Local SEO in the age of AI: how ChatGPT and Perplexity handle local queries

When someone asks Google for "best plumber near me," the algorithm pulls from Google Business Profiles, local pack data, Maps, and localised organic results. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity the same question, the answer comes from an entirely different set of signals. AI search engines handle local queries through a fundamentally different process, and most local businesses are invisible to them. This lesson explains how AI platforms process local searches and what you need to do differently on your Wix site.

How AI Search Engines Find Local Businesses

Traditional Google local search relies heavily on three pillars: your Google Business Profile, local backlinks and citations, and proximity to the searcher. AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude do not have access to Google Maps data, do not know the user's exact location, and do not pull from the local pack. Instead, they rely on web content they have been trained on, structured data from crawled pages, real-time web searches, and brand mentions across authoritative sources.

This means a business that dominates the Google local pack but has thin website content and few authoritative mentions may be completely absent from AI-generated local recommendations. Conversely, a business with comprehensive website content, strong Schema markup, and frequent mentions on industry directories and review sites may appear in AI responses even without a top-three local pack position.

What AI Platforms Actually Reference for Local Results

• Your website content: detailed service pages, location-specific information, and about page with clear geographic signals
• Structured data: LocalBusiness schema, address, opening hours, service area, and geo-coordinates on your Wix pages
• Directory listings: Yelp, TripAdvisor, industry-specific directories that AI systems crawl and reference
• Review content: aggregated review data from Google, Trustpilot, and industry review sites
• News and editorial mentions: local press coverage, industry publications, and authoritative blog mentions
• Social proof signals: social media profiles with consistent NAP (name, address, phone) data

Optimising Your Wix Site for AI Local Queries

Practical steps to improve local AI visibility

• Create comprehensive service area pages on your Wix site with genuinely unique content for each location you serve. AI systems need rich text content to understand your geographic relevance.
• Implement complete LocalBusiness Schema markup including your exact address, geo-coordinates, opening hours, accepted payment methods, and service area. AI platforms parse this structured data directly.
• Write a detailed About page that clearly states who you are, where you operate, how long you have been in business, and what qualifications you hold. AI systems heavily weight About page content for local authority.
• Build content that answers common local questions: "How much does X cost in [your city]?", "What should I look for in a [your service] provider in [your area]?" These match the natural language queries people ask AI.
• Ensure your business appears on the major directories AI systems reference: Yelp, TripAdvisor, industry-specific platforms, and local business directories.
• Maintain consistent NAP data across every online presence. AI systems cross-reference your business name, address, and phone number to build confidence in your information.
• Encourage and respond to reviews on multiple platforms. AI systems aggregate review sentiment from various sources, not just Google Reviews.

How to Implement LocalBusiness Schema on Your Wix Site

How to add complete LocalBusiness structured data to your Wix homepage for AI visibility

• Log in to your Wix dashboard at manage.wix.com and click Edit Site to open the Wix Editor.
• Click anywhere on the canvas to deselect all elements, then click the page name in the top bar and open page settings.
• Select the SEO tab and scroll to the Advanced SEO section. Click the Structured Data Markup area and then Add New Markup.
• In the JSON-LD editor, paste a LocalBusiness schema block. Set the @type to the most specific type that describes your business, such as Plumber, DentalClinic, or Restaurant.
• Fill in the name, address (including streetAddress, addressLocality, addressRegion, postalCode, and addressCountry), telephone, and url properties with your exact, current business details.
• Add the openingHoursSpecification property with the correct days and hours for each day of the week you operate.
• Include the geo property with your latitude and longitude coordinates, which you can find using Google Maps.
• Add the areaServed property listing the towns, cities, or regions you cover, so AI agents can match you to location-based queries.
• Add a priceRange property using currency symbols such as GBP or USD and a range indicator such as pound-pound to indicate mid-range pricing.
• Save the markup, publish your site, and validate using Google's Rich Results Test at search.google.com/test/rich-results to confirm no errors before moving to your other key pages.

Monitoring Your Local AI Visibility

Unlike Google Search Console which shows exact query data, tracking your visibility in AI search is less precise. The Wix AI Visibility dashboard provides some data on AI referral traffic and platform mentions. Beyond that, manually test by asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude for the kinds of local queries your customers would ask. Document which competitors appear, what sources are cited, and where your business is mentioned or absent.