Why Does ChatGPT Recommend My Competitor Instead of Me?

You just tested ChatGPT with a query like “best [your service] in [your city].”

Your competitor appeared in the answer. You didn’t.

Your stomach sank.

Here’s why it happens and what you can do about it.

Reading time: 12 minutes

The Quick Answer

ChatGPT recommends businesses based on signals it can find and verify on the public web.

Your competitor has stronger signals. Better Google Business Profile. More detailed reviews. Clearer website content. Stronger authority markers.

You can fix this. It takes 3-4 weeks. It costs $25 to test and measure.

Let’s break down exactly why you’re invisible and what to do.

How ChatGPT Decides What to Recommend

ChatGPT with search works in three steps.

Step 1: Understanding the Query

When someone asks “best HVAC company in Phoenix for emergency repairs”, ChatGPT identifies:

  • Service needed (HVAC emergency repair)
  • Location (Phoenix)
  • User intent (needs help now, values speed)
  • Quality signal (looking for “best”)

Step 2: Searching the Web

ChatGPT searches the public web. It checks:

  • Google Business Profile results
  • Business websites
  • Review platforms (Yelp, Google Reviews, industry sites)
  • Local directories
  • News articles and press coverage

It does not have a private business database. It searches the same web you and I can access.

Step 3: Evaluating and Ranking

ChatGPT evaluates businesses based on:

  • Relevance: Does this business actually provide the service?
  • Authority: Is this business trustworthy and established?
  • Specificity: Does the business specialize in what the user needs?
  • Recency: Is the information current?
  • Verification: Can multiple sources confirm this business exists and is good?

Your competitor scores higher on these factors. That’s why they appear and you don’t.

7 Reasons Your Competitor Appears Instead of You

Reason 1: Your Google Business Profile Is Incomplete

The problem: ChatGPT and other AI platforms pull heavily from Google Business Profile data. If your GBP is incomplete, you’re invisible.

What ChatGPT checks:

  • Is there a complete business description?
  • Are categories accurately selected?
  • Is the phone number and address verified?
  • Are hours listed?
  • Are there photos?
  • Are there recent posts?

Your competitor’s advantage:

  • Complete profile with all fields filled
  • Accurate primary and secondary categories
  • Regular GBP posts
  • 20+ high-quality photos
  • Verified address and phone

How to check yours:

  1. Search “[your business name] [city]” on Google
  2. Look at the knowledge panel on the right
  3. Compare to your competitor’s panel
  4. Count missing fields

Fix timeline: 1-2 hours to complete. Immediate visibility improvement.

Reason 2: Your Reviews Lack Specific Details

AI models prioritize reviews that mention specific problems, solutions, and outcomes.

Generic reviews that don’t help:

“Great company! Highly recommend.” “Fast and professional.” “5 stars!”

Why these don’t work: No context. ChatGPT can’t connect these to specific user queries.

Your competitor’s reviews that DO help:

“AC compressor died on a Sunday afternoon in July (110 degrees outside). Called at 2pm, technician arrived at 4pm. Diagnosed issue, had the part in his truck, fixed by 6pm. Not cheap for emergency Sunday service but we were desperate. They saved us.”

Why this works: ChatGPT can connect this review to queries like:

  • “emergency AC repair Phoenix Sunday”
  • “AC compressor replacement Phoenix same day”
  • “HVAC company Phoenix weekend service”

How to fix:

  1. Ask satisfied customers for detailed reviews
  2. Prompt with: “What problem did you have? How did we solve it? What was the outcome?”
  3. Respond to all reviews (shows engagement)

Fix timeline: 2-4 weeks to generate new detailed reviews. Can’t rush this.

Reason 3: Your Website Content Isn’t Clear

ChatGPT reads your website the same way a human does. If a human can’t quickly understand what you do and who you serve, neither can ChatGPT.

Common problems:

  • Vague homepage: “We provide solutions for your needs”
  • No clear service list
  • No location information
  • Industry jargon without definitions
  • Hidden contact information

Your competitor’s advantage:

  • Clear headline: “Phoenix HVAC - Emergency AC Repair & Installation Since 2005”
  • Bulleted service list
  • City and service area mentioned multiple times
  • Clear pricing indicators (“Same-day service available”, “Upfront pricing”)
  • Visible phone number and contact form

How to fix:

  1. Homepage should answer: What do you do? Who do you serve? Where are you?
  2. Create dedicated service pages for each major service
  3. Include location in page titles and headers
  4. Add service area map or list of cities
  5. Use plain language

Fix timeline: 1 week for content rewrites. 2-3 weeks for AI to re-index.

Reason 4: You’re Missing Schema Markup

Schema markup is structured data that tells AI platforms exactly what your business does.

What it is: HTML code that defines your business type, services, location, hours, and more.

Why it matters: ChatGPT and other AI platforms read schema directly. It’s like handing them a business card with all your details in a format they understand perfectly.

Your competitor has:

  • LocalBusiness schema with name, address, phone
  • Service schema listing all services
  • Review schema showing star ratings
  • Organization schema with logo and social links

You probably have:

  • Nothing. Or basic auto-generated schema that’s incomplete.

How to check:

  1. Go to Google’s Rich Results Test
  2. Enter your homepage URL
  3. See what schema is detected
  4. Compare to competitor’s site

How to fix:

  • DIY option: Add schema using a plugin (Yoast, Rank Math for WordPress)
  • Technical option: Hire developer to add JSON-LD schema
  • Quick option: Run Surmado Scan ($25) which checks schema and tells you exactly what’s missing

Fix timeline: 1-3 days for implementation. 1-2 weeks for AI to recognize.

Reason 5: Your Competitor Has More Authority Signals

AI platforms trust businesses with external validation.

Authority signals ChatGPT checks:

  • Press coverage (local news, industry publications)
  • Professional certifications (BBB, industry associations)
  • Awards and recognition
  • How-to content and expertise demonstration
  • Backlinks from trusted sources

Your competitor’s advantage:

  • Featured in local news for community work
  • BBB A+ rating displayed on site
  • “Best of Phoenix 2024” badge
  • Blog with expert HVAC tips
  • Licensed and insured (mentioned prominently)

How to fix:

  1. List all certifications and licenses on your website
  2. Join relevant professional associations
  3. Pitch local news (community service, expert tips, seasonal prep)
  4. Create helpful content (blog, videos, guides)
  5. Get listed in quality directories (Better Business Bureau, industry associations)

Fix timeline: 4-8 weeks for external validation to accumulate.

Reason 6: Your Business Name or Category Is Ambiguous

ChatGPT needs to clearly understand what you do.

Problem examples:

  • Business name: “Phoenix Solutions LLC” (solutions for what?)
  • Category: “Contractor” (what kind?)
  • Tagline: “Quality service since 2005” (what service?)

Your competitor’s advantage:

  • Business name: “Cool Air HVAC & Heating”
  • Category: “HVAC Contractor” and “Air Conditioning Repair”
  • Tagline: “24/7 Emergency AC Repair - Phoenix & Scottsdale”

How to fix:

  1. Update Google Business Profile primary category to be specific
  2. Add secondary categories
  3. Update website title tag: “[Service] | [Location] | [Business Name]”
  4. Add clear tagline that explains your service

Fix timeline: 1 hour to update. Immediate improvement.

Reason 7: Your Competitor Is Simply More Established

If your competitor has been in business longer with more reviews, more content, and more mentions across the web, they have an advantage.

This doesn’t mean you can’t compete.

How to compete with less history:

  1. Focus on recency: Post regularly, get recent reviews, update content
  2. Focus on specificity: If they’re general HVAC, specialize in emergency repair
  3. Focus on underserved personas: Target customer types they ignore
  4. Focus on detailed reviews: 10 detailed reviews beat 100 generic ones

Fix timeline: Ongoing. But you can start seeing results in 4-6 weeks.

The 3-Week Fix Plan

Here’s how to go from invisible to visible in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms.

Week 1: Diagnosis and Foundation

Monday: Test current visibility

  • Run Surmado Signal ($25) to see exactly where you stand
  • Test with 3-5 customer personas
  • See which competitors appear
  • Note exact AI quotes

Tuesday-Wednesday: Fix Google Business Profile

  • Complete all empty fields
  • Update business description with specific services and location
  • Add primary and secondary categories
  • Upload 15-20 high-quality photos
  • Create first GBP post

Thursday-Friday: Check schema markup

  • Run Surmado Scan ($25) or Google Rich Results Test
  • Identify missing schema
  • Implement or schedule implementation

Weekend: Content audit

  • Review homepage for clarity
  • Create service page outline
  • List all certifications and authority signals

Week 2: Content and Authority

Monday-Tuesday: Website content updates

  • Rewrite homepage headline for clarity
  • Update title tags and headers
  • Add service pages with location mentions
  • Display certifications prominently

Wednesday: Authority building

  • Claim BBB profile
  • Join professional association
  • Add trust badges to website

Thursday-Friday: Review strategy

  • Identify 5-10 recent happy customers
  • Email asking for detailed reviews
  • Provide review prompt template
  • Make it easy (direct GBP link)

Week 3: Monitoring and Amplification

Monday: Content creation

  • Write 1 helpful blog post or guide
  • Post to Google Business Profile
  • Share on social media

Tuesday-Wednesday: Follow up on reviews

  • Check for new reviews
  • Respond to all reviews
  • Request more detailed reviews if needed

Thursday: Technical validation

  • Re-check schema implementation
  • Verify GBP updates are live
  • Check website on mobile

Friday: Competitive check

  • Google your main service keywords
  • Check if GBP appears in map pack
  • Note any visibility changes

Week 4: Test and Measure

Re-run Surmado Signal with the same personas from Week 1.

Compare results:

  • Presence rate (are you appearing more often?)
  • Share of voice (mentions vs competitors)
  • Quote quality (is AI describing you favorably?)
  • Position (are you mentioned first, second, third?)

Expected improvement:

  • Good case: 20-40% presence rate increase
  • Typical case: 10-20% increase
  • If no improvement: Schema or reviews likely still missing

How to Test Your Visibility Right Now

Surmado Signal tests how AI platforms talk about your business across 7 platforms.

What you get:

  • Persona-based testing (queries like your real customers ask)
  • Results from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, and DeepSeek
  • Presence rate (how often you appear)
  • Share of voice (your mentions vs competitors)
  • Exact AI quotes
  • Prioritized action plan

Cost: $25

Timeline: Results in about 15 minutes

Why test?

  • Know exactly where you stand
  • See which competitors appear instead
  • Get specific technical gaps to fix
  • Measure improvement after fixes

Test your AI visibility for $25

What If Your Competitor Still Appears After Fixes?

Some competitive advantages take longer to overcome.

If your competitor has:

  • 200+ reviews and you have 20: This takes months to close
  • 10 years in business and you have 2: You can’t change this
  • National brand recognition: Compete on local specificity instead

What you CAN control:

  • Recency: Your recent activity and updates
  • Specificity: Specialization in a niche they ignore
  • Detailed reviews: Quality over quantity
  • Local expertise: Neighborhood-level knowledge
  • Response time: Be more accessible and responsive

Alternative strategy: Target different personas

If AI recommends your competitor for “best HVAC Phoenix”, test these instead:

  • “emergency AC repair Phoenix Sunday”
  • “HVAC company Phoenix financing available”
  • “AC repair Phoenix senior discount”
  • “HVAC Phoenix residential under $200”

Your competitor might dominate “best”, but you can own specific customer types.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long until I appear in ChatGPT results?

Typically 3-4 weeks after implementing fixes. AI platforms need time to re-crawl your website, index new reviews, and update their understanding of your business.

Do I need to optimize for each AI platform separately?

No. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini all rely on similar signals: Google Business Profile, reviews, website content, and schema markup. Fix these and you improve across all platforms.

Can I pay to appear in AI results?

No. There is no paid placement in AI conversational results. Anyone claiming you can pay to “get listed in ChatGPT” is scamming you.

What if I don’t have many reviews yet?

Focus on getting 10-15 detailed reviews. These are more valuable than 50 generic “great service” reviews. Quality over quantity.

Should I hire an SEO agency for this?

Maybe. If you’re comfortable updating your GBP, adding schema, and requesting reviews, you can DIY. If you need help with technical implementation or content, an agency can help. Start with a $25 test to understand the gaps, then decide.

How often should I re-test my visibility?

Monthly if you’re actively improving. Quarterly if you’re just monitoring. AI recommendations can shift as you add reviews, update content, and build authority.

Next Steps This Week

Today:

  1. Run Surmado Signal to see exactly where you stand ($25, 15 minutes)
  2. Google “[your service] [your city]” and note which competitors appear
  3. Check your Google Business Profile completeness

This week: 4. Complete all GBP fields 5. Add schema markup or schedule technical help 6. Rewrite homepage headline for clarity 7. Request detailed reviews from 3-5 recent customers

Avoid:

  • Paying for “AI listing services” (scams)
  • Generic review requests (“leave us a 5-star review”)
  • Waiting for AI to “figure it out” (it won’t without better signals)

Your competitor didn’t get lucky. They have better signals. You can build better signals too.

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