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Case Study: Do Rankings in Google Maps, Bing Maps, and Organic Search Impact Visibility in ChatGPT Search?

A futuristic, cyberpunk-style cityscape features three humanoid robots with glowing eyes. Two taller robots, wearing Google and Bing logo shirts, stand confidently with arms crossed, while a smaller robot in a green OpenAI logo shirt sits on the ground, appearing sad with a tear on its face. The scene symbolizes OpenAI’s perceived difference or struggle compared to the dominant search engines.

Key Insights:

  • No Strong Connection Found: Turns out, ranking high on Google or Bing doesn’t mean you’ll rank well in ChatGPT Search.
  • Different Ranking Systems: Google and Bing focus on proximity, while ChatGPT Search seems to take a broader, city-wide approach.

 

I’m continuing my research on how local websites can rank in ChatGPT Search (of SearchGPT). A couple of months ago, I ran a study and found that schema markup doesn’t really impact ranking in ChatGPT Search.

Lately, I’ve come across discussions in forums and articles suggesting that ranking in Bing or Google might influence visibility in ChatGPT Search.

A screenshot of a comment by user "peaceful_sunx" from four months ago. The comment discusses how SearchGPT rankings are similar to Bing and Google rankings and mentions using AI (Emplibot), which also ranks in SearchGPT. The user humorously notes that "the loop is complete" with a smiling emoji with hearts.

So, I decided to take a closer look at ChatGPT Search’s local search results and see if ranking in Google and Bing really affects visibility. I chose 100 websites across major cities in Canada, all ranking for the same query—”dentist + location.”

Why Dentists?

The reason I chose the dental industry was simple: I needed a consistent industry/keyword to apply across all major cities. There was no particular strategic reasoning behind choosing this industry—it was just a practical decision to maintain consistency throughout the study.

 

Methodology: How I Tested Google & Bing Rankings’ Impact on ChatGPT Search Visibility

To test whether ranking in Google and Bing influences visibility in ChatGPT Search, I followed a clear and consistent methodology. Here’s how I approached it:

  1. Selection of Websites: I chose 100 websites across major cities in Canada. All of them were ranking for the same query: “dentist + location.” This ensured that each website had a similar focus, making the results comparable.
  2. Platform Ranking Data: I gathered ranking data for each website across the following platforms:
    • ChatGPT Search: The primary focus of the study.
    • Google Maps: I checked how each website ranked in Google Maps.
    • Google Organic: I noted their ranking in Google’s organic search results.
    • Bing Maps: I included rankings from Bing Maps.
    • Bing Organic: I tracked the organic search rankings from Bing.
  3. Ranking Comparison: I then compared the rankings from each platform to the ChatGPT Search rankings to see if there was any noticeable pattern or correlation between higher rankings in Google and Bing and better visibility in ChatGPT Search.

A spreadsheet displaying search ranking data for various dentist-related queries across different cities. The table includes columns for query, location rank, website URL, Google Maps position, Google Organic position, Bing Maps position, and Bing Organic position, along with their respective ranking differences. The data highlights variations in search visibility across Google and Bing for dental websites.

By analyzing this data, I aimed to understand whether search visibility on Google and Bing affects ChatGPT Search rankings for local queries like “dentist + location.”

 

Results

A bar chart titled "Does Ranking in Google Maps Influence Your Visibility in ChatGPT Search?" displays the percentage of rankings across different search engines and categories. The x-axis represents four categories: Google Maps, Google Organic, Bing Maps, and Bing Organic, while the y-axis shows the percentage ranked. Each category has a blue bar, with Bing Maps showing the highest percentage. A legend in the top left labels the bars as "Percentage Ranked."

Does Ranking in Google Maps Influence Your Visibility in ChatGPT Search?

  • Only 29% of websites ranked in Google Maps.
  • Only 19% ranked in the top 10 of Google Maps.
  • Median Ranking Difference: Websites that ranked in Google Maps ranked, on average, 6 positions lower in ChatGPT Search.

Does Ranking in Google Organic Influence Your Visibility in ChatGPT Search?

  • Only 28% of websites ranked in Google Organic.
  • Only 26% ranked in the top 10 of Google Organic.
  • Median Ranking Difference: Websites that ranked in Google Organic ranked, on average, 1 position lower in ChatGPT Search.

Does Ranking in Bing Maps Influence Your Visibility in ChatGPT Search?

  • Only 34% of websites ranked in Bing Maps.
  • Only 26% ranked in the top 10 of Bing Maps.
  • Median Ranking Difference: Websites that ranked in Bing Maps ranked, on average, 3 positions lower in ChatGPT Search.

Does Ranking in Bing Organic Influence Your Visibility in ChatGPT Search?

  • Only 26% of websites ranked in Bing Organic—all in the Top 10.
  • Median Ranking Difference: Websites that ranked in Bing Organic ranked, on average, 3 positions lower in ChatGPT Search.

What This Means

Instead of repeating the same conclusion for each platform, here’s the bottom line: Google/Bing rankings don’t seem to have much of an impact on ChatGPT Search rankings. Sure, there was some overlap, but nothing that points to a strong connection.

 

Challenges with Location Trigger

When I conducted the search for each location, I used a tool like GS Location Changer to spoof the city where I was performing the search. 

However, local queries are highly dependent on proximity—meaning that search results can vary significantly based on how close the user is to the target location. This is particularly true for Google Maps and Bing Maps, which prioritize results based on the user’s location.

A Google Maps search result for "dentist Scarborough" displays a map of Scarborough, ON, Canada, with multiple dental clinics marked with red location pins. On the left, a list of sponsored dental clinic ads includes details like ratings, addresses, and services. A pop-up box in the top right shows a fake location enabled at latitude 43.7764 and longitude -79.2318. Two red arrows point from the pop-up to a specific location on the map, highlighting the simulated search location.

Here’s where the challenge lies:

  • Spoofing the Address: When I spoof the address, I only change it to the center of the city. This can skew the results, as search engines and mapping platforms may return different results based on the proximity of the searcher to the target area. This creates inconsistencies when testing local search rankings.

In summary, the issue with location spoofing is that proximity-based ranking factors aren’t accurately represented, leading to discrepancies in the results for local queries.

 

Does ChatGPT Search Ignore Location?

When a user searches for a location in ChatGPT Search, my theory is that proximity is not a factor. Usually, when Google uses your location for local searches, you can see a permission icon indicating that your location is being accessed. However, I found that ChatGPT Search does not use this feature and does not prompt for location access.

A screenshot of ChatGPT's interface shows a search for "dentist near me," displaying a map of Edmonton, Alberta, with numbered dental clinic locations. A pop-up highlights "Smiles Dental Group," providing details such as its address, hours, and services. A red arrow points from the map to the browser’s permission settings, which show that the microphone is enabled.

This means:

  • Results are not proximity-based: If you’re searching for a “dentist” in a city, ChatGPT Search will consider companies across the entire city, not just those that are nearby. It may show results that are 15-30 minutes away from your location, as long as they are within the same city.
  • A broader approach to ranking: Instead of focusing on businesses near the searcher, ChatGPT Search uses city-wide data and rankings to deliver results, meaning that businesses that are further away but still in the same location may still appear in the search results.

Data Collection by OpenAI

According to OpenAI, they do not directly use your personal information or location unless you provide it during your conversation. They only use the following data points to approximate your location:

  • IP Address: This can be used to approximate your geographical location.
  • Device Information: Details about the device you’re using can assist in tailoring responses appropriately.
  • Usage Data: Information on how you interact with the service helps improve functionality.

These data points help OpenAI improve the service, but do not influence ChatGPT Search ranking based on proximity.

 

The Verdict

ChatGPT Search operates on fundamentally different ranking principles than Google and Bing. Unlike traditional search engines, it likely deprioritizes proximity-based factors and instead relies on broader entity recognition. This explains why businesses ranking well in Google/Bing do not consistently appear in ChatGPT Search.

 However, there are many issues with this test that must be considered.

  • First, when searching with Bing and Google, we can only use one location, which is the center of the city. This introduces a limitation because it increases the chance that companies located away from the city center may not rank well in the study.
  • Another issue is the lack of location access in ChatGPT Search. While Google and Bing provide hyper-specific results based on the searcher’s location, ChatGPT Search does not use proximity in its ranking, leading to broader, city-wide results.

This is why I ultimately think Google and Bing rankings do not influence local searches in ChatGPT. The data will likely be skewed because we are comparing two different systems—hyper-focus (Google and Bing) vs. broad ranking (ChatGPT Search). These differences make it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions about the influence of Google or Bing rankings on ChatGPT Search.