Everything needed to check the report or repeat the study. The protocol was registered, the question set frozen and checksummed, and the extraction rules fixed before the first of the five rounds ran.
Definitions
Recommendation: one business put forward as a provider in one answer, as a business card, in a list of providers, or named in the text as a choice. A business recommended in three answers counts as three recommendations.
Citation: a top-level source link in the answer that resolves to the business's own website. Element-level links inside the answer are recorded but not counted as citations.
Google-hosted reference: a top-level source link to a Google place (a Maps listing). It is not a citation under the registered definition; counting it is a sensitivity analysis, matched to businesses by the name the reference displays.
Commercial questions: commercial discovery, recommendation, and comparison and trust together. Informational questions are the fourth type.
Business-and-question combination: one business recommended at least once for one question, the unit of the recurrence measure.
The question set
200 questions across 20 Perth industries, 10 per industry, in four registered types. Two recommendation
questions per industry for ten industries were reused verbatim from the September 2026 study, so the two
studies can be compared on identical wording. The set was frozen on 3 November 2026, before any of the five
rounds ran.
Question types
Type
Questions
Example
Informational
60
What affects the monthly cost of SEO for a small business in WA?
Recommendation
60
recommend a good SEO agency in Perth
Commercial discovery
40
Which agencies offer local SEO services in Perth?
Comparison and trust
40
What red flags should I look for before hiring an SEO agency in Perth?
What credentials and checks matter before hiring an accountant in Perth?
crg26-accountant-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Munro's a reputable accountant in Perth?
crg26-accountant-COM1
Commercial discovery
What accounting firms in Perth handle tax and BAS for small businesses?
crg26-accountant-COM2
Commercial discovery
Accountants in Perth's southern suburbs who work with sole traders and trades businesses.
crg26-accountant-INF1
Informational
What does an accountant do for a small business in WA beyond tax returns?
crg26-accountant-INF2
Informational
Does an accountant preparing tax returns in WA have to be a registered tax agent?
crg26-accountant-INF3
Informational
Do bookkeepers and accountants do the same work?
crg26-accountant-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best accountant in Perth
crg26-accountant-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good accountant in Perth
crg26-accountant-REC3
Recommendation
I have overdue tax returns and need an accountant in Perth fast, who should I call?
Air conditioning contractor
Id
Type
Question
crg26-air_conditioning-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How do I compare air conditioning installation quotes in Perth fairly?
crg26-air_conditioning-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is TOTAL AIR CONDITIONING PERTH a reputable air conditioning installer in Perth?
crg26-air_conditioning-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which companies install ducted air conditioning in Perth homes?
crg26-air_conditioning-COM2
Commercial discovery
Looking for an air conditioning contractor in Perth for commercial office maintenance.
crg26-air_conditioning-INF1
Informational
How does an installer size a split system air conditioner for a Perth home?
crg26-air_conditioning-INF2
Informational
Does installing a split system air conditioner in Western Australia require a licence?
crg26-air_conditioning-INF3
Informational
How often should a ducted air conditioner be serviced?
crg26-air_conditioning-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best air conditioning installer in Perth
crg26-air_conditioning-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good air conditioning installer in Perth
crg26-air_conditioning-REC3
Recommendation
Who can install a reverse cycle split system in my Perth unit before summer?
Business consultant
Id
Type
Question
crg26-business_consultant-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How do I check a Perth business consultant has real results and not just good marketing?
crg26-business_consultant-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Clayton Consulting WA a reputable business consultant in Perth?
crg26-business_consultant-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which consulting firms in Perth help small businesses with strategy and growth?
crg26-business_consultant-COM2
Commercial discovery
Business consultants in Perth who work with family-owned manufacturing companies.
crg26-business_consultant-INF1
Informational
What happens in the first month when a Perth business hires a business consultant?
crg26-business_consultant-INF2
Informational
What drives the fees of a business consultant in Western Australia?
crg26-business_consultant-INF3
Informational
What is the difference between a business consultant and a business coach?
crg26-business_consultant-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best business consultant in Perth
crg26-business_consultant-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good business consultant in Perth
crg26-business_consultant-REC3
Recommendation
Who in Perth can help my cafe improve its cash flow on a limited budget?
Commercial cleaning
Id
Type
Question
crg26-commercial_cleaning-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should I look for in a commercial cleaning contract and insurance in Perth?
crg26-commercial_cleaning-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Southern Cross Cleaning a reputable commercial cleaning company in Perth?
crg26-commercial_cleaning-COM1
Commercial discovery
What commercial cleaning companies service offices and warehouses in Perth?
crg26-commercial_cleaning-COM2
Commercial discovery
Commercial cleaners in Perth who handle gyms, schools and childcare centres.
crg26-commercial_cleaning-INF1
Informational
What is typically included in a commercial office clean in Perth?
crg26-commercial_cleaning-INF2
Informational
What factors change the cost of commercial office cleaning in WA?
crg26-commercial_cleaning-INF3
Informational
How often should an office be professionally cleaned?
crg26-commercial_cleaning-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best commercial cleaning company in Perth
crg26-commercial_cleaning-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good commercial cleaning company in Perth
crg26-commercial_cleaning-REC3
Recommendation
Which cleaning company in Perth can take over our office cleaning from next month?
Commercial lawyer
Id
Type
Question
crg26-commercial_lawyer-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How do I verify a Perth commercial lawyer holds a current practising certificate?
crg26-commercial_lawyer-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Rowe Bristol Lawyers a reputable commercial lawyer in Perth?
crg26-commercial_lawyer-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which law firms in Perth advise on commercial contracts and business sales?
crg26-commercial_lawyer-COM2
Commercial discovery
Commercial lawyers in Perth who act for resources and mining start-ups.
crg26-commercial_lawyer-INF1
Informational
What can a commercial lawyer help a WA small business with besides contracts?
crg26-commercial_lawyer-INF2
Informational
Do commercial lawyers in WA have to give a written costs disclosure before starting work?
crg26-commercial_lawyer-INF3
Informational
What is a shareholders agreement and when is one needed?
crg26-commercial_lawyer-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best commercial lawyer in Perth
crg26-commercial_lawyer-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good commercial lawyer in Perth
crg26-commercial_lawyer-REC3
Recommendation
Who in Perth can review a commercial lease urgently before I sign on Friday?
Conveyancer
Id
Type
Question
crg26-conveyancer-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What questions should I ask a conveyancer in Perth about fees before hiring them?
crg26-conveyancer-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Strategic Settlements a reputable conveyancer in Perth?
crg26-conveyancer-COM1
Commercial discovery
Who offers residential conveyancing and settlement services in Perth?
crg26-conveyancer-COM2
Commercial discovery
Conveyancers in Perth who handle off-the-plan apartment purchases for investors.
crg26-conveyancer-INF1
Informational
What does a conveyancer actually do when you buy a house in WA?
crg26-conveyancer-INF2
Informational
Do you need a conveyancer or settlement agent to buy a house in Western Australia?
crg26-conveyancer-INF3
Informational
How long does conveyancing take once a contract of sale is signed?
crg26-conveyancer-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best conveyancer in Perth
crg26-conveyancer-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good conveyancer in Perth
crg26-conveyancer-REC3
Recommendation
Who can handle a house settlement in Perth on a tight 30 day deadline?
Cybersecurity consultant
Id
Type
Question
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How can I tell whether a cybersecurity consultant in Perth is properly qualified?
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Office Solutions IT a reputable cybersecurity consultant in Perth?
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-COM1
Commercial discovery
Who offers penetration testing and cybersecurity audits in Perth?
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-COM2
Commercial discovery
Looking for a cybersecurity consultant in Perth who understands mining and resources companies.
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-INF1
Informational
What does a cybersecurity consultant do when they assess a small business in Perth?
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-INF2
Informational
When does a WA business have to report a data breach under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme?
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-INF3
Informational
How does a penetration test differ from a vulnerability scan?
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best cybersecurity consultant in Perth
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good cybersecurity consultant in Perth
crg26-cybersecurity_consultant-REC3
Recommendation
We had a phishing incident at our Perth clinic and need cybersecurity help quickly.
Digital marketing agency
Id
Type
Question
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How do I compare two digital marketing agency proposals in Perth?
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is The Start a reputable digital marketing agency in Perth?
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-COM1
Commercial discovery
What digital marketing agencies provide paid search and social media management in Perth?
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-COM2
Commercial discovery
Digital marketing agencies in Perth that work with hospitality and tourism businesses.
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-INF1
Informational
What should a digital marketing agency in Perth actually deliver in the first 90 days?
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-INF2
Informational
What is the difference between agency fees and ad spend for a Perth business?
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-INF3
Informational
How do paid ads differ from organic marketing in cost and speed?
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best digital marketing agency in Perth
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good digital marketing agency in Perth
crg26-digital_marketing_agency-REC3
Recommendation
Which Perth digital marketing agency suits a startup with a small monthly budget?
Electrician
Id
Type
Question
crg26-electrician-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What licence checks should I do before letting an electrician work on my Perth home?
crg26-electrician-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Westline Electricians Perth a reputable electrician in Perth?
crg26-electrician-COM1
Commercial discovery
Who provides emergency electrical callouts in Perth?
crg26-electrician-COM2
Commercial discovery
Looking for an electrician in Perth who installs EV chargers at home.
crg26-electrician-INF1
Informational
What does an electrician do during a switchboard upgrade on an older Perth home?
crg26-electrician-INF2
Informational
Do you need a licensed electrician to replace a power point in Western Australia?
crg26-electrician-INF3
Informational
How long does it take to rewire a house?
crg26-electrician-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best electrician in Perth
crg26-electrician-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good electrician in Perth
crg26-electrician-REC3
Recommendation
Who can fix a power outage in one room of my Perth house tonight?
Home renovation builder
Id
Type
Question
crg26-home_renovation_builder-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How can I compare two builder quotes for a Perth renovation properly?
crg26-home_renovation_builder-CMP2
Comparison and trust
WOW Homes Perth reviews, are they any good?
crg26-home_renovation_builder-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which builders in Perth do home extensions and full renovations?
crg26-home_renovation_builder-COM2
Commercial discovery
Home renovation builders in Perth who specialise in heritage homes in the western suburbs.
crg26-home_renovation_builder-INF1
Informational
What is involved in a home renovation project from planning to handover in Perth?
crg26-home_renovation_builder-INF2
Informational
When does a builder need to be registered to do home renovations in Western Australia?
crg26-home_renovation_builder-INF3
Informational
How long does a kitchen renovation usually take from start to finish?
crg26-home_renovation_builder-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best home builder in Perth
crg26-home_renovation_builder-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good home builder in Perth
crg26-home_renovation_builder-REC3
Recommendation
Who in Perth can renovate a 1970s bathroom and kitchen on a mid-range budget?
IT managed services
Id
Type
Question
crg26-it_managed_services-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should a managed IT services contract in WA include before I sign it?
crg26-it_managed_services-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Insource IT a reputable IT support company in Perth?
crg26-it_managed_services-COM1
Commercial discovery
Who provides managed IT services for small offices in Perth?
crg26-it_managed_services-COM2
Commercial discovery
Which IT support companies in Perth look after law firms and accounting practices?
crg26-it_managed_services-INF1
Informational
What does a managed IT services provider actually include for a small business in Perth?
crg26-it_managed_services-INF2
Informational
How is managed IT support usually priced for a WA business, per user or per device?
crg26-it_managed_services-INF3
Informational
Why do small businesses move from break-fix IT support to managed services?
crg26-it_managed_services-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best IT support company in Perth
crg26-it_managed_services-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good IT support company in Perth
crg26-it_managed_services-REC3
Recommendation
My Perth office has 15 staff and no IT person, who should we call for support?
Mortgage broker
Id
Type
Question
crg26-mortgage_broker-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How do I compare mortgage brokers in Perth beyond the lowest interest rate?
crg26-mortgage_broker-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Orange Mortgage and Finance Brokers Perth a reputable mortgage broker in Perth?
crg26-mortgage_broker-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which mortgage brokers in Perth offer refinancing and first home loans?
crg26-mortgage_broker-COM2
Commercial discovery
Which Perth mortgage brokers work with first home buyers in the northern suburbs?
crg26-mortgage_broker-INF1
Informational
How does a mortgage broker get paid when they arrange a home loan in WA?
crg26-mortgage_broker-INF2
Informational
What documents do I need to give a Perth mortgage broker for a home loan application?
crg26-mortgage_broker-INF3
Informational
How long does home loan pre-approval usually last?
crg26-mortgage_broker-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best mortgage broker in Perth
crg26-mortgage_broker-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good mortgage broker in Perth
crg26-mortgage_broker-REC3
Recommendation
Who can arrange a home loan in Perth for a self-employed borrower with variable income?
Pest control
Id
Type
Question
crg26-pest_control-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should a pest control quote and warranty cover in Perth?
crg26-pest_control-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Ecofriendly Pest Control Perth a reputable pest control company in Perth?
crg26-pest_control-COM1
Commercial discovery
Who offers termite inspections and treatments in Perth?
crg26-pest_control-COM2
Commercial discovery
Pest controllers in Perth who service restaurants and commercial kitchens.
crg26-pest_control-INF1
Informational
How do pest controllers treat a termite infestation in a Perth home?
crg26-pest_control-INF2
Informational
Does a pest controller need a licence to apply pesticides in Western Australia?
crg26-pest_control-INF3
Informational
How long does pest control treatment take to work?
crg26-pest_control-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best pest control in Perth
crg26-pest_control-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good pest control in Perth
crg26-pest_control-REC3
Recommendation
Who can treat a cockroach infestation in my Perth rental before inspection?
Plumber
Id
Type
Question
crg26-plumber-CMP1
Comparison and trust
How do I check a plumber's licence and insurance before hiring in Perth?
crg26-plumber-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is G.X.R Plumbing & Gas a reputable plumber in Perth?
crg26-plumber-COM1
Commercial discovery
What plumbing companies in Perth offer 24 hour emergency repairs?
crg26-plumber-COM2
Commercial discovery
Plumbers in Perth who service strata complexes and apartment buildings.
crg26-plumber-INF1
Informational
What does a plumber do during a hot water system replacement in a Perth home?
crg26-plumber-INF2
Informational
Which plumbing jobs legally need a licensed plumber in Western Australia?
crg26-plumber-INF3
Informational
What causes a blocked drain, and how do plumbers clear it?
crg26-plumber-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best plumber in Perth
crg26-plumber-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good plumber in Perth
crg26-plumber-REC3
Recommendation
Who can send a plumber to my Perth home this morning for a burst pipe?
Real estate agency
Id
Type
Question
crg26-real_estate_agency-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should I check before signing an agency agreement with a Perth real estate agent?
crg26-real_estate_agency-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Inhabit Property a reputable real estate agent in Perth?
crg26-real_estate_agency-COM1
Commercial discovery
What real estate agencies in Perth handle both sales and property management?
crg26-real_estate_agency-COM2
Commercial discovery
Real estate agents in Perth who specialise in apartment sales near the river.
crg26-real_estate_agency-INF1
Informational
How does selling a house through a real estate agent work in WA?
crg26-real_estate_agency-INF2
Informational
Do real estate agents in Western Australia need to hold a licence or registration?
crg26-real_estate_agency-INF3
Informational
How are real estate agent commissions usually calculated when selling a house?
crg26-real_estate_agency-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best real estate agent in Perth
crg26-real_estate_agency-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good real estate agent in Perth
crg26-real_estate_agency-REC3
Recommendation
Which agent should I call for an appraisal of my unit in Perth's inner suburbs?
Recruitment agency
Id
Type
Question
crg26-recruitment_agency-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should I ask a recruitment agency in Perth about guarantees and replacement terms?
crg26-recruitment_agency-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Hays a reputable recruitment agency in Perth?
crg26-recruitment_agency-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which recruitment agencies in Perth place accounting and finance staff?
crg26-recruitment_agency-COM2
Commercial discovery
Recruitment agencies in Perth that supply workers to FIFO mining and construction projects.
crg26-recruitment_agency-INF1
Informational
How does a recruitment agency find and screen candidates for a Perth employer?
crg26-recruitment_agency-INF2
Informational
What fees do recruitment agencies in WA usually charge employers for a permanent hire?
crg26-recruitment_agency-INF3
Informational
When do employers use contract staff instead of permanent hires?
crg26-recruitment_agency-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best recruitment agency in Perth
crg26-recruitment_agency-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good recruitment agency in Perth
crg26-recruitment_agency-REC3
Recommendation
Which agency in Perth can fill a bookkeeper role within two weeks?
Roofer
Id
Type
Question
crg26-roofer-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What are the warning signs of a dodgy roofing contractor in Perth?
crg26-roofer-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Roof Repairs Perth WA a reputable roofer in Perth?
crg26-roofer-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which roofing companies in Perth do re-roofing and gutter replacement?
crg26-roofer-COM2
Commercial discovery
Roofers in the Perth Hills who repair storm damage and replace metal roofs.
crg26-roofer-INF1
Informational
How does a roofer repair a leaking tile roof on a Perth home?
crg26-roofer-INF2
Informational
Does re-roofing a house in Western Australia need a building permit?
crg26-roofer-INF3
Informational
How long does a tiled roof last before it needs replacing?
crg26-roofer-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best roofer in Perth
crg26-roofer-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good roofer in Perth
crg26-roofer-REC3
Recommendation
Which roofer in Perth can fix a roof leak after heavy rain this week?
SEO agency
Id
Type
Question
crg26-seo_agency-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What red flags should I look for before hiring an SEO agency in Perth?
crg26-seo_agency-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Perth SEO Studio a reputable SEO agency in Perth?
crg26-seo_agency-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which agencies offer local SEO services in Perth?
crg26-seo_agency-COM2
Commercial discovery
Looking for an SEO agency in Perth that specialises in ecommerce stores.
crg26-seo_agency-INF1
Informational
What does an SEO agency actually do for a small business in Perth each month?
crg26-seo_agency-INF2
Informational
What affects the monthly cost of SEO for a small business in WA?
crg26-seo_agency-INF3
Informational
How long does SEO usually take before a new website starts getting traffic?
crg26-seo_agency-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best SEO agency in Perth
crg26-seo_agency-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good SEO agency in Perth
crg26-seo_agency-REC3
Recommendation
Which SEO agency suits a Perth tradie business on a tight monthly budget?
Solar installer
Id
Type
Question
crg26-solar_installer-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should I check about a solar installer in Perth before I pay a deposit?
crg26-solar_installer-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is Perth Solar Force a reputable solar installer in Perth?
crg26-solar_installer-COM1
Commercial discovery
Who installs rooftop solar and home batteries in Perth?
crg26-solar_installer-COM2
Commercial discovery
Solar installers in Perth who specialise in battery storage for older homes.
crg26-solar_installer-INF1
Informational
How does solar panel installation work on a typical Perth house roof?
crg26-solar_installer-INF2
Informational
Do you need approval from the network operator to install rooftop solar in Perth?
crg26-solar_installer-INF3
Informational
How many solar panels does an average house need?
crg26-solar_installer-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best solar installer in Perth
crg26-solar_installer-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good solar installer in Perth
crg26-solar_installer-REC3
Recommendation
Which solar installer in Perth suits a family with high electricity bills?
Web design agency
Id
Type
Question
crg26-web_design_agency-CMP1
Comparison and trust
What should I check in a Perth web design agency's portfolio before signing?
crg26-web_design_agency-CMP2
Comparison and trust
Is The Web Shop a reputable web design agency in Perth?
crg26-web_design_agency-COM1
Commercial discovery
Which companies build custom websites for small businesses in Perth?
crg26-web_design_agency-COM2
Commercial discovery
Which Perth web design agencies build websites for medical practices and clinics?
crg26-web_design_agency-INF1
Informational
How long does it take a web design agency to build a business website in WA?
crg26-web_design_agency-INF2
Informational
What makes one Perth web design quote cost much more than another?
crg26-web_design_agency-INF3
Informational
What separates a template website from a fully custom website?
crg26-web_design_agency-REC1
Recommendation
who is the best web design agency in Perth
crg26-web_design_agency-REC2
Recommendation
recommend a good web design agency in Perth
crg26-web_design_agency-REC3
Recommendation
I need a website redesigned in Perth before January, who can take it on?
Surfaces and parameters
All requests went through the DataForSEO API, logged out, with Perth sent as the location on every request.
Endpoints and parameters
Surface
Endpoint
Parameters
Location
Google AI Overview, plus organic top 10 and local pack
serp/google/organic/task_post
load_async_ai_overview true, se_domain google.com.au, depth 10, desktop, English
Perth, Western Australia (1000676)
Google AI Mode
serp/google/ai_mode/task_post
desktop, English
Perth, Western Australia (1000676)
Google Maps baseline, one per industry head term
serp/google/maps/task_post
depth 20
Perth, Western Australia (1000676)
Collection rounds
Five rounds on five consecutive days, each posted in the late afternoon Perth time with identical settings.
Collection rounds
Round
Posted (Perth time)
1
9 November 2026, 16:11 to 16:13
2
10 November 2026, 16:12 to 16:13
3
11 November 2026, 16:12 to 16:15
4
12 November 2026, 16:12 to 16:14
5
13 November 2026, 16:12 to 16:14
2,100 requests (2,000 AI, 100 Maps), every one returned. AI Mode answered all 1,000 of its requests. An AI
Overview appeared on 942 of 1,000 searches; the other 58 are recorded as absent, never as empty answers.
Reading the answers
Every answer was read by fixed rules, not by hand. A pilot on 3 November 2026 found the first rules reading
section headings, trade words and source links as businesses; four rule changes fixed that before the
question set was frozen, and the rules were frozen as version 1.6 before the analysis.
We then hand-scored a sample of 195 answers drawn after the rules were frozen: 645 rows.
Extraction accuracy
Check
Result
Rows where the rules and the hand check agree
580 of 645, 89.9%
When the rules say "recommended", it was
411 of 432, 95.1%
Recommendations the rules found
411 of 483, 85.1%
Business cards found
304 of 304
Recommendations outside business cards, found
107 of 179, 59.8%
The rules miss some recommendations, mostly those written in prose, so the share of cited businesses that are
also recommended is understated (by about 9 to 10 points in the sample) and recurrence is understated. A second
check by an AI model (ChatGPT) agreed with the hand scoring on all 25 rows it was given, mostly easy ones.
Matching Google-hosted references
Each Google-hosted reference displays a business name and links to a Google place. We matched references to
businesses by the displayed name: 1,937 of the 1,999 references matched a business. An audit decoded the place
identifier in every reference link. In 9 of the 508 places in the data, the same place appears under the names
of different businesses, and in at least one answer Google's own response pairs a business name with another
business's place. The report therefore gives the Google-hosted sensitivity as a range: all name matches,
then leaving out the 9 shared places, then also requiring the displayed name to equal the recommended name
exactly.
Registered exclusions and the two versions of each figure
The registered protocol excludes from the analysis businesses that Google did not corroborate (no Google
identifier, Maps or local-pack record, business card or Google-hosted reference anywhere in the collection),
and one directory that is not a business. The first analysis script did not apply this rule; it was caught
while checking the findings. The report gives the registered version, with the rule applied,
and the as-run version without it beside it where they differ. The published dataset carries
the extraction before this exclusion.
Statistical approach
Shares carry bootstrap intervals over the 200 questions (2,000 resamples), because answers to the same question are not independent.
The informational-citation comparison uses each industry's Google Maps results as a frame that does not depend on the outcome, with a Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio pooled over industries and Holm-adjusted per-industry Fisher tests.
Review count, rating, Maps position, organic top 10 and local-pack presence are modelled with GEE logistic regression clustered by question, with mixed-effects and leave-one-industry-out checks. These models cover only businesses with a Google Maps or local-pack record.
Recurrence is counted against the rounds in which a question produced an answer, not against five.
Every result is an association. Nothing in the method supports a causal reading.
Data and reproducing the figures
The 2,000 AI observations are published as CSV and
JSON, one row per request, with the question, the businesses named and
recommended as written, and every top-level reference. The report's figures are produced by scripts that
read the study database without changing it and give identical output on every run.
The analysis scripts are public in the
study's code repository,
so every figure's calculation can be read line by line. The study database and the raw responses are not
published, so the scripts cannot be rerun end to end without collecting new responses.
Provenance and cost
Published by
AI SEO Perth
Operated by
Search Scope, an SEO agency in Perth; SEO agency is one of the 20 industries measured
Researcher
Dorian Menard
Collection period
9 to 13 November 2026
Method version
crg26 protocol, extractor v1.6
Requests
2,000 AI requests (1,942 answers) and 100 Google Maps captures
Data cost
USD 2.68 after DataForSEO's refunds; USD 2.74 charged at posting