Groow data
Where AI gets its answers about local businesses
The Local AI Index, November 2026. We asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Mode 800 questions like "What's the best plumber in Denver?", across 10 trades and 10 US cities, and counted every site they cited.
- AI answers read
- 800AI answers read
- sites cited in the average answer
- 5.0sites cited in the average answer
- of citations go to best-of lists, directories and review sites
- 62%of citations go to best-of lists, directories and review sites
- of answers cite thumbtack.com, the most cited site
- 26%of answers cite thumbtack.com, the most cited site
What we found
- 62% of everything AI cited was a directory, a review site or a best-of list. Businesses' own websites got 29% of citations, though 57% of answers cited at least one.
- ChatGPT leans hardest on best-of lists: 46% of what it cites. Some of those lists are published by marketing firms so that AI will quote them.
- Google AI Mode cited Google's own business listings in 90% of its answers. For Google's AI, your Google Business Profile is the source.
- Each trade has sites of its own: avvo.com for personal injury law (53% of answers), carfax.com for auto repair (57% of answers), dentistsranked.com for dental (38% of answers).
What AI cites
Every citation, by the kind of site it points to.
- Directories and review sites37%
- Business websites and other29%
- Best-of lists and rating sites25%
- Publishers and news7%
- Government and reference2%
- Forums and communities<1%
- Social and video<1%
The sites cited most
Share of answers citing each site. Business websites aren't named.
- thumbtack.comDirectories and review sites26%
- google.comDirectories and review sites24%
- angi.comDirectories and review sites19%
- consumeraffairs.comDirectories and review sites16%
- expertise.comBest-of lists and rating sites16%
- forbes.comPublishers and news13%
- bbb.orgDirectories and review sites12%
Each assistant reads different sites
Perplexity cites the most sites per answer (8.8), Google AI Mode the fewest (1.4). Being listed on one assistant's favourite sites doesn't cover the others.
ChatGPT
200 answers, 3.4 sites each
- expertise.com30%
- contractorsranked.com23%
- birdeye.com20%
- bestprosintown.com14%
- yably.com13%
Gemini
200 answers, 6.7 sites each
- angi.com59%
- thumbtack.com42%
- bbb.org27%
- forbes.com27%
- serviceagent.ai27%
Perplexity
200 answers, 8.8 sites each
- thumbtack.com54%
- consumeraffairs.com34%
- expertise.com31%
- bestinhood.com28%
- yelp.com26%
Google AI Mode
200 answers, 1.4 sites each
- google.com90%
- yelp.com14%
- thumbtack.com9%
- angi.com6%
- superlawyers.com4%
By trade
The three sites AI cites most when someone asks for each kind of business. If you're in one of these trades, these are the listings to get right first.
HVAC
80 answers
- consumeraffairs.com51%
- forbes.com33%
- angi.com24%
Plumbing
80 answers
- thumbtack.com39%
- consumeraffairs.com30%
- forbes.com29%
Electrical
80 answers
- thumbtack.com41%
- angi.com31%
- consumeraffairs.com30%
Roofing
80 answers
- bbb.org31%
- theroofingbrief.com31%
- angi.com28%
Dental
80 answers
- dentistsranked.com38%
- opencare.com34%
- webmd.com30%
Personal injury law
80 answers
- avvo.com53%
- superlawyers.com41%
- justia.com39%
Auto repair
80 answers
- carfax.com57%
- repairpal.com41%
- surecritic.com33%
Landscaping
80 answers
- thumbtack.com44%
- houzz.com36%
- google.com26%
House cleaning
80 answers
- thumbtack.com51%
- angi.com33%
- google.com23%
Pest control
80 answers
- consumeraffairs.com49%
- forbes.com33%
- angi.com30%
How we ran it
On November 7, 2026 we asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Mode two questions for each of 10 trades (hvac, plumbing, electrical, roofing, dental, personal injury law, auto repair, landscaping, house cleaning, pest control) in 10 US cities (Phoenix, Denver, Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Nashville, Minneapolis, Tampa, Sacramento): “What's the best plumber in Denver, CO?” and “Can you recommend a plumber in Denver, CO with good reviews?”, with the trade and city changed each time.
Each answer was asked once, as a person in that city would see it. We kept the sites each answer cited, not the answers themselves, and sorted the sites by kind. A site counts once per answer, however many of its pages are cited.
We run the same questions every month. Get each month's Index by email.
AI answers change from one asking to the next, so treat the numbers as a snapshot of the month, not a ranking that holds for every question. Local businesses' own websites are counted but never named. This is Groow's own research: no customer data is used.
About the Local AI Index
How was the Local AI Index made?
On November 7, 2026, Groow asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Mode two questions for each of 10 trades in 10 US cities, such as "What's the best plumber in Denver, CO?" and "Can you recommend a plumber in Denver, CO with good reviews?". We recorded every site each answer cited, and grouped the sites by kind. 800 answers were collected.
Does it use Groow customers' data?
No. It's Groow's own research: questions we asked ourselves, for trades and cities we chose. No customer's data is in it, and individual local businesses' websites are counted but never named.
How should a local business use it?
Look up your trade, then check you're listed, and listed well, on the sites AI cites for it: the directories and review sites, and the best-of lists. Those are the pages AI reads before it recommends someone. Groow's free AI scan shows what AI says about your business today.
How often is it updated?
Every month, with the same questions, so the changes show which sites are gaining or losing AI's trust.
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