“Get on Google” used to be the whole local marketing plan. Now your customers have three different AI tools answering their questions, and each one can give a different answer.
Ask Google, and an AI Overview may summarize your options before the regular results even load. Switch to Google’s AI Mode, and you get a full conversation with follow-up questions. Ask ChatGPT, and it writes its own recommendation from the sources it trusts.
Same customer. Same question. Three different lists of businesses.
In this guide, we’ll break down how each one works for local searches, what each one pays attention to, and how to show up in all three.
If you’re new to this, start with What Is an AI Visibility Checker? for the basics. Want to see where you stand right now? Our guide Is ChatGPT Recommending Your Competitors? How to Check in 5 Minutes walks you through a quick manual test.
Google AI Overviews: The Summary at the Top
What it is: An AI-written summary that appears at the top of many regular Google searches, above the usual list of links.
How people use it: Customers don’t choose it. It just shows up when they search normally. For a query like “best roofer in Henderson,” they may read the AI summary and never scroll down.
What it tends to pull from:
- Google Business Profiles, including reviews, ratings, categories, and hours
- Websites that already rank well in Google search
- Review sites, directories, and local “best of” lists
What this means for you: AI Overviews are closely tied to traditional Google SEO. If your Google Business Profile is strong and your site ranks well, you have a head start. If you’re weak on Google, you’ll likely be weak here too.
Google AI Mode: Search as a Conversation
What it is: Google’s conversational search experience. Instead of a list of links, customers get a full AI answer and can keep asking follow-up questions.
How people use it: Customers with more complex needs use it to narrow things down. For example: “Find me a dentist in Summerlin who takes my insurance, has Saturday hours, and is good with nervous patients.”
What it tends to pull from:
- The same Google sources as AI Overviews, including Business Profiles, reviews, and websites
- More detailed information from your site, like services, policies, hours, and FAQs, to answer specific follow-ups
What this means for you: AI Mode rewards detail. If a customer asks about Saturday hours, financing, or a specific service, the AI needs to find that answer somewhere. Businesses with thin websites and half-finished profiles get filtered out as the conversation narrows.
ChatGPT: The Recommendation Engine
What it is: A standalone AI assistant that many people now use like a search engine, including to find local businesses.
How people use it: Customers ask it directly for recommendations, like “Who’s the best HVAC company in Las Vegas?” ChatGPT can search the web and write an answer, often naming a few businesses with a short reason for each.
What it tends to pull from:
- Web search results and the websites behind them
- Review sites and directories
- Articles, local lists, and other pages that mention businesses by name
What this means for you: ChatGPT isn’t Google, so a great Google ranking doesn’t guarantee a ChatGPT mention. Being mentioned across many trusted websites matters a lot here. Strong reviews on more than one platform, consistent listings, and appearing in local articles or “best of” roundups all help.
Side-by-Side: How the Three Compare
| Google AI Overviews | Google AI Mode | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How customers get there | Shows up automatically on regular Google searches | Customer chooses AI Mode in Google | Customer opens ChatGPT and asks |
| Type of answer | Short summary above the links | Full answer plus follow-up questions | Written recommendation, often a short list |
| Leans most on | Google Business Profile and Google rankings | Google sources plus detailed site content | Web mentions, reviews, and listings across many sites |
| Biggest advantage goes to | Businesses already strong on Google | Businesses with detailed, complete info | Businesses mentioned widely across the web |
| Most common gap | Weak or inactive Google profile | Thin website, missing details | Few mentions outside your own site |
The takeaway: each engine has a different favorite. A business can be the top pick in AI Overviews, a maybe in AI Mode, and missing entirely from ChatGPT.
So Where Do Local Customers Actually Find You?
The honest answer: in all three, and the mix depends on your customer.
- Customers searching the way they always have still use Google, and now they see AI Overviews along the way.
- Customers with specific needs (insurance, hours, budgets, emergencies) are more likely to use AI Mode’s back-and-forth.
- Customers who already use ChatGPT for work or everyday questions increasingly ask it for local recommendations too.
You can’t pick just one. A customer might see an AI Overview on Monday, ask ChatGPT on Tuesday, and book whoever showed up in both.
How to Show Up in All Three
The good news: most of what helps in one engine helps in the others. Focus on these:
- Make your Google Business Profile complete and active. Categories, services, hours, photos, regular posts, and replies to every review. This powers both Google experiences.
- Keep your info consistent everywhere. The same name, address, phone, and hours on your website, Google, and every directory. Mismatches make every AI less confident.
- Build detailed service and location pages. One clear page per main service and area, answering the questions customers actually ask. This is what AI Mode digs into.
- Get mentioned beyond your own website. Reviews on more than one platform, local directories, community sites, and “best of” lists. This is a big lever for ChatGPT.
- Earn reviews steadily. Recent, detailed reviews help in all three engines.
- Measure all three separately. Since each engine behaves differently, you need to know where you’re strong and where you’re missing.
Check All Three at Once
You can test each engine by hand. Our 5-minute ChatGPT check shows you how. But running every question through three engines, for every service and area you cover, adds up fast.
Isla Checks ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and AI Mode in One Report
Most AI visibility tools only look at ChatGPT. Isla’s Free AI Visibility Checker checks all three engines your customers use, and shows you:
- Your AI Visibility Score, broken down engine by engine
- Where you’re strong in one and missing in another
- Which competitors each engine recommends instead
- The sources each AI trusts in your market
- Whether each engine has your business info right
Free, no credit card, results in about 2 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Google AI Overviews and AI Mode?
AI Overviews are short AI summaries that appear automatically at the top of regular Google searches. AI Mode is a separate conversational experience where customers get a full AI answer and can ask follow-up questions.
Is ChatGPT or Google more important for local businesses?
Both matter. Google is still where most local searches happen, and AI Overviews and AI Mode now shape what customers see there. ChatGPT is growing fast as a place people ask for recommendations. The safest strategy is to show up in all three.
Why do I show up in Google but not ChatGPT?
ChatGPT doesn’t rely on Google rankings. It leans more on how widely your business is mentioned across the web, including reviews, directories, and local articles. A strong Google presence alone may not be enough.
Can I see how I rank in each AI engine separately?
Yes. An AI visibility checker tests each engine with real local search prompts. Isla’s free checker breaks your results down for ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and AI Mode.
The Bottom Line
Your customers aren’t choosing between Google and ChatGPT. They’re using both, often in the same week. Each AI picks its favorites differently, so the businesses that win are the ones that show up everywhere and know where their gaps are.
Find out where you stand in all three. Get your free AI Visibility Report from Isla. It covers ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode, and takes about 2 minutes.
