What does AI answer when someone searches for your type of business in your city?
Most businesses have no idea. And every day, more customers ask AI directly instead of searching on Google.
MerbIQ is the AI visibility platform for local businesses. We monitor what ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI and other generative engines say about your business, show how you compare with competitors, and give you a clear plan to improve your presence.
AI is the new word of mouth. But it only recommends who it knows.
Over 900 million people use ChatGPT every week, and 37% of consumers already start their searches with AI instead of Google.
When someone asks "best pizzeria in my city" or "trusted dentist near me", AI replies with a name, and most of the time just one. If it is not yours, it is your competitor's.
And those who arrive via AI convert far more than those who arrive via Google. The problem is that most local businesses are invisible to AI: it does not matter if you have great reviews, an Instagram profile or years of reputation. If AI cannot read you, it will not recommend you.
Three realities we found
Businesses that live on social media
Instagram and TikTok are closed boxes to AI. All your authority there simply does not exist for ChatGPT.
Businesses with a website
Having a page is not enough. AI describes you incomplete, with old data, or tells the customer to verify on their own.
Businesses that live on word of mouth
It works, but only reaches as far as a conversation goes. AI is word of mouth at scale.
Sources
| Data point | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 900M+ weekly ChatGPT users | OpenAI | 2026 |
| 37% start searches with AI | Eight Oh Two / Search Engine Land | 2026 |
| AI conversion 14.2% vs Google 2.8% | Opollo AI Search Benchmark | 2026 |
| 16% of brands monitor AI visibility | Exposure Ninja | 2026 |
| 60% of Google searches end without a click | Bain & Company | 2025 |
| AI-referred traffic +357% year over year | Similarweb / TechCrunch | 2025 |
How we operate.
Real data, not opinions
We ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Claude, Perplexity and Grok directly. What we show is what the AI answered, with no estimates or invented scores. If the AI does not know you, we say so. If another name shows up in your place, we show who.
Built for non-technical people
You do not need to know what SEO, GEO or LLM mean to use MerbIQ. Tell us your business name and city and in 60 seconds you have the result. No code, no setup.
Your identity, your control
Your IDAI is the version you write of yourself for AI. We do not decide what AI says about you, you do. We provide the tool and the path. The narrative is yours.
Who is behind it
Founded in Barcelona by professionals in data, digital performance and software engineering, combining experience in global operations at multinationals with product development in fintech and AI.
A global product, data protection from day one, compliant with GDPR (Europe) and LGPD (Brazil).
Bianca and Merlot are the mascots of MerbIQ, and the reason for the name: Merb(IQ) was born from them. Together they represent the two sides of MerbIQ: one looks outward (positioning, opportunity, growth), the other looks inward (data, experience, innovation).
Barcelona, Spain