Obscure, Irrelevant Directories Powering AI?

[Adam Kaufman]

I have been reading articles by a few companies claiming that citations are more important than ever as these sources are being used to train AI. Directories like Localmint, Hotfrog, Bubblelife, etc.
I have performed an exhaustive test to see if any of these obscure, irrelevant directories have information training AI. I have found no references whatsoever. I am a bit weary as the suggestion is being made by companies that rely primarily on directory updates for there revenue.

Any Thoughts?

 

[JoyHawkins]

This is a great question. I'm interviewing Andy Crestodina on Friday on our live webinar about AI, and I'll add this to the list of questions to ask him.

 

[whitespark]

Who are the "few companies" you're hearing this from? Links to the articles?

 

[Adam Kaufman]

Who are the "few companies" you're hearing this from? Links to the articles?

Here are a few.

Why Accurate Business Data Is Critical for AI-Powered Search – Advice Local

Why is good data needed for local search discoverability? Discover how to benefit from local business searches powered by AI. Call (214) 310-1356.

www.advicelocal.com

The Power of a Digital Presence: How Consistent Information Improves Brand Discoverability | Yext

New research shows a strong correlation between managing information across an extended publisher network and an increase of +186% more clicks from Google.

www.yext.com

 

[whitespark]

Haha. Yes, I expected this. I can't help but squint extremely hard at anything written by these companies.

 

[klharris08]

Before asking this question, the question I want asked is do consumers use AI to find local businesses.

 

[Adam Kaufman]

Before asking this question, the question I want asked is do consumers use AI to find local businesses.

Not Yet.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I asked Andy in the last webinar we did and his answer was no, you do not have to do anything specific, just make sure your site doesn't block AI. There aren't obscure old sources that you need to be on to be included.


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[GMBapi.com]

We are playing around and testing a bit. Nothing really strong enough to start shouting about (yet) - but pretty sure Gemini (Google's AI) uses Google Reviews to power it's large language models with relevant local information.