Blog · Original study
Google and ChatGPT agreed on the best local business only 25% of the time.
- Of the 24 businesses in Google's top 3 map results, ChatGPT named only 6 (25%).
- In 3 of 8 searches, ChatGPT didn't name a single business from Google's top 3.
- Google's #1 map result was named by ChatGPT in only 4 of 8 searches.
- Of the 31 businesses ChatGPT recommended, 25 weren't in Google's top 3 at all.
Business owners often assume that if they rank well on Google, AI tools will recommend them too. We tested that. On October 26, 2026 we asked Google and ChatGPT the same question for two kinds of local businesses, family dentists and med spas, in four mid-size US cities: Knoxville, Boise, Tulsa and Spokane.
For Google, we recorded the top 3 businesses in the map results for "best family dentist in [city]" and "best med spa in [city]". For ChatGPT, we asked "Who is the best family dentist in [city]?" and "What is the best med spa in [city]?" and recorded every business it recommended.
The results
Bold names appear in both lists.
| Search | Google top 3 (map) | ChatGPT recommended | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family dentist Knoxville, TN | Coulter Family Dentistry Heritage Family Dentistry Knoxville Smiles | Law Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Halls Family Dentistry Birdwell & Guffey Family Dentistry East Tennessee Pediatric Dentistry | 0 of 3 |
| Family dentist Boise, ID | Tree City Family Dental Boise Family Dental Care Carter Family Dentistry | Tree City Family Dental Carter Family Dentistry Blaisdell Family Dentistry | 2 of 3 |
| Family dentist Tulsa, OK | Skyview Family Dental Groves Family Cosmetic Dentistry Bixby Family Dentistry | Skyview Family Dental Domian Family Dentistry Nellis Family Dentistry Tulsa Children's Dentistry | 1 of 3 |
| Family dentist Spokane, WA | Family Dental of Spokane Valley Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry Northview Family Dental | Cloninger & Carr Family Dentistry Manito Family Dentistry Moran Prairie Dentistry Children's Choice Pediatric Dentistry | 0 of 3 |
| Med spa Knoxville, TN | The Wellness Room Dolce Medical Spa Culture Aesthetics & Wellness | Meridiem DermSpa Jessica Ellam Medical Aesthetics Sarah Hitchcox Aesthetics Southeastern Dermatology Smiley Aesthetics Medical Spa | 0 of 3 |
| Med spa Boise, ID | Spa 35 Med Spa Om Wellness & Aesthetics Prophecy Med Spa | Bobbi Bullock Medical Esthetics Spa 35 Med Spa Evoqe Medical Aesthetics | 1 of 3 |
| Med spa Tulsa, OK | Bella Roma Medical Spa Revitalize Medical Spa Glow Medical Aesthetics | Bella Roma Medical Spa Skin Care Institute Luminate Clinic Inject Aesthetics and Wellness | 1 of 3 |
| Med spa Spokane, WA | Crafted Beauty The LAB Aesthetics & Wellness Rejuvenate Rx | Dermatology Specialists of Spokane Rejuvenate Rx SkinWell + Co. Odara Medical Spa | 1 of 3 |
1. Ranking on Google doesn't mean AI recommends you
Only 6 of Google's 24 top-3 businesses (25%) made ChatGPT's list. In Knoxville, for both dentists and med spas, and for Spokane dentists, the two lists had nothing in common. If you're winning on Google, that's worth a lot, but it doesn't carry over to AI answers on its own.
2. Even #1 on Google isn't safe
The business in Google's first map spot was named by ChatGPT in 4 of 8 searches. In the other 4, the top Google result wasn't mentioned at all.
3. ChatGPT looks beyond the map
ChatGPT's answers leaned on review counts and on how practices were described across the web. In Knoxville it cited listings with hundreds of reviews and noted review volume directly. It also widened the net: it suggested pediatric dentists and dermatology practices that Google's map results for these exact searches didn't show.
What this means for your business
- Check both. Ask ChatGPT the question your customers ask, not just Google. Our free AI Visibility Snapshot does this for you.
- Get talked about beyond your own website. Independent mentions, local guides and review sites give AI tools something to cite. That's what AI search optimization focuses on.
- Keep collecting real reviews. Review volume showed up in ChatGPT's reasoning. Never buy or fake them.
- Describe exactly who you serve. ChatGPT matched practices to needs (families, kids, cosmetic). Clear service pages make that matching easier.
Method and limits
One run per search, on October 26, 2026. Google results were collected with US settings; ChatGPT was used logged out with web search. AI answers vary by person, location, wording and time, and Google's map results vary by where you search from. This is a small snapshot, not a definitive study. We'll repeat it with more cities and industries.
Get a free AI Visibility Snapshot: we run this exact check for your business and send you one page within 48 hours. See local SEO built for dentists and med spas.