Where does AI find the businesses it recommends?

Method

For our public rankings, we asked 4 questions per trade and city (23 rankings, 92 questions, September 2026) to Gemini with Google Search enabled, and recorded every website cited as a source: 755 citations in total. It's not a scientific study, but it's a real sample of what AI reads when your customers ask it the question.

The most cited websites

The rest is spread across hundreds of sites: business websites (often those being recommended), local blogs, press articles, comparison pages.

What it means for you

1. Your trade's directories matter more than you think

For a garage, it's a garage directory. For a dentist, a health booking platform. For a salon, a beauty booking platform. Every trade has 2 or 3 sources that AI consults. Ask the AI yourself and look at the sources it shows: that's your list of listings to create.

2. Guides and awards are decisive for restaurants and hotels

Michelin, Gault&Millau, Falstaff: where they cover your sector, AI repeats them almost word for word. Even a modest mention carries a lot of weight.

3. Reddit is the #1 source… and the most neglected

Threads like “which dentist in Geneva?” or “good garage near Lausanne?” are read by AI. Don't advertise there (it's frowned upon and removed), but happy customers answering such questions honestly are worth gold. Answering yourself, clearly introducing yourself as the owner and giving useful advice, is accepted on most forums.

4. Local tourism is an underrated lever

For anything visitors need (restaurants, hotels, ski rental, activities), tourism office websites are cited a lot. An up-to-date listing there is often free.

5. Your website is the proof

AI rarely names a business that only its own website mentions. But when several sources cite you, it reads your site to confirm: it must then be readable (see AI crawlers) and contain clear information.

Your 30-minute plan

1. Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity your customers' question (“best {trade} in {city}”).
2. Note the sources shown under the answer.
3. Check your presence on each; sign up or fix your details.
4. Repeat in a month to see the effect.