If someone asks Google's Gemini to find a business like yours nearby, your own website is now more likely to get the credit than a directory listing or a Reddit thread, but that credit can disappear on the very next search. A new study shows AI platforms don't all play by the same rules, and none of them are as stable as the local map pack you're used to.
What the Study Found
Local SEO firm Steady Demand analyzed over 14,000 citations across nearly 1,500 local search queries in 50 U.S. metro areas and 10 service categories, comparing how Gemini and ChatGPT decide which sources to show. The headline number: roughly 60% of Gemini's local citations pointed straight to a business's own website, with Reddit a distant second at 13.7%, ahead of directories and review sites combined. ChatGPT told a different story entirely, leaning much more heavily on Reddit threads and directory listings than on business websites.
Gemini and ChatGPT agreed on the same top business recommendation for the same query only about 4% of the time, and cited the same set of sources just 8% of the time. Two AI tools, two different answers, for the exact same question.
Why the Instability Matters More Than the Ranking
Here's the part that should get your attention: the study's researchers ran identical Gemini searches multiple times and found the cited sources overlapped only about 40% of the time, and the same business showed up as the top recommendation in just 7% of repeat runs. Compare that to Google's traditional local map pack, which returns the same top listing roughly 90% of the time. The researchers coined a term for this: "grounding drift."
A single good result in an AI search is a snapshot, not proof that you're reliably visible there.
That means checking ChatGPT or Gemini once, seeing your business come up, and moving on is a false sense of security. The next customer who asks the same question five minutes later may get a completely different answer.
Building for Instability, Not Against It
Treat your own website as your primary AI citation source, not your Google Business Profile or a directory listing. Make sure your service pages clearly and specifically state what you do, where you do it, and who you serve.
Don't assume ChatGPT and Gemini see you the same way. Search for your own business by service and city in both tools and note what's different.
Check on AI search visibility on a recurring basis, not as a one-time task. A result that looks great today can look different tomorrow.
Keep building a presence on Reddit and relevant local directories too, since ChatGPT leans on them more heavily than Gemini does.
Don't chase a single AI platform's algorithm. Build a strong, consistent foundation (site, profile, reviews, citations) that holds up across all of them.
AI search is quickly becoming a real referral source for local businesses, but it's a moving target. The businesses that show up reliably will be the ones with strong, specific, well-maintained websites, not the ones that got lucky on one search.
Further reading: Why Your Business Keeps Disappearing from ChatGPT Results
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