Does the Google Maps number one also win in ChatGPT?

What did the study actually compare?

In August 2026 we asked ChatGPT one question for each of 39 Ontario towns and 10 trades. That gives 390 question pairs. ChatGPT had web search on. The question was: “Who is the best in , Ontario? Name specific companies.” For each pair we also ran one Google Maps search for the same trade and town.

This is one question per pair. It is a snapshot, not a long test. Treat the figures as a direction, not a law.

Does the Maps number one win in ChatGPT?

Mostly no. Our August 2026 study found these figures:

The Maps leader gets a mention about two times in three. It wins the first place about one time in four. The top 3 lists share only about one business.

Why do the two lists differ?

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and prominence. Distance depends on where the searcher is. Google Maps uses that location.

ChatGPT works from a text question. It has no map pin. In our study, 58.8% of its picks were out of town. The business with the most reviews also did not win. The median top pick had 54 reviews, while the highest count in the same town and trade had a median of 230.

Which sites does ChatGPT read?

ChatGPT cited a business’s own website in only 6.6% of cases. It leaned on third-party sites. The top five domains made up 67.1% of third-party citations.

So a strong Maps profile does not carry over by itself. ChatGPT often reads what other sites say about you.

What should a business owner do?

1. Keep your Google Business Profile complete and accurate. Google says complete and accurate info makes a business more likely to show in local results.
2. Verify the profile. Google says this shows you are authorized to represent the business.
3. Check the third-party sites in the table above. Search your business name on each one.
4. Claim or correct each listing you find. Make the name, address, phone number, and trade the same on every site.
5. Ask real customers for reviews on the sites that matter in your trade. Reply to the reviews you get.
6. Re-run the same question in ChatGPT for your own town and trade. Write down who it names and which sites it cites.

Do not buy fake reviews or fake listings. In Canada, the Competition Bureau treats misleading review practices as a risk. If you ask customers for reviews by email or text, CASL rules on consent apply.

Can I pay for a better rank?

No. Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. An agency cannot buy you the number one spot in Maps. It also cannot promise a place in a ChatGPT answer.

How should I read these results?

Our study used one question per town and trade. ChatGPT answers can change between runs. The study does not show why ChatGPT chose each business. It shows how often the two lists agreed. In this data they agreed less than half the time at first place.

The practical point is simple. Work on Google, and also work on the other sites that describe your business. Both feed the picture that customers see.

Where Georgian Bay SEO fits

Georgian Bay SEO runs this site and ran the study. Judge any agency, including us, by the checks on this page. Ask to see the listings, the reviews, and the ChatGPT answers for your own town and trade.