u/harshil9968

ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity rely very heavily on Yelp and others, as Google data is restricted to Gemini. People have forgotten about yelp reviews, specifically the new age businesses started in the last 5 to 10 years, but now they are becoming really essential.

PS: I'm a former Google Search software Engineer, happy to answer any questions if anyone has.

I worked on Search and Ads at Google. I’ve seen how platforms decide who gets found and who gets buried.

That same shift is happening again — just faster.

What’s changing right now:

• When someone searches “best HVAC near me” or “dentist open now”
• They’re increasingly getting one AI answer (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI)

👉 No scrolling

👉 No comparison

👉 Just one recommendation

If your business isn’t in that answer, you don’t exist.

But here’s the bigger shift:

• Today → AI recommends
• Soon → AI acts

It won’t just suggest a plumber — it will book one

It won’t just list restaurants — it will place the order

The decision layer is disappearing.

What this means:

• The businesses AI trusts today
• Are the ones it will transact with tomorrow

The gap most people are missing:

• Businesses are still optimizing for Google rankings
• Very few are thinking about:
  • Does AI understand my business?
  • Does it trust my data?
  • Can it take action on my behalf?

That gap is where the next winners will come from.

Curious:

If you run or work with a local business —

Have you seen leads drop or change because of AI answers yet?