What happened
According to reporting on tennessean.com, a WebMax Canada study conducted in August 2026 examined how AI services recommend local contractors. The research tested ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude across four Canadian cities—Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto—and four trades: plumbing, electrical, home renovation, and landscaping. The study found that these AI services often produced different shortlists of businesses, and that being visible on a standard web search did not always mean a business appeared in AI recommendations.
When AI Picks the First Five
For a long time, finding local help meant sifting through many options. A homeowner might search online, get a long list of websites, maps, and directories, and then start looking into each one. But a study from WebMax Canada points to a shift in this process. It found that when people ask AI services like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude for recommendations, they often get a very short list of businesses—sometimes just five. This changes the first step of finding local help.
For homeowners, this can feel like a convenience. Instead of sifting through many names, an AI service narrows the field down quickly. But it also means that the decision of who to even consider is partly made by the AI. If a trusted local business isn't on that initial shortlist, a homeowner might never see them. The study’s lead, Susan Jones of WebMax Canada, noted they wanted to approach this the way a customer would, asking which companies are put in front of them.
For locals doing the work, this is a new challenge. Being easy to find online has always been important. Now, being included on an AI's shortlist becomes another hurdle. If your business isn't among those few names an AI service suggests, you might not even get a chance to be compared or selected by a homeowner. This means that just having a good online presence might not be enough to get seen in this new way of finding help.
AI Visibility Isn't Web Visibility
One of the more important findings from the WebMax Canada study is that being easy to find on a regular web search does not automatically mean a business will show up on an AI's shortlist. The study found that while there was some overlap between web visibility and AI visibility, the two were not the same. Some businesses that appeared prominently in traditional web searches did not appear when AI services were asked for recommendations.
This creates what the study calls an "AI visibility gap." For homeowners, this means that if you rely only on an AI service to find a plumber or renovator, you might miss out on well-regarded local businesses that have a strong web presence but haven't yet registered with these AI tools in the same way. It's a reminder that the list an AI provides is not necessarily a complete list of all the good, established help available in your area.
For locals, this is a significant shift. Many have worked hard to build their presence on Google Search, Google Maps, company websites, and review sites. The study confirms these still matter. But now, there's another layer. Even if a business is easily found through traditional online methods, it might not be "included" when an AI is asked to recommend companies. This suggests that simply having a good website and online reviews, while crucial, might no longer be the only measure of being found by potential customers.
What Homeowners and Locals Should Keep in Mind
The WebMax Canada study showed that different AI services, like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, often produced different shortlists of businesses. For homeowners, this means that the specific AI tool you use can change the local help you see. If you’re using an AI to find someone for a home project, it might be wise to try asking more than one AI service, or to still do a quick traditional web search to see a broader range of options before deciding. An AI's shortlist is a starting point, not the only answer.
For locals doing the work, the study highlights that being "searchable" online is one step, but being "included" when an AI creates a shortlist is another. While the study was observational and doesn't tell us exactly why an AI includes or omits a business, it did note that AI services cited different public information when explaining their recommendations. This suggests that making sure your business information is clear, consistent, and complete across various online platforms could be increasingly important. Things like your company's services, location, and contact details should be easy for any digital tool to find and understand.
This shift doesn't mean old ways of finding or getting work are useless. Google Search, Google Maps, company websites, reviews, and directories still matter, as the study points out. But AI-assisted search adds another layer to how customers research and narrow their choices. Both homeowners and locals should see this as an evolving landscape, where new tools offer new paths to connect, but also introduce new questions about who gets seen and who gets overlooked.
The practical takeaway
Homeowners should know that AI recommendations are just one starting point and may not show every good local option. Locals doing the work need to understand that being found by AI is a new challenge, distinct from traditional web visibility, and they might need to think about how their business information appears across the internet.
Questions readers ask
Does this mean I can't trust AI to find local help?
The study shows AI services offer different shortlists, and they don't always include businesses prominent in web searches. It means AI is another tool, but it's wise to use it alongside other ways of finding local help, like asking neighbors or checking traditional search results.
How can a local get their business on these AI shortlists?
The study was observational, so it doesn't explain *why* AI services included or omitted businesses. However, it noted that AI services cited different public information. This suggests keeping your business information consistent and thorough online, across various platforms, might be a good first step.
Is this only happening in Canada?
The study focused on Canadian cities and businesses. The publication notes that the "broader issue may matter to any business that depends on being researched, compared or shortlisted," suggesting the underlying changes could affect other places, but the study itself only covered Canada.
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