Genius Marketing Research
Clark County AI Index
The Clark County AI Index is a quarterly report from Genius Marketing that measures which local businesses AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Perplexity recommend across Clark County's service industries. It was created by Spencer Hart, founder of Genius Marketing in Vancouver, WA.
Why we built the Clark County AI Index
People used to ask a neighbor who they would call. Now many of them ask ChatGPT, and it usually answers with two or three businesses. A company can rank well on Google and still be missing from those answers. The Clark County AI Index measures that gap with real data, every quarter, so local owners can see how AI is choosing who to recommend.
What AI recommends in Clark County: results by industry
October 2026 run: we asked 11 industries in 6 Clark County cities, using ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. That produced 594 AI answers, and together they named 785 different local businesses.
Highlights
- Law Firm: one business appeared in 56% of the answers (30 of 54). This was the highest of any industry.
- Dental: the most-named business appeared in only 17% of the answers (9 of 54), the lowest of any industry, so no business stood out.
- Doctors: the answers named 97 different businesses, the widest spread of any industry.
- The AI tools give very different answers: a typical ChatGPT answer lists about 6 businesses, but Perplexity usually gives just 2, and named only one business in 88 of its 198 answers.
How many businesses does each AI tool name?
When you ask an AI tool "Who is the best plumber in Vancouver, WA?", some tools reply with a list of about six businesses and some reply with only one or two. The table shows what each tool did across all our questions.
| AI tool | Questions answered | A typical answer names | Answers that named just one business | Different businesses named in total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 198 | about 6 businessesexactly 5.9 on average | 2 of 198 answers | 475 businesses |
| Perplexity | 198 | about 2 businessesexactly 1.6 on average | 88 of 198 answers | 181 businesses |
| Gemini | 198 | about 6 businessesexactly 5.5 on average | 0 of 198 answers | 414 businesses |
Results by industry
How to read it: for each industry, we counted how many of its answers named the single most-named business. A high percentage means one business dominates the AI answers. A low percentage means the answers are spread across many businesses.
| Industry | How often the most-named business appeared | Different businesses named | Share of all mentions that went to the top 3 | Websites AI cited most (number of answers citing each) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm | 56% of answers30 of 54 answers | 67 businesses | 29% | google.com (18), attorneys.superlawyers.com (17), lawyers.law.cornell.edu (17), lawinfo.com (16), avvo.com (14) |
| Roofing | 52% of answers28 of 54 answers | 50 businesses | 26% | google.com (18), bbb.org (17), yelp.com (10), thumbtack.com (8), reddit.com (7) |
| HVAC | 44% of answers24 of 54 answers | 63 businesses | 20% | google.com (18), bbb.org (13), yelp.com (8), angi.com (7), reviews.birdeye.com (6) |
| Restoration | 44% of answers24 of 54 answers | 60 businesses | 24% | bbb.org (19), google.com (18), yelp.com (7), homeadvisor.com (6), reviews.birdeye.com (5) |
| Plumbing | 41% of answers22 of 54 answers | 78 businesses | 23% | google.com (18), bbb.org (15), yelp.com (12), angi.com (7), reddit.com (7) |
| Remodeling | 37% of answers20 of 54 answers | 89 businesses | 17% | houzz.com (25), google.com (18), thumbtack.com (12), bbb.org (11), yelp.com (9) |
| IV Therapy | 31% of answers17 of 54 answers | 65 businesses | 16% | ivlist.com (21), google.com (16), medicalspalocator.com (7), yelp.com (6), health.clevelandclinic.org (2) |
| Doctors | 24% of answers13 of 54 answers | 97 businesses | 16% | google.com (18), care.healthline.com (17), doctor.webmd.com (17), healthgrades.com (9), zocdoc.com (8) |
| Med Spa | 24% of answers13 of 54 answers | 76 businesses | 16% | google.com (17), yelp.com (11), medicalspalocator.com (9), reviews.birdeye.com (5), instagram.com (4) |
| Chiropractic | 19% of answers10 of 54 answers | 89 businesses | 13% | google.com (17), care.healthline.com (14), doctor.webmd.com (14), healthgrades.com (13), yelp.com (10) |
| Dental | 17% of answers9 of 54 answers | 67 businesses | 12% | google.com (18), yelp.com (11), doctor.webmd.com (9), reddit.com (7), reviews.birdeye.com (7) |
Method
- AI tools: ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Checked by hand, not counted in the numbers: Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews.
- Questions: 3 natural questions for every industry and city, for example "Who is the best plumber in Vancouver, WA?".
- Industries: Chiropractic, Dental, Doctors, HVAC, IV Therapy, Law Firm, Med Spa, Plumbing, Remodeling, Restoration and Roofing.
- Cities: Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, Washougal and La Center.
- What counts as recommended: A business counts as recommended when an AI answer names it as a specific local business for the question. It counts once per answer, however many times that answer repeats it. Directories, review sites and news sites are not counted as businesses.
- How often: Run on demand. Each run asks the same questions so results can be compared over time.
How the Clark County AI Index works
This run asked three ordinary questions, such as "Who is the best plumber in Vancouver, WA?", for each of 11 industries in 6 Clark County cities. Every question went to ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini, so each industry has 54 answers. We recorded which businesses each answer named and which websites it cited. Answers come through each tool's developer interface, so they can differ a little from what a person sees in the app, and one month of two tools is a snapshot, not a verdict. Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews have no developer interface, so they are checked by hand and are not counted in the numbers.
What owners can do
AI tools recommend businesses they can find, understand and trust. Five steps make the biggest difference:
- Make your business information consistent across Google, Bing, Apple and the major directories, so every profile says the same name, address and phone number.
- Collect genuine reviews on more than one site, such as Google, Facebook and the directories your customers use, and mention your services and the areas you serve.
- Answer customers' questions on your website with clear service and FAQ pages written from real experience.
- Earn mentions on other trusted sites, such as local news, the chamber of commerce, associations and community organizations.
- Check again every month. Ask the same local questions in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity and write down whether your business is named, so you can see what changed.
No one can guarantee a mention in an AI tool. These steps improve your chances, and the Clark County AI Index makes progress measurable quarter to quarter.
Who created the Clark County AI Index
The Clark County AI Index was created by Spencer Hart, founder of Genius Marketing, a marketing agency founded in Vancouver in 2019 that helps local service businesses across Clark County get found on Google, Google Maps and AI search.
FAQs
Clark County AI Index FAQs
What is the Clark County AI Index?
The Clark County AI Index is a quarterly report from Genius Marketing that measures which local businesses AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Perplexity recommend across Clark County's service industries. It was created by Spencer Hart, founder of Genius Marketing in Vancouver, WA.
Who created the Clark County AI Index?
Spencer Hart, founder of Genius Marketing in Vancouver, WA.
How often is the Clark County AI Index published?
Every quarter. Each edition asks the same questions so results can be compared over time.
Why don't you publish business names?
The Index is about how AI tools choose businesses, not a ranking of local companies. Owners can get their own business's score in a free audit.
How can I see my own business's score?
Request a free audit. We look up your business in the latest edition and show how often AI recommended you compared with the most-recommended business in your industry.
Can you guarantee my business will be recommended by ChatGPT?
No. No one can guarantee a mention in an AI tool. We track the same questions every quarter and report the results in plain language.
Find out if AI recommends your business
Get your Clark County AI Index score, a Google Maps heatmap, a Google Business Profile review and a website and SEO review in one free audit.
- Google Maps heatmap for your top search
- Google Business Profile review
- Clark County AI Index score
- Website and SEO review