If you’ve been wondering how AI is changing the way customers find local businesses, you’re not alone. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are becoming part of how people search – and for business owners, that can feel like a new problem to solve.
It isn’t. Here’s what’s actually happening.
TL;DR: AI tools like ChatGPT don’t have their own local business data. They pull it directly from Google Business Profile (GBP) and Apple Maps. Optimizing for AI local search and optimizing for Google Maps are the same activity. If your profiles are strong, you’re already showing up.
What Is AI Local Search?
AI local search is what happens when someone uses a tool like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity to find a nearby business instead of going directly to Google.
It sounds like a completely different system, but it isn’t.
We were recently at the International Pizza Expo in Vegas and watched real people search for local businesses live. Some used Google. Some used Apple Maps. Some went straight to ChatGPT.
When you type: “best pizza in Vegas” into ChatGPT, it doesn’t already know the answer. It has no database of local businesses. So, what does it do? It searches the web, which is essentially… Googling it.
This technique is called grounding – AI finds information from existing sources rather than pulling from its own data.
Where Does AI Get Its Local Business Data?
When AI platforms generate local search results, they pull primarily from Google and Apple Maps profiles.
That means the results your customers see on ChatGPT look a lot like what they’d see on Google:
- Same star ratings
- Same review count
- Same photos
- Same business description & hours
There is no ChatGPT business directory. There is no Perplexity profile to manage. For local searches, AI is pulling directly from the same profiles that power Google and Apple Maps results – and may also reference other sources like OpenTable or local review sites. But the foundation is always your Google and Apple Maps profiles.
What This Means for Your Strategy
Well-managed Google and Apple Maps profiles are already doing double duty – showing up on all Google/Apple surfaces AND powering AI local search results at the same time.
So, how do you take advantage of this? Make sure your profiles are as optimized and up-to-date as possible:
- Photos and videos – current, comprehensive, and high-quality
- Services and menus – fully built out, so AI has all the complete information to surface
- Reviews – consistent volume, consistently responded to
- Booking integrations – make it easy to convert directly from the profile
- Accurate hours – including special and holiday hours
More than 60% of Google searches never leave the search results page.1 AI is accelerating that trend, and businesses that understand this early are positioned to take advantage of it.
One profile. All platforms.
Optimizing for AI local search and optimizing your Google Business Profile are the same activity. There’s no separate AI strategy needed.
80% of Google Business Profile views come from a non-branded search – people in discovery mode, choosing between you and a competitor in the moment. Those micro-moments happen in Google and Apple Maps. They happen in ChatGPT. They happen in Gemini. In every case, the data driving the result comes from the same place – your GBP.
That’s your AI local search strategy.
Managing Your GBP Across Multiple Locations
Your Google Business Profile is your most powerful marketing asset – and like any asset, it needs to be actively managed to perform.
For a single location, that’s manageable. Across dozens or hundreds, that’s where most businesses need support – and where the biggest opportunities get missed.
Map Labs helps businesses manage and optimize their GBPs at scale – bulk updates, custom strategy, and accurate reporting, all in one place.
Get a free Google Business Profile analysis at maplabs.com/gbp-analysis and see exactly how your profiles are performing.
Want to know more?
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