GET ON THE BEST OF LISTS AI SEARCH USES

In short: Experts now rank best of lists as the top factor for showing up in AI search. Here’s how a local service business earns a real spot, not a paid one.

People searched “best of lists” 1,300 times a month in August and September 2026. A year before, it was 390. Here’s why. Someone asks AI for the best roofer in town. The answer leans on the lists that already rank for that question.

What the 2026 survey found

Every year, Whitespark runs the Local Search Ranking Factors survey. The 2026 survey came out on November 6, 2025. Whitespark asked 47 local search experts to score 187 factors. A factor is one thing that helps you rank. This year they added a new score for AI search. It shows what helps a business show up in AI answers.

Here are the top five AI search factors, with what each one means.

Three of the top five are citation factors. A citation is your business name on another site. Whitespark puts it in one line: “In AI SEO, mentions (citations) are the new link.”

Why AI leans on lists and mentions

AI Overviews and AI Mode run a few related searches in the background to build one answer. Google calls this “query fan-out” in its guide to AI features. Then the AI shows the pages it used next to its answer.

Now think about “best plumber near me.” A page that lists the best plumbers in your city answers that question. So the AI leans on it. If your name is on that page, you have a shot. If it isn’t, you’re left out.

There’s no secret trick to show up in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Skip anyone who sells one. The work is the same old work. Get known. Get reviews. Get other people to say your name.

We covered the basics of AI search in how to get ChatGPT and Google AI to recommend your business. This post is about the outside part. That means other sites saying your name.

Step 1: Find the lists that already show up

You only do this once. It takes about an hour.

1. Search Google for “best [your trade] in [your city].” Try a few ways, like “top roofers El Paso” and “best AC repair El Paso.”
2. Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity the same thing. Write down the sites they name or link.
3. Write down every list that shows up more than once.
4. For each list, write down who made it and when it was last updated. Also write down how they picked the businesses.

Now you have your target list. The lists that show up in Google and in AI answers matter most.

Step 2: Earn a spot, do not buy one

The top factor says “expert curated.” That means a real person picked the businesses. A real list gives a reason for each pick. That’s reviews, years in business, a license, or a special skill.

• Read how they pick. Many lists say it near the top. If they pick by reviews, go get reviews first.
• Send the writer a short note. Keep it to two or three lines. Say who you are and what you do best. Add your Google rating and your years in business. Link to the page for that service.
• Give them a reason to update. Lists get old. A new service, a new area, or lots of new reviews is a reason to add you.
• Skip paid spots. If a list wants money to add you, it’s an ad. It isn’t an expert curated list.

Step 3: Get named on trusted local sites

Factor 4 is about unstructured citations. That means your business is named in a story, a blog post, a government site, or a trade group page. A directory form you filled out yourself doesn’t count here.

Here’s where local service businesses get named most:

• Your chamber of commerce. Most have a member list and a news page.
• Your trade association. Groups for roofers, plumbers, and HVAC often list their members.
• Local news. A quick tip story works. Think “How to get your AC ready for summer,” with a quote from you.
• Sponsorships. A youth team or a charity event page names you.
• Supplier and maker pages. Many brands list the local pros who install their stuff.

These don’t need a link back to count. An unlinked brand mention is still your name on a trusted site.

Step 4: Make your site and reviews back it up

A list names you. Then the AI checks the rest. Factors 2 and 5 are about your own site and your reviews.

• One page per service. Roof repair, roof replacement, and storm damage each get their own page. Don’t use one “Services” page with a list. This is factor 2.
• Reviews on more than Google. Factor 5 rewards reviews on other good sites. Our guide to getting a review after every job shows you how to ask.
• Claim your free profiles. Set up Bing, Apple Maps, Yelp, and the BBB. We rated them in Free Business Listings for Local SEO.
• Use the same name, address, and phone everywhere. Small differences make it hard for people and computers to trust that it’s you.

Want to see if ChatGPT already sends you visitors? Read How to Get ChatGPT and Google AI to Recommend Your Business.

How long does this take?

Months, not days. Lists change when the writer gets to it. Writers answer when they have time. Nobody can promise you a spot on a list they don’t own. Anyone who does is selling a paid spot.

What you can control is the work. Keep a target list. Send a pitch each month. Get reviews every week. Build a page for every service. Do that for a few months. Then every list writer and every AI tool has a reason to name you.

Where Dead River fits

This is the outside half of answer engine optimization (AEO). We find the lists and sites that show up for your trade and city. We pitch them, set up your profiles, and build the service pages they check. Your Google listing and map rankings are part of our Local SEO work. Missing service pages? Our web design team builds them.

You judge us on booked jobs, not reports.

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