, and ChatGPT leans on directories.
Limits: this is one day of answers (October 16, 2026), asked from a United States location without a specific city. AI answers change with wording, location and time. The questions, the method and the per-industry data are public so the test can be repeated.
Frequently asked questions
Do AI assistants recommend real local businesses or directories like Yelp?
Mostly real businesses. In our October 2026 test of 216 AI answers about hiring a local business in Utah, 83.8% cited at least one real local business and 9.7% cited only directories. ChatGPT was the most directory-heavy: 23.6% of its answers cited directories and no business website or Google Maps listing.
What does ChatGPT search for before it recommends a local business?
Reviews, almost every time. When we asked ChatGPT 72 Utah hiring questions in October 2026, its own background web search added the word "reviews" in 70 of the 72 answers (97.2%). It added the current year in 20 answers and "licensed" in 14.
Does Gemini link to my website or my Google Business Profile?
Mostly your Google Business Profile. In our October 2026 test, the Gemini app linked a Google Maps listing in 54 of 72 answers (75.0%), and 72.0% of everything Gemini cited was a Google Maps listing. Only 2.7% of Gemini's sources were directories.
How do I get my local business to show up in ChatGPT?
Start with what ChatGPT searches for. In our October 2026 Utah test, ChatGPT added "reviews" to 97.2% of its background searches and sent 53.9% of its citations to directories such as Thumbtack, Expertise.com, Yelp and Angi. Reviews and complete directory listings are the two places it looks.
Does one Utah business dominate AI answers?
No. Across 216 answers the three AI engines cited 262 different local business websites and 210 different Google Maps listings. The most-cited business website appeared in 5 of 216 answers (2.3%).
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