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.
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
| 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.
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.
- Snapshot: one date; AI indices change quickly, so we refresh this report quarterly.
- 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.
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.