Each AI Model Recommends Differently: Here’s How You Can Optimize Your Strategy

For a local business looking to have its locations picked up in AI Overviews, or to show up in responses by ChatGPT or Gemini, the playbook is not entirely the same as it was for Google SEO. According to a new report that analyzed 120,000 AI mentions, each model has its own personality, way of connecting with users, and set of needs. Here’s the breakdown:

• Claude is the most conservative, favoring community-centric business.
• Gemini is the most diverse, bringing to light 8x more unique restaurants than ChatGPT.
• ChatGPT is a popular favorite but has the highest hallucination rates.
• Grok reads like long-form journalism and leans on Instagram content.
• Perplexity searches live, cites sources, and is perhaps the easiest to appear on if you have strong web presence.

There are four key factors for businesses seeking AI mentions. The first is business data, such as Google Business Profile completeness, which led to a 3x increase in mention rates for grocery stores, according to the report. Including more photos on a site, especially for restaurants, is a critical factor.

Authority is the second factor, a long-standing key principle for success in online visibility. Things like media mentions, appearing on editorial lists like Michelin, reputable travel guides, and even Wikipedia can boost this signal tremendously. Michelin mentions account for 94.5% of Perplexity mentions.

Thirdly, review volume (even more than star ratings) is a major factor. The volume of reviews will almost always predict a better AI mention outcome than highly rated brands, with the exception of hotels, where star ratings are more important.

Lastly, a brand’s social following is a major contributor to what gets them mentioned in the first place. Your number of Facebook followers or the strength of your Instagram presence can amplify your mention frequency up to 7x.

In the immediate term, brands seeking AI mentions should complete their Google Business Profiles at scale, accounting for each of their locations. Prioritize collective reviews from as many customers as possible, and upload as many photos as possible per location.

AI mentions represent a major shift to online presence in the sense that market share doesn’t determine visibility. Results will instead come from presenting consistent, complete data, earned authority, review volume, and a healthy social media presence. For a partner in sustaining these vital operating signs within your organization, connect with the experts at ASTRALCOM. We bring decades of expertise assisting local, multi-location, and franchise brands across sectors with their digital marketing and SEO strategies.