Yelp appears among ChatGPT's sources in 0.2% of its answers about the best local businesses, 3 answers out of 1,580, while Expertise.com appears in 28% and Angi in 20.6%. Gemini skips directories almost entirely and links Google Maps in 71.5% of its local answers.
Analysis of 1,580 ChatGPT and 1,580 Gemini local answers in 79 US cities · ChatGPT and Gemini answers, September 2026
Key Findings
- 1.Yelp appears among ChatGPT's sources in 0.2% of its local business answers, 3 of 1,580, against 28% for Expertise.com.
- 2.Expertise.com, which publishes "best of" business lists by city, is cited in 28% of ChatGPT's local business answers, more than any other website, followed by Birdeye at 25.1%.
- 3.Angi is cited in 20.6% of ChatGPT's local business answers, against 6.1% for HomeAdvisor and 5.9% for the Better Business Bureau.
- 4.Gemini links to Google Maps in 71.5% of its local business answers and cites Angi in 1.9%.
- 5.Smaller list websites carry real weight in ChatGPT: Best Pros in Town is cited in 17.1% of its local business answers and Yably in 11.5%.
Summary
For years, checking a local business meant looking it up on Yelp. Ask ChatGPT for the best plumber or dentist in town today and look at the sources listed under the answer. Expertise.com, Birdeye or Angi turn up far more often. Yelp shows up in 3 answers out of 1,580.
That matters because the sources an AI assistant cites are where it learned which businesses to recommend. A business that has worked hard on the directories customers used to check can find those directories carry little weight with the assistants customers now ask. The work that moves AI recommendations happens on a different set of websites.
Yelp appears in 0.2% of ChatGPT's local business answers. Expertise.com appears in 28%, Birdeye in 25.1% and Angi in 20.6%. Gemini takes a different route entirely, linking Google Maps in 71.5% of its local answers.
What we measured
On September 23, 2026 we asked ChatGPT, with web search turned on, for the best businesses in 20 local services, from plumbers and dentists to restaurants and gyms, in 79 US cities: 1,580 answers. We asked Gemini the same questions, for another 1,580 answers.
For each answer we listed the websites in its sources, the links an AI assistant shows to back up its answer, and counted how many answers cited each directory, review site or list site. A website counts once per answer, however many of its pages the answer cites.
ChatGPT cites "best of" lists, not traditional directories
Three answers out of 1,580 cited Yelp, and Nextdoor appeared in 3. Expertise.com, which publishes ranked "best of" lists of businesses by city, was cited in 443 answers, 28%. Birdeye review pages appeared in 25.1% and Angi in 20.6%.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 1,580 ChatGPT and 1,580 Gemini local answers in 79 US cities · ChatGPT and Gemini answers, September 2026
ChatGPT's web search favors pages that answer the question it was asked. A page titled "The best plumbers in Denver" matches "best plumber in Denver" almost word for word, and it hands ChatGPT a ready-made shortlist. A single business listing, however well reviewed, answers a different question.
Best-of lists and review sites fill the gap
Most of ChatGPT's favorite local sources publish ranked lists of businesses by city: Expertise.com, Best Pros in Town at 17.1%, Yably at 11.5% and Three Best Rated at 7.3%. Others, such as Birdeye and ConsumerAffairs at 8.2%, host customer reviews. Together they appear far more often than the directories most people know.
For a business, that changes where effort pays off. A single mention on a city "best of" page that ChatGPT already cites can reach a large share of the local answers for your service. HomeAdvisor (6.1%) and the Better Business Bureau (5.9%) still appear in some answers, and Yellow Pages, Thumbtack and Tripadvisor each in 3% or fewer.
Gemini points to Google Maps instead
Gemini's local answers rarely cite directories at all. It linked to Google Maps in 71.5% of its local answers. The next most-cited websites were HomeAdvisor at 2.3%, Angi at 1.9% and Zillow at 1.8%. Expertise.com, ChatGPT's top source, appeared in 0.6% of Gemini's answers.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 1,580 ChatGPT and 1,580 Gemini local answers in 79 US cities · ChatGPT and Gemini answers, September 2026
The two assistants draw on different evidence. ChatGPT reads third-party lists and review pages from across the web; Gemini, built by Google, leans on Google's own business data. A business that wants to be recommended by both has to show up in both places.
What this means for local businesses
For ChatGPT, get listed and reviewed on the websites it cites: Expertise.com, Birdeye, Angi, Best Pros in Town and the Better Business Bureau. Search for your service and city on each and check whether your business appears on their city pages. Many list sites accept nominations or base their rankings on reviews you can grow.
For Gemini, your Google Business Profile is the source. Keep it complete and accurate, with current hours, services, photos and a steady flow of Google reviews.
Suff Digital's local seo packages find the directories and list sites that feed AI answers in your market and get your business onto them.
Need help with this? See our AI SEO services.
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/yelp-share-chatgpt-local-answers">ChatGPT Cites Yelp in 0.2% of Local Business Answers vs 28% for Expertise.com - Suff Digital</a></p>
Cite this study
Suff Digital. (2026). 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
ChatGPT Cites Yelp in 0.2% of Local Business Answers vs 28% for Expertise.com - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/yelp-share-chatgpt-local-answers
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