What is ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an amazing new tool that is an AI powered chatbot.
I asked ChatGPT, “what are you” and it responded,”I am a language model developed by OpenAI, designed to generate human-like text based on the input provided to me. My primary function is to assist with answering questions and generating text based on patterns I have learned from the data I was trained on.”
ChatGPT is Remarkable.
Start playing around with ChatGPT and you will immediately understand why ChatGPT is quickly spreading in popularity. There is nothing like it. Sure Alexa and Google can answer some basic inquires but ChatGPT is so much more.
ChatGPT is Impressive But How Does ChatGPT Impact Local SEO?
After using ChatGPT and seeing it’s impressive potential, I wondered how it will work for SEO and if it can replace Google as recent articles have implied. While ChatGPT offers incredible capabilities for generating content, brainstorming ideas, and even answering complex questions, its application in the realm of SEO is not a direct replacement for search engines like Google. Instead, it can serve as a powerful tool to optimize content, perform keyword research, and craft engaging articles that can help rank your website in search engines. However, when it comes to indexing, crawling, and providing real-time data, traditional search engines still dominate the landscape.
Specifically, I wondered how ChatGPT performed in regards to finding local businesses in my area.
ChatGPT Local Business Results
I answered this question very quickly by simply asking ChatGPT for “local video production companies located in Sterling Heights, Michigan.”
Each time I asked ChatGPT for local businesses it listed different companies in a different hierarchy. The results were of various unfamiliar companies. A completely different list of companies than Google generated. This inconsistency made me question the reliability and data sources used by ChatGPT for generating localized business recommendations. It also highlighted a broader issue of maintaining up-to-date and accurate information compared to traditional search engines like Google. As I was comparing the results, I wondered how ChatGPT might fare if asked to analyze trends or provide super bowl advertising performance insights, given its focus on patterns and textual data interpretation.
ChatGPT vs Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) produces accurate results for current local businesses. ChatGPT does NOT.
Google Wins
When it comes to finding local businesses Google is better than ChatGPT.
- Google knows your physical location as well as the physical location of the business and lists them in hierarchal order of nearest to farthest.
- Google provides an abundance of information on each business it lists, i.e., photos, reviews, description, address, phone number, websites, etc. ChatGPT simply lists a name.
- All of ChatGPT’s information is from before 2021. Even if ChatGPT provided everything listed above, its list would be void of any recently listed newer businesses.
Conclusion
Know your place. When it comes to finding local businesses do not use ChatGPT, use Google.
