Everyone optimizes for ChatGPT. But across the brands the local-SEO industry runs on, ChatGPT cites them the least. Perplexity, Grok, and Google's AI surfaces drive far more citations. If you are only thinking about ChatGPT, you are optimizing for the smallest door.
Updated October 6, 2026: we re-ran the study with fresh data. Perplexity's share of these brands' AI citations nearly doubled in one quarter, ChatGPT is still the smallest source, and Google's AI surfaces lost half their share. See the October 2026 update below; the June findings are kept as published.
Locafy analyzed how often 7 leading local-SEO, reputation, and listings brands are cited in AI-generated answers across seven platforms, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot, and Grok, using Ahrefs' AI-citation index (US, June 2026). A citation means a link to the brand's domain inside an AI engine's generated answer. We used the industry's own tools as a measurable lens into how AI search visibility is being distributed.
The Leaderboard: AI Citations Across the Local-SEO Industry
The five findings in brief
- **AI visibility is winner-take-most** -- roughly 260x between the most- and least-cited brand
- **ChatGPT cites local-SEO brands the least** -- Perplexity, Grok and Google's surfaces drive far more
- **Google's AI surfaces are not a niche** -- AI Overviews and AI Mode together rival the standalone assistants
- **Citations track content depth, not company size** -- publishing volume beats headcount
- **There is enormous headroom** -- most brands in the category register almost no citations at all
| Brand | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini | Google AIO | Google AI Mode | Copilot | Grok | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birdeye | 1,071 | 3,184 | 294 | 414 | 313 | 1,393 | 1,379 | 8,048 |
| Moz | 0 | 196 | 55 | 127 | 164 | 186 | 157 | 885 |
| Podium | 29 | 136 | 22 | 104 | 79 | 27 | 207 | 604 |
| BrightLocal | 39 | 82 | 9 | 52 | 71 | 17 | 80 | 350 |
| LocalFalcon | 6 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 51 | 4 | 15 | 122 |
| Yext | 13 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 13 | 93 |
| Whitespark | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 31 |
Finding 1: AI Visibility Is Winner-Take-Most
The gap between the most-cited brand (Birdeye, 8,048 citations) and the least (Whitespark, 31) is roughly 260x. AI citations are not evenly distributed, a handful of brands own the answers and the rest are nearly invisible. Early movers are compounding their lead.
Finding 2: ChatGPT Cites Local-SEO Brands the Least
Here are total citations by platform across the measured brands, with the Birdeye outlier removed so one giant does not skew the picture:
| AI Platform | Citations (excl. Birdeye) |
|---|---|
| Grok | 481 |
| Perplexity | 441 |
| Google AI Mode | 387 |
| Google AI Overviews | 326 |
| Copilot | 260 |
| Gemini | 102 |
| ChatGPT | 88 |
ChatGPT ranks dead last. The industry reflex to optimize for ChatGPT is aimed at the platform that cites these brands least. Perplexity and Grok, plus Google's two AI surfaces combined, are where the citations actually are.
Finding 3: Google's AI Surfaces Are Not a Niche
Google AI Overviews and AI Mode together account for roughly 700 citations across this set (excluding Birdeye), more than ChatGPT and Copilot combined. Treating Google's AI answers as experimental is a mistake; for local intent they are already a primary surface. Here is how to appear in AI Overviews.
Finding 4: Citations Track Content Depth, Not Company Size
The runaway leaders are reputation and reviews platforms (Birdeye, Podium) sitting on enormous volumes of business-and-review content that AI loves to cite. Pure-play tools with thinner content footprints lag badly despite being category staples. What you publish and the trust signals you carry matter more than how big you are.
Finding 5: There Is Enormous Headroom
Most of the field scores in the low double or low triple digits. This is not a saturated game, it is an early one. A focused Answer Engine Optimization program, entity optimization, schema, quotable content, reviews, and citations, can move a brand up this table fast, in a category where most players have not truly shown up yet.
October 2026 Update
We pulled the same Ahrefs AI-citation index (US) for the same seven brands on October 6, 2026. Raw citation counts rose for almost every brand, but the index's coverage also grows over time, so we compare shares of citations within each snapshot rather than raw totals. Grok is left out of the comparison: the index reported zero Grok citations for every brand in October, which points to a change in data coverage, not real behavior.
| Brand | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini | Google AIO | Google AI Mode | Copilot | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birdeye | 3,932 | 4,471 | 913 | 286 | 431 | 4,929 | 14,962 |
| Moz | 30 | 1,003 | 186 | 145 | 255 | 423 | 2,042 |
| Podium | 39 | 347 | 74 | 78 | 57 | 14 | 609 |
| BrightLocal | 115 | 283 | 6 | 44 | 63 | 28 | 539 |
| Yext | 34 | 39 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 66 | 183 |
| LocalFalcon | 7 | 20 | 10 | 15 | 33 | 4 | 89 |
| Whitespark | 7 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 59 |
| AI Platform | Share of citations, June 2026 | Share of citations, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | 27.5% | 48.7% |
| Copilot | 16.2% | 15.3% |
| Google AI Mode | 24.1% | 12.6% |
| Gemini | 6.4% | 8.5% |
| Google AI Overviews | 20.3% | 8.5% |
| ChatGPT | 5.5% | 6.6% |
What changed in one quarter (shares exclude Birdeye and Grok)
- Perplexity is pulling away. Its share of citations rose from 27.5% to 48.7%, so it now delivers nearly half of these brands' AI citations.
- ChatGPT is still the smallest source. Its share moved from 5.5% to 6.6%, the lowest of the six platforms in both snapshots.
- Google's AI surfaces lost half their share. AI Overviews and AI Mode together fell from 44.4% to 21.1% of citations.
- AI visibility is still winner-take-most. Birdeye received about 254 times as many citations as Whitespark in October, close to the roughly 260x gap in June.
The full data for both snapshots is available as a CSV download.
What This Means for Local Businesses
- Stop optimizing only for ChatGPT. Prioritize Perplexity, Grok, and Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, that is where local-intent citations concentrate.
- Win citations with depth and trust, not size. Publish quotable, specific, well-structured content; build reviews and consistent citations; deploy structured data.
- Move now. AI visibility compounds, the brands at the top are pulling away while the field below them is wide open.
Locafy ran this analysis and helps local businesses earn AI citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google's AI surfaces. Book a free AI visibility audit to see where your business is cited today, and where competitors are beating you.
Methodology & Limitations
- Source: Ahrefs AI-citation index (ai-responses-count), US, single snapshot June 2026. A citation is a link to the target domain in an AI engine's generated answer.
- Lens, not census: we measured industry tool brands as a proxy for how AI search distributes visibility; this is not a measurement of individual local businesses.
- Analyst, not subject: Locafy ran the analysis and is not included in the ranked set.
- Snapshots: June 2026 and October 6, 2026. AI indices change quickly, so we refresh this report quarterly and compare shares within each snapshot, not raw totals across snapshots.
- Grok: excluded from the October comparison because the index reported zero Grok citations for every brand, which points to a change in data coverage.
- Outlier handling: Birdeye dominates totals, so per-platform findings are reported with the outlier removed.
AI Search Visibility FAQ
Which AI platform should local businesses prioritize?
Based on this data, Perplexity, Grok, and Google's AI surfaces (AI Overviews and AI Mode) cite local-SEO brands far more than ChatGPT does. A complete AEO strategy covers all of them, but the citation volume is concentrated outside ChatGPT.
How are AI citations measured?
We used Ahrefs' AI-citation index, which tracks how often a domain is cited as a source link inside AI-generated answers across major platforms. We pulled a US snapshot in June 2026 and refresh quarterly.
Can a smaller brand really rank in AI answers?
Yes. The data shows citations track content depth and trust signals more than company size. A focused program of quotable content, structured data, reviews, and citations can move a brand up quickly in a category most competitors have not optimized for.
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Written by
Jason JacksonChief Operating Officer, Locafy Limited
COO at Locafy (Nasdaq: LCFY). Builds and operates AEO systems for local businesses. Founded Growth Pro Agency before joining Locafy via acquisition.