The Edit / Brand and Content

Your Competitor Is the Class Favorite According to AI

By Kate Bakker · October 2026 · 6 min read

The short answer

When AI keeps recommending the same competitor, it usually isn't because they're better. It's because the web describes them more clearly and more consistently: matching listings, reviews that mention the service and city, a page for each service and mentions from other sites. Every one of those gaps can be closed.

Why does AI keep recommending my competitor?

Think back to school. The class favorite wasn't always the smartest student. They were the one who raised their hand, showed their work and had other teachers vouching for them.

AI works the same way. When someone asks who's best for a service in your city, it picks the business it can explain with the most confidence. If your competitor's information is cleaner, more specific and confirmed by more sources, they get called on. Even when your work is better.

What does the class favorite have that you don't?

Usually some mix of these four things:

Consistency. Their name, address, hours and services match on every listing. Yours might say two different things in two places.
Specifics. They have a page for each treatment or service. You might have one page that lists everything.
Detailed reviews. Their reviews describe the service and the city. Yours might say "loved it" and stop there.
Outside proof. They've been featured, listed or mentioned by sources AI trusts. You might not be anywhere but your own site.

How do I find out exactly why they win?

Ask the same question three ways. Put your clients' questions into ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity in a fresh session, and note who gets named.
Look at the sources. Perplexity and Google AI Overviews often show where an answer came from. Those are the sources you need to appear in.
Compare listings side by side. Check your Google Business Profile against theirs: categories, services, photos, review count and recent reviews.
Read what AI says about them. The reasons it gives ("known for natural results," "highly rated for implants") tell you what proof it found.

Our 10-question check walks through this step by step.

How do I take the spot?

Fix every listing so they all match, starting with Google.
Build a dedicated page for each service you want to be known for.
Make it easy for clients to leave detailed reviews, in their own words.
Earn a few strong outside mentions: local press, partners, "best of" lists.
Check the answers again every month, and keep refining what isn't moving.

And when the calls start coming, make sure your front desk is ready. Being named is only worth something if the call books. Here's how we train for that.

Questions about competing in AI answers

Can I pay to replace my competitor in AI answers?

No. Organic AI recommendations can't be bought. They're earned with the proof described above.

How long until AI changes its answer?

It varies with your market and your starting point. Some answers shift within weeks of fixing listings and pages; others take longer. Track it monthly rather than expecting one big moment.

Will AI ever recommend more than one business?

Often it names two or three. The goal is to be in that short list for the questions that matter most to your revenue.

Kate Bakker is the founder and creative director of KBhaus, a brand strategy and AI visibility consultancy in Laguna Niguel, California.