--- title: "Near Me AI Search Study: Gemini's Top Pick Changes 91.5%" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/near-me-changes-ai-local-pick description: "This near me AI search study found adding \"near me\" changes Gemini's top local pick 91.5% of the time, against 68.3% when asked twice. Read the study." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fnear-me-changes-ai-local-pick&text=Adding%20%27Near%20Me%27%20Changes%20Gemini%27s%20Top%20Local%20Business%2091.5%25%20of%20the%20Time Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fnear-me-changes-ai-local-pick Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fnear-me-changes-ai-local-pick Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fnear-me-changes-ai-local-pick&title=Adding%20%27Near%20Me%27%20Changes%20Gemini%27s%20Top%20Local%20Business%2091.5%25%20of%20the%20Time Asking Gemini for the "best plumber near me" instead of the "best plumber in Denver" changes the first business it recommends **91.5%** of the time, against 68.3% when the same city question is simply asked twice. The near-me answer is built from Google Maps listings; the city answer draws on websites. Analysis of 2,000 Gemini answers for 20 local services in 25 US cities · Gemini, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. Adding "near me" to a local question changes the first business Gemini recommends **91.5%** of the time, compared with naming the city. Copy stat 2. 2. Asking Gemini the same city question twice changes its first recommended business **68.3%** of the time, so "near me" adds 23 points of change on top of normal variation. Copy stat 3. 3. Gemini's near-me answers link **4.2** Google Maps listings on average, against 2.7 for answers that name the city. Copy stat 4. 4. Gemini answers that name the city cite **0.98** websites other than Google Maps per answer, almost six times the 0.17 of near-me answers. Copy stat 5. 5. Gemini names at least one local business in **99%** of near-me answers and 97.7% of answers that name the city. Copy stat ## Summary A homeowner in Denver types "best plumber in Denver" into Gemini. Her neighbor, standing in the same kitchen, types "best plumber near me". To both of them it is the same question. To Gemini it is two different searches, and nine times in ten the business it names first is different. That matters because the first business in an AI answer gets the call. Local companies have spent years optimizing for "[service] in [city]" and for Google's map results, and they tend to check their visibility with one phrasing. Gemini treats the two phrasings as separate jobs and fills them from different material. Adding "near me" changes the first recommended business **91.5%** of the time. Gemini is not fully stable even on identical questions: asking the city version twice changes the leader 68.3% of the time. "Near me" pushes change 23 points above that. The near-me answer leans on Google Maps, with 4.2 listings linked against 2.7, while the city answer cites almost six times as many outside websites. ## What we measured On September 23, 2026 we picked 25 large US cities and 20 local services, from plumbers, roofers and dentists to restaurants and real estate agents. For every city and service we asked Gemini two questions: "best [service] in [city]", and "best [service] near me" with the location set to that city. Each question was asked twice, giving 2,000 answers. The first business is the first local business Gemini links to Google Maps in its answer, the business a reader sees at the top. We compared the city and near-me answers from the same round. Because Gemini does not give identical answers to identical questions, we also compared the city question with itself across the two rounds; that baseline shows how much the leader changes by chance. We also counted the Google Maps listings linked in each answer and the websites it cites as sources. ## Near me reshuffles the top result 91.5% of Gemini's near-me answers lead with a different business than the same question asked with the city name. Some change is normal. Ask Gemini "best dentist in [city]" twice and the first business differs 68.3% of the time, because Gemini rebuilds its answer each time it searches. Swap the city name for "near me" and that rises to 91.5%. A business that leads the answer for one phrasing has less than a one-in-ten chance of leading it for the other. First business changed by comparison City question vs the same city question 68.3% City question vs near-me question 91.5% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 2,000 Gemini answers for 20 local services in 25 US cities · Gemini, September 2026 The 23-point gap is the effect of the wording alone, measured across 20 services from plumbing and roofing to dentists and restaurants. A company that checks only "[service] in [city]" sees half the picture, and can think it is winning in AI search while a near-me searcher on the same street gets a competitor. ## Near me leans on Maps, city questions on the web The two versions are built from different material. Near-me answers link 4.2 Google Maps listings on average, against 2.7 for city answers, about 55% more. City answers cite 0.98 websites other than Google Maps per answer, against 0.17 for near-me answers, almost six times as many. City version by per answer Google Maps listings linked 2.7 Websites cited, other than Google Maps 0.98 Businesses named in bold in the text 4.2 | Per answer | City version | Near-me version | | --- | --- | --- | | Google Maps listings linked | 2.7 | 4.2 | | Websites cited, other than Google Maps | 0.98 | 0.17 | | Businesses named in bold in the text | 4.2 | 0.8 | | Answers naming a business | 97.7% | 99% | The format changes too. City answers read like a short written guide, naming 4.2 businesses in bold in the text with a website or two as evidence. Near-me answers name 0.8 businesses in the text and instead present a set of Maps listings. Both versions nearly always recommend someone: 99% of near-me answers and 97.7% of city answers name a business. In practice, a near-me searcher is choosing from Google Business Profiles, the free listings that show a business's reviews, rating, hours and phone number in Google Maps. A city searcher is reading an answer shaped by local directories, "best of" articles and business websites. ## What this means for local businesses Optimize for both phrasings. Near-me answers are built from Google Maps, so a complete Google Business Profile matters most there: the right primary and secondary categories, accurate hours, photos and a steady flow of reviews. City-named questions draw on websites, so your own city service pages, local directories and "best of" lists in your area carry more weight. Then measure with both wordings, several times. Even the identical city question changed its leader 68.3% of the time, so one check is a snapshot, not a ranking. Run "[service] in [city]" and "[service] near me" from your own area on different days and note how often you appear first or at all. Our local seo packages (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/local-seo-services) include tracking both phrasings across AI engines and Google Maps. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: Adding 'Near Me' Changes Gemini's Top Local Business 91.5% of the Time - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). Adding 'Near Me' Changes Gemini's Top Local Business 91.5% of the Time. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/near-me-changes-ai-local-pick Plain link Adding 'Near Me' Changes Gemini's Top Local Business 91.5% of the Time - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/near-me-changes-ai-local-pick ## Frequently asked questions ### Does "near me" change AI local recommendations? ### Does Gemini give the same local recommendation twice? ### Where does Gemini get near-me recommendations from? ### How should a local business optimize for AI near-me searches? ## 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 - 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 AI Recommends a Business Outside the City You Asked About 17.4% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-recommends-business-wrong-city - AI SEO Ask ChatGPT Twice and Its Top Pick Changes 56.3% of the Time vs 82.7% for Gemini: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-changes-top-pick ## 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/near-me-changes-ai-local-pick#article", "headline": "Adding 'Near Me' Changes Gemini's Top Local Business 91.5% of the Time", "description": "Asking Gemini for the \"best plumber near me\" instead of the \"best plumber in Denver\" changes the first business it recommends 91.5% of the time, against 68.3% when the same city question is simply asked twice. 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The near-me answer is built from Google Maps listings; the city answer draws on websites.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/near-me-changes-ai-local-pick", "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": "Gemini answers, with the location set to each city" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/near-me-changes-ai-local-pick#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does \"near me\" change AI local recommendations?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Adding \"near me\" to a local question changes the first business Gemini recommends 91.5% of the time, compared with the same question naming the city (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Gemini give the same local recommendation twice?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Often not. Asking Gemini the same \"best [service] in [city]\" question twice changes the first recommended business 68.3% of the time; switching to \"near me\" raises that to 91.5%." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where does Gemini get near-me recommendations from?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Google Maps. Gemini's near-me answers link 4.2 Google Maps listings on average against 2.7 for city-named answers, and cite 0.17 other websites per answer against 0.98." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How should a local business optimize for AI near-me searches?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Complete and maintain the Google Business Profile, since Gemini's near-me answers link an average of 4.2 Google Maps listings and cite almost no other websites." } } ] } ] } ] ```