Over the past three months, we've run more than 100 local business websites through MAISEL's AI visibility scoring system. We analyzed restaurants, dental practices, law firms, HVAC companies, med spas, auto repair shops, and more across Phoenix, Scottsdale, and the broader metro area.
The data told a clear story. Here's what we found.
The Numbers
- Average AI Visibility Score: 23 out of 100. Most local businesses are nearly invisible to AI search engines.
- 78% of businesses were not mentioned at all when we asked ChatGPT to recommend businesses in their category and city.
- Restaurants scored the lowest on average (18/100), despite many having strong Google and Yelp presences.
- Healthcare practices scored the highest (34/100), likely due to more content-rich websites and professional directory listings.
- Only 12% of businesses had valid schema markup on their websites.
- Businesses with blogs scored 2.4x higher than those without, regardless of industry.
The Gap Between Google Rankings and AI Visibility
One of the most striking findings: there was a weak correlation between traditional Google rankings and AI visibility. Several businesses that ranked on page one of Google for their primary keywords scored below 20 on AI visibility. Their Google success came from reviews, GBP optimization, and paid ads, none of which directly influence AI recommendations.
Conversely, a few businesses with modest Google rankings scored above 60 on AI visibility because they had deep content libraries, strong third-party mention profiles, and proper structured data.
What the Top 10% Had in Common
The businesses scoring 60 or above (the top 10% of our sample) shared five characteristics:
- 1. Content depth: They had 15+ pages of substantive content on their websites, including detailed service pages, blog posts, and FAQ sections.
- 2. Third-party authority: They were mentioned on 20+ external websites, including local publications, industry directories, and partner sites.
- 3. Complete schema markup: Every one of them had LocalBusiness schema, and most also had FAQ, Service, or Review schema.
- 4. Topical consistency: Their content focused on their specific expertise and location, building topical authority that AI models recognize.
- 5. Regular publishing: They published new content at least twice per month, keeping their web presence fresh and expanding.
What This Means for You
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If you're a local business owner reading this, the odds are that your AI visibility score is somewhere in the 15 to 30 range. That means when potential customers ask AI for recommendations in your category, you're probably not being mentioned.
The good news: the bar is still low. Most of your competitors haven't figured this out either. The businesses that invest in AI visibility now will have a compounding advantage as AI search usage continues to grow.
See where you rank. Get your free MAISEL competitive intelligence report and find out your AI Visibility Score, competitor analysis, and a custom growth strategy.
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