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Guide2 min read

How to check if ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini recommend a business

6 questions, 3 AIs, 18 answers. A step-by-step check you can run by hand, and what to write down.

A giant number 3 beside the words AIs, 6 questions.

You can check by hand. Ask the questions your customers ask, in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, and count how many answers name the business. Here is how to do it so the result means something.

1. Write the questions your customers ask

Customers do not type a business name. They describe what they need. Write 6 questions in 4 kinds:

  • 2 general: "best dentist in Austin", "good dentist in Austin"
  • 2 specific needs: "emergency dentist in Austin open on Saturday", "dentist in Austin for kids"
  • 1 comparison: "who are the top-rated dentists near South Congress Austin"
  • 1 trust: "most recommended dentist in Austin"

Always name the city. Never name the business you are checking.

2. Ask all 3 AIs, not one

People use ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, and the 3 do not agree. In 15 audits we ran in October 2026, Claude named Café Central in Vienna in 4 of 6 answers, and ChatGPT named it in none. A check in one AI only tells you about that AI.

3. Start every question in a fresh chat

Use a temporary chat or a signed-out window. Earlier chats can steer the answer, and so can the AI knowing who you are. Ask each question once per AI, in its own chat.

4. Count, and write down who was named instead

For each of the 18 answers, note 3 things:

  • Was the business named?
  • If so, at what position in the list?
  • Which other businesses were named?

The result is a count, such as "named in 7 of 18 answers", and a short list of rivals. The rival named most often is usually the most useful finding.

5. Look at the sources

When the AI searches the web, it shows the pages it used. Note which sites come up. In our 15 audits, review and directory sites were cited in 103 of 270 answers, and the businesses' own websites in 38. Those sites tell you where to work first.

6. Check again in a few weeks

AI answers change from day to day. One check is a snapshot. Run the same 6 questions again after you make changes, and compare the counts.

Or let RecoRadar do it

RecoRadar asks the 6 questions in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, counts the 18 answers and shows who was named instead, with every answer and source one click away. It takes about 60 seconds, and your first audit is free. Our methodology page explains exactly how we ask.