If you have ever asked ChatGPT something like “Who is the best dentist in Hamilton?” or “Top real estate agents in Calgary,” you may have noticed that the recommendations it returns often mirror what you would find on “best of” list articles across the web. That is not a coincidence. It is a fundamental feature of how large language models generate recommendations, and it creates a concrete, actionable opportunity for service businesses.

Understanding why this happens — and how to take advantage of it — is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make for your AI visibility.

Why ChatGPT loves lists

Large language models like GPT-4 are trained on enormous datasets of web content. When they encounter a query like “best personal injury lawyer in Mississauga,” they do not conduct a live search and evaluate businesses in real time. Instead, they draw on patterns in their training data to generate a response.

Listicle content — articles with titles like “10 Best Dentists in Brampton (2026)” or “Top 5 Home Renovation Contractors in the GTA” — is disproportionately represented in this training data and disproportionately influential in how the model responds. There are several reasons for this.

Lists provide explicit rankings. When an article says “The 7 Best Family Lawyers in Ottawa,” it is making a clear evaluative claim. Language models treat these claims as high-signal data points. Being named on multiple “best of” lists across different sources creates a strong convergence signal — the AI sees multiple independent sources agreeing that your business is among the best.

Lists match the query format. When a user asks “Who is the best X in Y?” the query structure maps almost perfectly to “best of” article titles. The model is essentially pattern-matching the question to content that was structured to answer exactly that question.

Lists are widely published and frequently updated. Local media, industry blogs, review aggregators, and niche content sites all produce “best of” lists. This means there is a large volume of this content in the training data, giving it significant weight in the model’s learned associations.

Lists contain structured entity mentions. A “best of” article typically includes the business name, location, a brief description, and sometimes a link. This structured format makes it easy for AI models to extract and associate entity information.

The research behind this

Analysis of ChatGPT recommendation patterns has consistently shown that businesses appearing on multiple “best of” lists are cited at significantly higher rates than businesses with equivalent or even superior traditional SEO metrics. A business that ranks number one on Google for a service keyword but appears on zero “best of” lists will often lose the AI recommendation to a competitor that ranks lower on Google but appears on three or four listicles.

This makes intuitive sense when you think about what the AI is optimizing for. It is not trying to replicate Google’s ranking algorithm. It is trying to answer the question “Who is the best?” and the most direct training signal for that question comes from content that was literally written to answer it.

How to get on existing “best of” lists

The most direct path to improving your AI citation rate through lists is getting your business featured on lists that already exist and carry authority.

Identify relevant lists

Search for “best [your service] in [your city]” on Google. Note every list that appears in the first two pages of results. These are the lists that AI models are most likely to have ingested. Common sources include:

Local media (newspapers, city magazines, local news sites)
Industry-specific directories and review platforms
Niche blogs that cover your service area
Chamber of Commerce or business association roundups
“Best of the city” annual awards from local publications

Get featured through legitimate channels

Many “best of” lists are editorial and curated by the publisher. Here is how to increase your chances of being included:

Build your review profile. Most list curators use Google Reviews as a primary input. A business with 200 reviews averaging 4.8 stars is far more likely to be included than one with 15 reviews averaging 4.2 stars. Invest in systematically building your review count and quality.

Reach out to publishers. Many list authors accept suggestions or nominations. A professional email introducing your business, highlighting what makes you notable, and linking to your reviews and credentials can be effective. Do not be pushy — just make the information available.

Participate in local awards. Many “best of” lists are tied to annual awards programs run by local media or business associations. Nominate your business, encourage clients to vote, and engage with the process.

Earn press coverage. Businesses that have been featured in local news stories or industry publications are more likely to be included in curated lists. Community involvement, notable case results (for lawyers), innovative services, or charitable work can all generate coverage.

Monitor for new lists

Set up Google Alerts for “best [your service] [your city]” and variations. New lists are published regularly, and being aware of them early gives you the opportunity to reach out to the publisher before the list is finalized.

Creating your own ranked content

Here is where the strategy gets interesting. You do not have to wait for someone else to put you on a list. You can create your own list content that serves the same function in AI training data.

How this works

Publish a well-researched article on your website with a title like “Best [Service Type] Providers in [City]: What to Look For.” The article should be genuinely useful — not a thinly disguised advertisement. Include multiple providers (yes, including competitors), offer real criteria for evaluation, and position your business within the context naturally.

This may seem counterintuitive. Why would you list competitors on your own website? Because the AI does not care who published the list. It cares about the content. If your article is well-structured, informative, and mentions your business alongside relevant criteria, it becomes another data point that associates your business name with the “best of” query pattern.

Best practices for creating list content

Be genuinely useful. Include real evaluation criteria — years of experience, specializations, review scores, notable cases or projects, pricing transparency. Thin lists with no substance will not carry weight.

Include yourself naturally. Do not make the article a setup for self-promotion. Position your business as one of several good options, with an honest description of your strengths and who you are best suited for.

Target specific niches. “Best dentists in Brampton” is competitive. “Best emergency dentists in Brampton” or “Best dentists for nervous patients in Brampton” are less competitive and may match more specific AI queries.

Keep it updated. Add an update date and refresh the content at least annually. Recency signals matter both for SEO and for AI training data freshness.

Use structured formatting. Numbered lists, clear headings for each business, and consistent formatting (name, location, specialties, what makes them stand out) make the content easy for AI models to parse.

The SEO flywheel effect

This strategy has a powerful secondary benefit: it is also excellent for traditional SEO. “Best [service] in [city]” queries have high search volume and high commercial intent. A well-optimized list article on your site can rank in Google, driving organic traffic while simultaneously feeding AI training data.

As the article earns backlinks and organic traffic, its authority increases — which makes it more likely to be ingested and weighted by AI models. This creates a positive feedback loop: better SEO performance leads to more AI visibility, which leads to more brand searches, which reinforces both channels.

Putting it all together

The “best of” list strategy is not complicated, but it requires consistent effort. Start by auditing which lists you currently appear on. Work to get featured on lists where you are absent. Create your own list content that positions your business within the competitive landscape. And keep your review profile strong, because that is the foundation that makes everything else credible.

The businesses that appear on three, five, or ten “best of” lists across the web have a structural advantage in AI-driven discovery. Every additional list mention reinforces the pattern that AI models use when deciding who to recommend. In a market where a single AI citation can drive a high-value client through your door, that advantage compounds quickly.

How 'Best Of' Lists Drive ChatGPT Recommendations