How ChatGPT Handles Local Search – And What It Means for Your Business

Romina Cadel
May 12
3 min read

For years, Google has reigned supreme in the world of local search. But with recent updates, ChatGPT has emerged as a more serious contender—especially with its integration of Microsoft Bing’s search index. This change, introduced in late 2023, has significantly improved ChatGPT’s ability to return meaningful, location-specific results.

While ChatGPT still isn’t replacing Google Maps or the local pack just yet, it now returns maps, business listings, and relevant links that resemble those from traditional search engines. But don’t be fooled—how it gets those results is different, and understanding those differences can help your business stand out.

ChatGPT Isn’t Just Copying Bing

Despite pulling from Bing’s web index, ChatGPT doesn’t simply echo Bing’s results. Instead, it analyzes the top 20–30 search results and applies its own filtering system. For example, in a test search for dry cleaners in Red Hook, Brooklyn, ChatGPT and Bing shared only partial overlap in the listings they returned.

That’s because ChatGPT doesn’t have access to Bing’s full local profiles, including data from Bing Places or third-party integrations like Yelp reviews. Instead, it prioritizes structured data from business websites, city guides, local blogs, and reputable directories. So, if you want to be featured in ChatGPT responses, your web presence matters more than ever.

How ChatGPT Ranks Local Results

ChatGPT breaks down search queries into phases:

Initial pass: It scans the top Bing results, identifying business sites and directories.
Deeper dive: It selects 5–8 promising sources based on relevance and authority.
Selection filter: It narrows those down to 3–5 highly verifiable and linkable sources.

This process favors websites with detailed structured content, trusted domains, and high-quality metadata. Pages that include opening hours, ratings, addresses, or expert reviews are more likely to be cited. Generic listings or outdated aggregators are deprioritized unless no better information is available.

ChatGPT’s Interface Enhancements

When ChatGPT displays a map or carousel of listings, it’s not the model generating the visuals. Those elements come from OpenAI’s user interface, which uses the structured data ChatGPT gathers to organize results visually. This UI enhancement is designed to make local searches more intuitive and useful for users.

What Businesses Can Do to Improve Visibility

If you're a local business owner, ChatGPT offered eight specific tactics to improve your discoverability:

Keep your website accurate and rich with structured data (use schema.org).

Claim and optimize your Bing Places listing to improve your presence in Bing's web index.

Build and maintain updated profiles on trusted review platforms.

Encourage customers to leave reviews on visible, accessible platforms like Yelp or Facebook.

Earn links from local press, niche blogs, and community sites.

Apply consistent local SEO practices across all your online properties.

Publish unique, helpful content relevant to your industry.

Monitor Bing’s top 20–30 results to better understand what ChatGPT is likely to reference.

Key Takeaways

ChatGPT pulls local results from Bing but uses its own algorithm to sort and prioritize.
Structured content and verifiable sources are key to being cited by ChatGPT.
Claiming your Bing Places listing still matters, even though ChatGPT doesn’t use it directly.
Local SEO fundamentals still apply—with a twist. Focus on quality, trust, and structure.

Expert Insights

“Think of ChatGPT as a knowledgeable assistant that’s only as good as the data it finds. To stay visible, businesses need to optimize not just for search engines—but for how AI systems interpret and validate that information,” says Danny Coello, CEO at Dial 911 for Design. “It’s not enough to rank. You need to earn trust, and structured content is your handshake.”