How to get your hair salon recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity

What our measurements show

On 2 October 2026 we asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity for the best hair salon in 10 cities: 112 salons named, 6.3% of them by all three assistants. In 5 cities out of 10, at least one salon appeared in all three answers (full study).

That is better than for garages or dentists (0 cities out of 10) and worse than for pizzerias (7 out of 10). So some salons do win everywhere, and there are not many of them.

Where AI gets its information about hair salons

In one of our salon rankings (29 September 2026), one source towers over the rest: an online booking platform, cited twice as often as the next one. Then come:

• salon websites that describe their services;
• another booking platform;
• Reddit threads where locals recommend their hairdresser.

The reason is simple: for every salon, these platforms publish the list of services, prices, opening hours and verified reviews. Everything an AI assistant needs to answer, in one place.

The 5 actions, in order

1. First, see where you stand

Ask your customers' question to all three assistants (“best hairdresser for curly hair in Melbourne”), or run the free check. Note who is named and which sources appear.

2. A complete listing on the booking platform used in your area

If you use one, fill it in completely: every service with its price and duration, photos of your work, an introduction to the team. If you do not, it is the first thing to consider: in our data it is by far the most read source for this trade.

3. Name your specialities in your customers' words

In one real answer, AI described a salon with “balayage”, “air touch”, “barber space” and “personalised consultation before every service”. It repeats the words it reads. Write yours: curly hair, plant-based colour, smoothing treatments, men's cuts, wedding updos.

4. Reviews that talk about the service

In 136 answers we analysed, reviews were the second most common reason AI gave (58% of answers), and “friendly” came up in more than one answer in three (details). Ask for a review after every successful appointment, and suggest mentioning what was done.

5. A simple, readable website with your prices

One page per main family of services, prices as text, and the same address and hours as on your Google Business Profile. Add the structured data block (type HairSalon) with the generator.

Common mistakes

• Betting everything on Instagram. Your photos help customers, but Instagram is not among the most cited sources in our measurements for this trade.
• Prices only as an image: AI does not read a photo of your price list.
• A half-empty booking listing, with three services and no descriptions.