Your customer already asked an AI before choosing you. You just didn't know it.
The moment consumers decide which business to pick has moved, and most businesses haven't noticed yet.
Luis Fraga·15 Sep 2026· 4 min
In short
A growing share of consumers now consult ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI tools before deciding where to buy or book a service. AI-driven traffic to travel and retail sites grew over 200% in 2026, according to Adobe. If the AI doesn't know your business, you simply don't exist at that decision moment.
The decision moment moved
Two years ago the path was predictable: someone wanted to book a session at a spa, opened Google, typed "spa near me" and picked from the top results. Today that same person opens ChatGPT or Gemini and types: "Which spa has a good reputation in my area and is open on weekends?" The AI responds with names, describes what makes each one stand out, and often ends the search right there. AI-driven traffic to travel and retail sites grew more than 200% in 2026, according to an Adobe report published in June of this year. This is not a future trend: it is happening now.
Source: Adobe for Business, Jun. 2026If your business is not in that curation, you lost the customer before you even had a chance to make your case.
What AI does that Google didn't
The difference is not just technological, it is behavioral. On Google, the customer still had to compare, click, read, and decide. With AI, they ask a question in plain language and get a filtered answer with a direct recommendation. That means the AI already did the curation work before the customer ever reaches you. If your business is not in that curation, you lost the customer before you even had a chance to make your case. Learn why AI tools are replacing Google as the discovery channel for local businesses.
Why AI ignores so many real businesses
AI doesn't visit your location or conduct interviews. It builds a picture of your business from what it finds across the internet: directory listings, reviews, your website, mentions on other platforms. If that information is sparse, contradictory, or simply missing, the AI has no basis to recommend you and will default to citing whoever has more complete and consistent data. Size doesn't determine who shows up: a small spa with well-structured information will appear before a large chain with messy data.
What you can do starting today
The first step is knowing how AI actually sees your business right now. Not how you think it sees you: how it really does. That means checking whether your name, address, and phone number are identical everywhere you appear, whether your reviews signal trust, and whether your website answers the questions your customers are actually asking. See how inconsistent business data confuses AI and costs you customers. Each of those points is a signal AI uses to decide whether you deserve to be recommended.
Our take
At MerbIQ, we believe appearing in AI results shouldn't be a privilege reserved for businesses with agency budgets. Consumer behavior shifted for everyone at the same time: the neighborhood spa and the national chain face the same new decision point. The difference is that the chain has a team to react. That's why we built a tool that gives any business, from the smallest to the largest, a real shot at being recognized and recommended by AI. This game can be fair, but only if you show up to play.
Frequently asked questions
How often do customers actually use AI to choose a business?
The habit is growing fast. AI-driven traffic to retail and travel sites more than doubled in 2026. In categories like restaurants, spas, clinics, and local services, consulting AI before deciding is already part of the routine for a meaningful share of consumers, especially younger ones.
Does this affect small businesses too, or only big brands?
Small businesses are the most affected, because they rely on being found locally and rarely have a dedicated team managing their digital presence. The good news is that size doesn't decide who appears: what matters is the quality and consistency of the information available about the business.
Do I need a new website or a major overhaul to appear in AI results?
Not necessarily. Often what's missing is organizing and making consistent the information that already exists: your Google listing, reviews, contact details. A well-structured website helps, but it's not the only factor. AI cross-references multiple sources, so the overall picture matters more than any single channel.
Find out right now how AI sees your business with a free scan.
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