New Cheers research
What makes AI recommend a local business?
We measured 34,742 answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Mode in 100 metros: what the businesses they named had in common, and where the engines split.
Read the guide
GEO Academy
Learn how local businesses get found and recommended by AI.
Start with the essentials
Three guides. A clear place to begin.
Understand GEO
Start with what generative engine optimization means for a local business.
Read guideLearn where AI gets its answers
See the directories, lists, and websites ChatGPT cited across 9,434 local answers.
Read guideBuild your visibility plan
Put the findings to work across lists, reviews, Yelp, pages, and booking links.
Read guide
Original Cheers research
Your website is part of the recommendation.
Business websites were a major source of citations across all four engines in our home-services sample. The mix varied by engine, so your website and your directory profiles both deserve attention.
Gemini80.7%
Perplexity72.3%
Google AI Mode70.3%
ChatGPT48.8%
Cheers Market Baseline · 28 days ending September 2, 2026. 356,019 citations across 32 home-services prompts, 100 metro areas, and four engines. Citation share measures linked sources, not leads or recommendation rate.
What are you working on?
Practical guidance for your next step.
Improve my location pagesSee which page types AI cites, then build one per service and city.Show up in Google AI ModeRatings, reviews, and booking links in 9,435 Google AI Mode answers.Set a review target for each locationReview counts of the businesses AI named, by trade.Fix a lower rating on ChatGPTFind the Yelp card behind the number and fix it within Yelp's rules.Fix incorrect business informationFind the source of an error and correct it.Manage multiple locationsKeep business records consistent across branches.
Explore the library
Guides, research, and practical answers for your business.
187 articles · Page 1 of 16
Research13 min read
We Checked 1,096 Contractor Websites for AI Agent Readiness
We checked 1,096 contractor websites. About 3 in 4 homepages showed no price and only 1 in 8 loaded a scheduler. Here is what to fix for AI agents.
AI Search News11 min read
Gemini Call for Me: How to Handle AI Calls to Your Business
Gemini Call for Me uses your customer's own number. Train staff to answer AI enquiries, give useful quotes and keep your branch lines reachable.
Playbooks14 min read
What to Say When an AI Calls Your Business for a Quote
Google's AI called plumbers for prices in 2025, and Gemini and Muse can call too. What a CSR should say: the fee, a range, what moves it and an opening.
AI Search News10 min read
Does ChatGPT Use Yelp Reviews for Local Recommendations?
In October, 4 in 10 of ChatGPT's US map cards linked to Yelp, often with fewer stars than Google AI Mode showed. Since Oct 7, its answers link Yelp too.
AI Search News12 min read
Why Did My ChatGPT Referral Traffic Drop in October 2026?
From Oct. 9 to 16, most ChatGPT links arrived with no tag and no referrer, so October ChatGPT traffic is undercounted. The dates to flag and five checks.
Comparisons17 min read
Which AI Agents Can Call, Book or Pay for Your Customers?
AI assistants can call, request quotes and arrange appointments for customers. Compare today's tools and prepare your team for the next buying journey.
Reviews13 min read
Study: 61% of Written One-Star Reviews Mentioned Money
In 17 connected home-service companies, 61% of written one-star reviews mentioned money. What the sample shows, and how to handle price complaints.
Reviews11 min read
What Can You Ask Customers to Say in a Google Review?
Ask customers for an honest review, make it easy to leave one and credit the employee through the link. Put service and city details on your own pages.
Research13 min read
What Do ChatGPT and Gemini Say About Home Service Trades?
Certification for restoration, same-day for garage doors, warranties for roofers: what ChatGPT and Gemini raised in 100 US and Canadian cities in October.
Put what you learn into practice.
See how your business appears in AI recommendations.