Free 5-minute test

Does AI know who you are?

ChatGPT, Google, and Perplexity are already recommending local businesses to people searching for trades. Find out in five minutes whether they'd recommend yours: or your competitor's.

5 minutes to complete 4 platforms tested No sign-up needed
Step 0, Set yourself up
Before you start, fill these in.

Enter your trade and your main town or area. The prompts below will update so you can copy and paste them straight into each platform.

1
ChatGPT
The AI assistant more people use every day for local recommendations

Open ChatGPT and paste this prompt exactly as it is. If you already have a conversation open, start a new one so you get a fresh answer.

Copy this prompt
Who are the best [your trade] in [your town]? Give me specific businesses with websites if possible.
Open ChatGPT → chatgpt.com
What to look for
✓ Good sign
Your business name appears in the response, possibly with your website URL or a description of what you do.
✗ Bad sign
ChatGPT recommends competitors by name, or gives a generic answer with no specific local businesses. You're not in it.
How did it go?
2
Google AI Overview
The AI summary that now sits above traditional Google results

Open Google and search exactly as below. Look at the very top of the results: if Google shows an "AI Overview" box (a coloured summary before any links), that's what we're checking.

Search this on Google
best [trade] near [town]
Open Google → google.com
What to look for
✓ Good sign
An AI Overview box appears and includes your business name or links to your website. Even appearing in the regular results below is a good sign.
✗ Bad sign
The AI Overview mentions competitors only. Or there's no AI Overview at all, which means Google doesn't have enough content about your area to generate one.
How did it go?
3
Perplexity
The AI search engine that cites real sources and is growing fast

Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine, it gives direct answers with cited sources. Go to perplexity.ai and search below. Watch what sources it pulls in alongside the answer.

Search this on Perplexity
Who are the most trusted [trade] in [town]?
Open Perplexity → perplexity.ai
What to look for
✓ Good sign
Your business is named in the answer, or your website appears as one of the cited sources in the panel on the right.
✗ Bad sign
Your name doesn't appear anywhere. The sources cited are directories like Checkatrade, Trustpilot, or Yell, which means Perplexity can't find a real website for you.
How did it go?
4
Google Maps
The local pack: often the first thing customers actually click

Search Google Maps for your trade in your area. The "local pack", the three businesses that appear in a map box at the top of Google, is where most customer clicks go. This is separate from your website ranking.

Search this in Google Maps
[trade] [town]
Open Google Maps → maps.google.com
What to look for
✓ Good sign
You appear in the top three results (the "local pack") with reviews, photos, and your website linked. You're one of the first three businesses someone sees.
✗ Bad sign
Competitors with more reviews and a complete Business Profile push you down the list, or you don't appear at all. You're invisible to anyone using Maps to find a trade.
How did it go?
0/4
platforms found you

What this means for your business

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