284 businesses · Edmonton · October 2026
Point-in-time ChatGPT visibility research for Old Strathcona Business Association. 284 businesses analyzed, 52% mentioned at least once, 48% not visible in tested responses. Prepared by CLIXERA for association outreach and community workshops.
This research examines how Old Strathcona BIA businesses appeared in ChatGPT responses when consumers asked for local recommendations.
284 eligible businesses were tested across 1,781 questions. Each business received category-matched prompts designed to reflect the kinds of queries a consumer might actually ask.
This is a point-in-time benchmark collected on October 5, 2026. ChatGPT answers can change. This study measures which businesses entered the AI-generated shortlist at that moment — not future guaranteed mentions.
284
Businesses analyzed
1,781
ChatGPT questions asked
52%
At least one mention
48%
Not visible in test
52% of Old Strathcona businesses (148 of 284) were mentioned at least once.
42% had strong visibility (appeared in multiple relevant responses), 11% had limited visibility (appeared once), and 48% were not named in any tested response.
Discovery questions (like "best florist in Edmonton") produced a 48% mention rate. Recommendation questions (like "Who should I see for a dentist?") produced a 38% mention rate.
52%
Mentioned at least once
42%
Strong visibility
11%
Limited visibility
48%
Not visible
Visibility varied by category. Health, Beauty & Fitness performed best at 63%, while shopping businesses had the lowest visibility at 38%.
These category rates show which types of Old Strathcona businesses entered ChatGPT's shortlist most consistently in this test.
| Category | Businesses | Mention Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Drink | 89 | 51% |
| Health, Beauty & Fitness | 70 | 63% |
| Shopping | 60 | 38% |
| Financial & Professional Services | 51 | 55% |
| Arts & Entertainment | 8 | 63% |
| Other | 6 | 50% |
Below are sample ChatGPT answers from the test. These examples show which Old Strathcona businesses were named — and which questions returned no Old Strathcona businesses at all.
Businesses were sourced from the Old Strathcona Business Association public directory. National chains, businesses without websites, and civic listings were excluded so the benchmark reflects local independent businesses.
This benchmark uses the 535 listings in the Old Strathcona Business Association directory extract on October 5, 2026.
1,781 ChatGPT questions were asked across 302 unique prompts. Questions were matched to each business's category and pinned to Edmonton at the city level.
Each business received approximately 6 questions. Questions were not averaged across multiple runs. This study used ChatGPT (OpenAI) on October 5, 2026.
This is a point-in-time benchmark of the ChatGPT responses tested on October 5, 2026. This study uses the 535 listings in the Old Strathcona Business Association directory extract from that day. Scores are the share of scored members named in those answers. ChatGPT answers can change. This is not a guarantee of future mentions, and it does not mean an unnamed business can never appear.
If a customer's shortlist is built in ChatGPT, neighbourhood independents that never appear may never get considered.
This research does not claim that appearing in ChatGPT causes a purchase, nor does it prove that an unnamed business cannot succeed. It identifies an emerging layer of local discovery that association members may want to understand.
CLIXERA can walk association members through these findings in a short workshop or lunch-and-learn. This page is the leave-behind — contact CLIXERA if you want to schedule a community session.
