{
  "title": "Las Vegas Local AI Visibility Study",
  "publisher": "WebsitesOnDemand",
  "url": "https://websitesondemand.io/how-ai-recommends-local-businesses/",
  "datePublished": "2026-07-08",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "method": {
    "platforms": [
      "Google AI (Gemini 2.5, grounded with Google Search) — captured fan-out queries and cited sources directly",
      "DataForSEO LLM Mentions API — measured which domains get cited in Google AI Overviews per query, by mention count"
    ],
    "queries": [
      "best local SEO or marketing agency in Las Vegas (grounded fan-out capture)",
      "roofers las vegas",
      "hvac las vegas",
      "plumber las vegas",
      "solar installer las vegas",
      "local seo las vegas"
    ],
    "date": "2026-07",
    "limitations": "A focused benchmark across six category queries in one metro. Directional, not exhaustive; being expanded to more verticals, metros, and platforms."
  },
  "findings": {
    "fanOutQueriesObservedForOnePrompt": 6,
    "targetDomainsWithZeroTrackedAiCitations": "both salesondemand.io and websitesondemand.io — zero AI citations across all six queries",
    "mostCitedSourceOverall": "youtube.com — the single most-cited domain in every local vertical tested",
    "topCitedDomainsByVertical": {
      "roofers las vegas": ["youtube.com", "bbb.org", "facebook.com", "en.wikipedia.org"],
      "hvac las vegas": ["youtube.com", "facebook.com", "reddit.com", "yelp.com", "instagram.com"],
      "plumber las vegas": ["youtube.com", "facebook.com", "reddit.com", "en.wikipedia.org"],
      "solar installer las vegas": ["reddit.com", "youtube.com", "en.wikipedia.org", "businessinsider.com"],
      "local seo las vegas": ["youtube.com", "facebook.com", "eventbrite.com", "yelp.com"]
    },
    "pattern": "AI assistants cite platforms and aggregators (YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Yelp, BBB, Wikipedia) far more than any individual local business's own website. YouTube dominates. Local operators are almost never cited directly by their own domain."
  },
  "interpretation": "To get named by AI for a local category, a business needs presence on the platforms AI already reads — especially YouTube video, plus review and social profiles — not just a well-ranked website. Owning your own site is necessary but not sufficient. The businesses that show up on the cited platforms get named; everyone else stays invisible.",
  "notes": "Aggregate and anonymized. Individual local competitor names are intentionally withheld; only the platform/aggregator domains are reported. Data collected by WebsitesOnDemand, a product of Sales On Demand, using Gemini grounding and the DataForSEO LLM Mentions API."
}