5Star Research

Do AI assistants only recommend highly rated businesses? We tested it.

We are running this study now. Customers have started asking AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini for local recommendations, and we want to measure, not guess, how rating and review content decide who those assistants name.

The test date, the full recommendation-by-recommendation data, and the per-platform summary table will publish here when the run is complete. The exact 25-query protocol is locked below so the run is reproducible and comparable quarter to quarter.

Method

How we run it

  1. Use the 25 queries below, phrased exactly as a customer would ask. A fresh chat per query, with no account context (logged out or a temporary chat).
  2. Run each query on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. 75 runs in total.
  3. For every business recommended by name, record the business, the platform, and its Google rating and review count at test time, with a screenshot of each.
  4. Per platform, compute the minimum rating recommended, the median rating, and the share of recommendations at 4.3 stars or above.
  5. Publish the full query list, the test date, and the per-platform summary table on this page. Raw screenshots stay in a folder available on request.

Raw screenshots and the full recommendation log are available on request.

The locked query set

The 25 queries

Five per vertical, phrased the way a real customer asks. Locked so every quarterly re-run is directly comparable.

Clinics

  • “best dental clinic in Hyderabad”
  • “best skin clinic near Jubilee Hills”
  • “recommend a good physiotherapy clinic in Hyderabad”
  • “which clinic should I avoid in Hyderabad”
  • “my father needs a good orthopedic doctor in Hyderabad, who would you recommend and why”

Salons & beauty

  • “best salon in Hyderabad”
  • “best bridal makeup artist near Banjara Hills”
  • “recommend a good unisex salon in Hyderabad”
  • “which salon should I avoid in Hyderabad”
  • “my sister's engagement is next month, suggest a bridal makeup studio in Hyderabad with great reviews”

Car & PPF studios

  • “best PPF studio in Hyderabad”
  • “best car detailing studio near Gachibowli”
  • “recommend a good ceramic coating studio in Hyderabad”
  • “which car studio should I avoid in Hyderabad”
  • “I just bought a new SUV and want paint protection film done in Hyderabad, which studio should I trust”

Farmhouses & stays

  • “best farmhouse for rent in Hyderabad”
  • “best weekend villa near Moinabad”
  • “recommend a good farmhouse stay near Hyderabad”
  • “which farmhouse should I avoid near Hyderabad”
  • “we're 20 people looking for a farmhouse near Moinabad for a weekend, which ones have good reviews”

Function halls & venues

  • “best function hall in Hyderabad”
  • “best banquet hall near Kompally”
  • “recommend a good convention centre in Hyderabad”
  • “which function hall should I avoid in Hyderabad”
  • “my daughter's wedding is in December, suggest function halls in Hyderabad for about 500 guests”

Curious whether an AI assistant would recommend your business today? That check is part of your free profile audit.

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