ChatGPT vs. Google Search Results: The SEO Shift Local Businesses Can’t Ignore

The Rules of Search Are Changing… Are You Ready?

 

For years local businesses have played the same game – optimising for Google’s Local Pack, racking up Google reviews, tweaking GMB profiles, and pushing local SEO strategies like it was gospel. And for a while, that worked.

But things are shifting… Fast.

 

AI-powered search is muscling in, and ChatGPT is leading the charge. Unlike Google, where you get a list of results to click through, ChatGPT “summarises the best options” — which means if you’re not in that AI-generated response, you might as well not exist.

 

And this is just the beginning. OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT Search, a direct shot at traditional search engines. More and more users are turning to AI for answers, and ChatGPT is getting better every day — learning from web-wide sources, understanding content better, integrating with more platforms.

“2025 is shaping up to be the year of AI search…”

So, the question is—are you optimising for AI yet?

 

Google vs. ChatGPT: The Experiment

To see how different the two search models really are, I ran a search for “best estate agents near me”—first on Google, then on ChatGPT. The results? Wildly different.

Step 1: Google’s Local Pack Rankings

Google’s Local Pack rankings are driven by:

• Review count & star ratings
• Google My Business engagement (clicks, calls, website visits)
• Proximity & user intent

Here’s what Google gave me for “best estate agents near me”:

1. Kings Estates – 5.0⭐ (219 reviews)
2. Your Move – 4.7⭐ (191 reviews)
3. Martin & Co – 4.6⭐ (151 reviews)
4. John Whitehead – Personal Estate Agent – 5.0⭐ (61 reviews)
5. Bardens Estates Limited – 5.0⭐ (46 reviews)
6. Maddisons Residential – 5.0⭐ (159 reviews)
7. Andrews Tunbridge Wells – 4.9⭐ (268 reviews)

Step 2: ChatGPT’s Recommendations

Unlike Google, ChatGPT doesn’t rank results—it curates answers based on:

• Website authority & backlinks
• Brand mentions across multiple platforms
• Structured content & AI-friendly formatting

Here’s what ChatGPT recommended:

1. Savills – National estate agency with strong brand recognition.
2. Maddisons Residential – Independent, well-reputed agency.
3. Hamptons – Large estate agency with extensive market presence.
4. Fine & Country – High-end property specialists.
5. Alexandre Boyes – Family-run estate agent with strong client relationships.
6. Your Move – Nationwide agency with a strong local footprint.
7. Wards of Kent – Strategic marketing-driven estate agent.
8. Freeman Forman – One of the busiest agents in the area.

Findings

• Google favours local engagement signals—strong reviews, high Google My Business interaction, and user proximity play a major role.
• ChatGPT prioritises brand authority, backlinks, and structured content—businesses with well-established reputations and multiple online references perform better.
• Several highly reviewed local businesses in Google’s Local Pack did not appear in ChatGPT’s recommendations, showing that AI-driven search does not rely as much on local SEO.

 

Why Does ChatGPT Rank Businesses Differently?

1. Backlinks & Brand Authority Carry More Weight

To understand why some businesses made ChatGPT’s list while others didn’t, I pulled their backlink profiles from SEMrush.

Findings

• ChatGPT rankings align more closely with backlink authority than Google rankings do.
• Businesses with high domain authority and extensive web-wide mentions performed better in AI-driven search.
• Google’s Local Pack rankings do not appear to factor backlinks in as heavily, which is why businesses with weaker backlink profiles can still rank locally.

2. Page Speed Correlated with ChatGPT Rankings

I also ran Core Web Vitals tests on the top-ranked ChatGPT businesses.

 

Findings

• Faster websites performed better in ChatGPT rankings—businesses with low LCP scores ranked higher.
• Savills and Maddisons, both with fast load times, were ranked highly by ChatGPT.
• Hamptons and Fine & Country, despite failing Core Web Vitals, still performed well due to their strong brand authority and backlinks.

Key Takeaways: How to Optimise for ChatGPT & Conversational Search

1. Build Brand Authority

• Get featured in trusted industry blogs, news sites, and directories
• Secure high-quality backlinks from respected sources
• Encourage brand mentions on social media, forums, and discussion platforms

2. Optimise for AI Summaries

• Structure your content for easy AI extraction (FAQs, concise service descriptions, structured data)
• Keep your business information consistent across all platforms
• Ensure your website clearly explains who you are and what you do

3. Improve Site Speed & Technical SEO

• Pass Core Web Vitals to boost your AI ranking
• Optimise for fast-loading pages and mobile-first indexing

4. Think Beyond Google My Business

• Be active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, and industry-specific platforms
• Get listed in as many relevant directories as possible

 

Want to Rank EVERYWHERE? Let’s Talk About Search Everywhere Optimisation

ChatGPT is improving every day, and the number of users relying on AI-generated answers is rising fast. It’s not just about Google anymore—your business needs to be optimised for AI-driven search.

At Rankfresh, we help businesses rank EVERYWHERE.

Your customers are searching everywhere… make sure they find YOU.

Get in touch today and let’s make it happen.