AI Tools Reshape Local Business Visibility, Prioritizing Reviews

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Artificial intelligence tools like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT are fundamentally changing how local businesses are perceived by customers, an emergency brand audit revealed Thursday in Norfolk, Virginia.

These AI platforms construct business descriptions primarily from reviews, public listings, and web mentions, often bypassing business websites and directly influencing consumer choices, experts reported.

Consumer data collected by GatherUp in fall 2025 indicated that 55 percent of consumers consulted Google or Bing AI summaries for local businesses, while 48 percent directly queried ChatGPT. Approximately 31 percent of users asked AI tools about local businesses multiple times, GatherUp reported.

Jason Wertham, a brand strategist, said that AI answers behave like a “slot machine,” producing varied results for identical queries across different devices and user accounts. This variability makes traditional search engine “position” a less reliable metric for AI visibility compared to “total citations,” Wertham stated.

Major directories, including Google and Yelp, block large language model (LLM) crawlers from directly accessing review content on business profiles. However, these reviews become crawlable by AI when republished on public social media channels or embedded on business websites, according to the audit.

The audit also found that star ratings hold less weight than the recency and velocity of reviews in AI-generated search results. Forty-five percent of users prioritized recent reviews, and 60 percent trusted detailed written reviews more than reviews that only provided a star rating.

Annie Jackson, a senior analyst at GatherUp, noted that this shift necessitates a re-evaluation of brand reputation management. Businesses must adapt their review strategies to emphasize consistent, current feedback rather than solely focusing on an aggregate score, Jackson said.

Organizations like SparkToro also highlighted the growing influence of AI tools such as Claude, alongside Google, Bing, and ChatGPT, in shaping consumer perceptions of local enterprises.

The findings underscore a need for local businesses to strategically manage their online presence, ensuring that their most current and detailed customer feedback is accessible and optimized for AI summarization.

Source: Search Engine Journal