--- title: "ChatGPT Local Search: Business Cards on 95.1% of Answers" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards description: "ChatGPT local search answers show a list of business cards 95.1% of the time, about 12 businesses each. Gemini showed none. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-local-business-cards&text=ChatGPT%20Returns%20a%20List%20of%20Business%20Cards%20for%2095.1%25%20of%20Local%20Questions Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-local-business-cards Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-local-business-cards Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-local-business-cards&title=ChatGPT%20Returns%20a%20List%20of%20Business%20Cards%20for%2095.1%25%20of%20Local%20Questions Ask ChatGPT for the best plumber, dentist or restaurant in a US city and **95.1%** of the time it answers with its built-in list of local business cards, holding about 12 businesses. Gemini, asked the same questions, showed no such list. Analysis of 3,160 ChatGPT answers to local questions in 79 US cities · answers from ChatGPT and Gemini, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **95.1%** of ChatGPT answers to "best [service] in [city]" questions include a list of local business cards. Copy stat 2. 2. ChatGPT's local business card list holds **11.8** businesses on average, with a median of 12 and a range of 2 to 16. Copy stat 3. 3. ChatGPT lists the most businesses for restaurant questions, **15.6** on average, and the fewest for electricians, 9.5. Copy stat 4. 4. Expertise.com is cited in **28.4%** of ChatGPT's local answers, followed by Birdeye review pages (24.5%) and Angi (21%). Copy stat 5. 5. Gemini returned business cards in **0** of its answers to the same local questions, linking Google Maps places in its text instead. Copy stat ## Summary A family moves to Denver and asks ChatGPT for the best dentist in town. The answer is not a paragraph. It is a list of a dozen practices, each on its own card. The family picks two to call without opening Google. That matters to every local service business. Being on that list, and near the top of it, now works like being in Google's map pack, the three businesses Google shows on its map above the search results. A business that is missing from ChatGPT's list is invisible to the customer who never leaves the chat. ChatGPT answers local questions with its card list **95.1%** of the time, across restaurants, trades, health care and professional services alike. The list holds about 12 businesses, and the sources ChatGPT cites next to it are mostly directories and review sites. ## What we measured On September 23, 2026 we asked ChatGPT, with web search on, for the best [service] in [city] for 20 local services, from plumbers and roofers to dentists and restaurants, in 79 US cities of every size. Each question was asked twice, for 3,160 answers. We asked Gemini the same questions for comparison. A card list is ChatGPT's built-in format for local results: a set of business cards shown inside the answer, one per business, rather than names in the text. We checked whether each answer showed the card list, counted the businesses in it, and recorded the websites ChatGPT cited alongside it. ## Almost every local answer gets a card list 95.1% of ChatGPT answers to local service questions include a list of business cards. For local questions, ChatGPT no longer writes a paragraph of suggestions. It shows a structured list of businesses in almost every answer: 95.9% in the first round of questions and 94.2% in the second. By service the rate ranges from 93.7% for auto repair shops, hair salons, moving companies and HVAC companies to 96.8% for plumbers, roofers and veterinarians, so the format is close to universal. That makes ChatGPT a local directory in its own right. Gemini handles the same questions differently: it returned no card list in any answer, and instead linked individual Google Maps places within its text. The same customer question produces a Google-style business list on ChatGPT and a Google Maps link on Gemini. ## Each list holds about a dozen businesses 11.8 businesses appear in the average ChatGPT local card list. The median list holds 12 businesses, and lists range from 2 to 16. That is four times the three businesses in Google's map pack, so more local businesses get a place in ChatGPT's answer, but the position within a list of 12 matters. Answers with cards by service Restaurant 94.9% Gym 95.6% Dentist 94.3% Accountant 94.9% Veterinarian 96.8% Hair salon 93.7% Real estate agent 94.3% Moving company 93.7% Auto repair shop 93.7% HVAC company 93.7% Plumber 96.8% Roofer 96.8% Landscaper 95.6% Locksmith 96.2% Electrician 94.9% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 3,160 ChatGPT answers to local questions in 79 US cities · answers from ChatGPT and Gemini, September 2026 | Service | Answers with cards | Businesses per list | | --- | --- | --- | | Restaurant | 94.9% | 15.6 | | Gym | 95.6% | 14.8 | | Dentist | 94.3% | 14.3 | | Accountant | 94.9% | 13.3 | | Veterinarian | 96.8% | 13 | | Hair salon | 93.7% | 12.8 | | Real estate agent | 94.3% | 12.1 | | Moving company | 93.7% | 12 | | Auto repair shop | 93.7% | 11.7 | | HVAC company | 93.7% | 11.5 | | Plumber | 96.8% | 11.2 | | Roofer | 96.8% | 11 | | Landscaper | 95.6% | 9.9 | | Locksmith | 96.2% | 9.8 | | Electrician | 94.9% | 9.5 | Restaurants get the longest lists at 15.6 businesses, followed by gyms (14.8) and dentists (14.3), categories with many businesses in every city. Trades get the shortest: electricians 9.5, locksmiths 9.8 and landscapers 9.9. For a tradesperson, fewer slots means a harder fight for a place on the list. ## Directories and review sites feed the lists Alongside its cards, ChatGPT cites directory and review sites. Expertise.com appears in 28.4% of local answers, Birdeye review pages in 24.5%, Angi in 21% and Best Pros in Town in 17.2%. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) appears in 6.2%. Share of ChatGPT local answers citing it by source expertise.com 28.4% reviews.birdeye.com 24.5% angi.com 21% bestprosintown.com 17.2% yably.com 11.2% consumeraffairs.com 8.4% threebestrated.com 6.5% bbb.org 6.2% These "best of" directories rank local businesses by city and service, which is exactly the question ChatGPT is answering. A business that appears in their city roundups gives ChatGPT a source to confirm it; one that is missing from them has fewer ways onto the list. ## What this means for local businesses Treat ChatGPT's card list like the map pack. It shows about 12 businesses, and the sources cited next to it are mostly directories and review sites. Check that your business is listed and accurate on Expertise.com, Birdeye, Angi, Best Pros in Town and the BBB, and ask happy customers to review you on the platforms that appear for your service and city. Keep your details consistent. Use the same business name, address, phone number and categories everywhere, so the card ChatGPT builds matches your real business and links to the right website. Then ask ChatGPT for the best of your service in your city and see where you land. Our local seo packages (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/local-seo-services) cover the listings and reviews that feed ChatGPT's local answers. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: ChatGPT Returns a List of Business Cards for 95.1% of Local Questions - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). ChatGPT Returns a List of Business Cards for 95.1% of Local Questions. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards Plain link ChatGPT Returns a List of Business Cards for 95.1% of Local Questions - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards ## Frequently asked questions ### Does ChatGPT show local business listings? ### How many businesses does ChatGPT list for local questions? ### Which sites does ChatGPT cite for local businesses? ### Does Gemini show local business cards like ChatGPT? ## Related studies - AI SEO 88.4% of the Local Businesses ChatGPT Recommends Aren't in Google's Map Pack: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-picks-vs-google-map-pack - AI SEO ChatGPT Cites Yelp in 0.2% of Local Business Answers vs 28% for Expertise.com: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/yelp-share-chatgpt-local-answers - Local SEO Google Maps Shows an Out-of-Town Plumber in 41.4% of Small-Town Searches vs 17.9% Overall: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/small-town-map-pack-out-of-town-businesses - AI SEO ChatGPT Picks 1.9% of Local Businesses With Under 10 Google Reviews vs 26.9% With 500 to 999: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-review-threshold-local-businesses ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards#article", "headline": "ChatGPT Returns a List of Business Cards for 95.1% of Local Questions", "description": "Ask ChatGPT for the best plumber, dentist or restaurant in a US city and 95.1% of the time it answers with its built-in list of local business cards, holding about 12 businesses. 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Gemini, asked the same questions, showed no such list.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "Answers from ChatGPT with web search, and Gemini" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does ChatGPT show local business listings?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. 95.1% of ChatGPT answers to \"best [service] in [city]\" questions include a list of local business cards (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many businesses does ChatGPT list for local questions?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "ChatGPT's local card list holds 11.8 businesses on average, with a median of 12. Restaurant questions get the most (15.6) and electricians the fewest (9.5)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which sites does ChatGPT cite for local businesses?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Directories and review sites. Expertise.com is cited in 28.4% of ChatGPT's local answers, Birdeye review pages in 24.5% and Angi in 21%." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Gemini show local business cards like ChatGPT?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Gemini showed no business card list in its answers to the same local questions, and linked individual Google Maps places in its text instead." } } ] } ] } ] ```