Two Giants, Two Approaches

In 2026, two AI-powered search experiences dominate consumer behavior: Google AI Overviews (the AI-generated answers that appear at the top of Google search results) and ChatGPT (used by over 200 million people monthly for everything from recipes to business recommendations).

Both are powered by large language models. Both influence where consumers spend their money. But they work differently — and optimizing for one doesn't guarantee visibility in the other.

How Google AI Overviews Handles Local Search

Google AI Overviews draws heavily from its existing search index, Maps data, and Google Business Profiles. When someone searches "best Italian restaurant in Portland," the AI Overview synthesizes information from your GBP listing, website, reviews, and third-party sources.

Key factors that influence Google AI Overview rankings:

  • Google Business Profile completeness — fully filled out, with photos, posts, and Q&A
  • Review volume and recency — consistent, fresh reviews on Google
  • Website content relevance — pages that directly answer the user's query
  • Local authority signals — mentions on local directories, news sites, and community pages

How ChatGPT Handles Local Search

ChatGPT takes a different approach. It synthesizes information from its training data (which includes a broad swath of the public internet) and, increasingly, real-time web browsing. When a user asks "Where should I get my car detailed in Miami?", ChatGPT considers:

  • Consistency of business information across the web
  • Sentiment analysis — what people say about your business across reviews and forums
  • Content authority — are you mentioned on trusted industry sources?
  • Specificity — do sources describe your services in detail, or just mention your name?

Where They Overlap

Despite their differences, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT share some common ground. Both reward businesses that have strong, consistent online presences with positive reviews and detailed, authoritative content.

The good news? A solid GEO strategy improves your visibility across both platforms simultaneously. The fundamentals — clean data, great reviews, authoritative content, and structured information — are universal.

The Platforms You Shouldn't Ignore

Beyond Google and ChatGPT, keep an eye on Perplexity (growing fast among research-minded users), Bing Copilot (powered by GPT-4 and integrated into Windows), and Apple Intelligence (coming to Siri with deep local search integration).

The businesses that prepare for multi-platform AI visibility now will be the ones customers find — no matter which AI they ask.

Your Next Step

Not sure where your business stands across these platforms? A GEO audit analyzes your visibility across all major AI search engines and gives you a personalized roadmap for improvement.