Where the assistant gets “me” from
- Some apps pass an approximate location (often based on the network or the device settings) to their web search step. The person may not notice this happening.
- Some ask a follow-up question: “What city or area are you in?”
- Some answer with general advice (“look for licensed, insured companies with good reviews”) and no names at all.
- Some fall back to the city in an earlier message, a saved memory or the account profile, if those features are switched on.
- Behaviour differs by app and changes with updates, so check the provider’s own help pages rather than relying on any one description, including this one.
What this means for a local business
Once the assistant has settled on a place, the question becomes an ordinary local one: “HVAC company in [town]”. From there it leans on what the public web says about businesses in that town: listings, your website, directories, reviews and local articles.
So the part you control is the same as for any local question: make it unmistakable which towns you serve, what you do there and when you are open. A business whose site never names its town is hard to match to a location, however it was worked out.
How to test “near me” fairly
- 01Ask the question with the place written out (“plumber in Dayton, Ohio”) as well as with “near me”, and log both. The written-out version is the one you can repeat reliably.
- 02Note what location the app seems to have used. If the reply mentions a different town, the result says more about the location guess than about you.
- 03Do not test only from your office: your own browsing history and account can colour the answer. Use a private window or a signed-out session where possible.
- 04Repeat on another day. One reply is a sample, not a verdict.
A fictional example
Fictional example: a made-up company, Birchline Heating & Air, serves three suburbs but its website only says “serving the metro area”. A homeowner in one of those suburbs asks for “furnace repair near me”. The assistant has a location, but nothing on Birchline’s pages ties the company to that suburb, so it names companies whose pages and listings do. Naming the suburbs on a clear service-area page is the fix within Birchline’s control. It still does not mean Birchline will be named every time.
Run the written-out version for free
The free scan asks customer-style questions with your category and city written out, using a search-grounded model with live web search (currently Perplexity Sonar), and shows each reply word for word. It cannot reproduce a stranger’s phone location, so pair it with a few “near me” checks by hand.
Questions
Does ChatGPT know where I am?
It depends on the app, your settings and the features you have turned on. Some apps use an approximate location for web search, others ask. Check the provider’s current help pages for the exact behaviour.
Should I add “near me” to my website?
No. Writing “near me” on a page does not tell anyone where you are. Name the real towns and neighbourhoods you serve instead.
Why did the assistant name a business in a different town?
Usually because its location guess was off, or because businesses in that town are easier to connect to the service. Repeat the check with your town written out to tell the two apart.
Check what AI says about your business
The free scan asks five customer-style questions with live web search and shows every reply word for word, who was named, and which pages were cited. About a minute, no card.
Run my free scan