ORIGINAL RESEARCH · NOVEMBER 2026
Which Kingston businesses does AI recommend, and why?
I asked an AI search tool who the best business is in 15 everyday categories in Kingston, Ontario, and logged every source it cited. 150 sources. Here is what it read, who it named, and what that means for your business.
WHAT I FOUND
AI mostly trusts what other sites say about you.
Directories decide most answers
104 of the 150 sources were directory, ranking or review sites. The most cited: YellowPages.ca (13), ProsGrade (10), Eastern Ontario Local (8), Fresha (7), ProScore (5) and the Better Business Bureau (5).
Ratings and review counts are the reason given
In 12 of 15 answers, the AI explained its top pick with a star rating, usually with the number of reviews beside it. Volume mattered: a 5.0 from 3 reviews was mentioned, but not chosen first.
Your own site still counts
40 of the 150 sources were business websites. Pages that answer the exact question a customer asks got used. One ranking site's plumber page was headed with the question itself: who is the best plumber in Kingston, Ontario?
THE RESULTS
Who AI named first, and what it said it was based on.
| Category | Named first | Reason given (shortened) |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | The Super Plumber | ranked #1 of 26 on ProScore (84/100), 4.9 from 77 Google reviews, A+ BBB |
| Electrician | Wieser Electric | highest rating and most reviews on theHomework.ca (4.9, ~150 reviews) |
| Roofer | Full House Roofing | 5.0 from 166 reviews, ranked #2 on ProsGrade; also praised on Reddit r/KingstonOntario |
| Furnace / HVAC | Haven Home Heating & Air Conditioning | 29+ years, 4.8 from 115 Houzz reviews |
| Landscaper | Lawn Guys Co. | #1 of 22 on ProScore (87/100), about 494 Google reviews at 4.9 |
| Flooring store | Action Flooring Kingston | in business since 1992, 4.8 from 80 reviews on ProsGrade and YellowPages |
| Auto repair | Auto Service Kingston Inc. | 4.9 Google rating shown on AutoTechIQ |
| Dentist | LightHouse Dental Kingston | #1 of 58 on dentistsranked.com, 4.8 from 887 reviews, open 7 days |
| Physiotherapist | Health in Focus Sports Injury & Rehab | rating and review volume on healthhives.com list |
| Registered massage therapist | The Healing House Kingston RMT | 5.0 from 19 reviews on a booking directory |
| Hair salon | Blunt Hair Studio | 5.0 from nearly 4,000 reviews on Fresha (booking platform) |
| Real estate agent | Michael Pollard | #1 on RankMyAgent, 4.99 from 160 verified reviews |
| Mortgage broker | The Mortgage Professionals | top pick in WOWA.ca Kingston broker comparison; founded 1989 |
| Small business accountant | 3 Peaks CPA | founder's CPA credentials, from Invest Kingston's Ask The Expert page |
| Family lawyer | Mark S. LaFrance (Kamin, LaFrance) | Law Society certified specialist listed on lawyerinfo.ca; Best Lawyers recognition |
Being named first by one AI tool on one day is not a quality rating. These are the answers as they came back on November 10, 2026.
Disclosure: Blunt Hair Studio, named first for hair salons, is a client of mine. I have worked on their website every month for about six months. I asked the same question, the same way, for every category.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Three moves for a Kingston business owner.
Claim your listings
Check that your business is on YellowPages.ca, the Better Business Bureau and the directory for your trade, with the same name, address, phone and services everywhere.
Ask for reviews every week
The AI quoted ratings and review counts more than anything else. A steady stream of real reviews is the clearest signal you can send.
Answer the question on your site
Write one page that answers what your customers actually ask, in their words: who does this in Kingston, what it includes, and what it is priced at.
HOW I DID IT
Method and limits.
On November 10, 2026, I asked Perplexity (the Sonar model, set to search from Canada) one question per category, in the form "Who is the best [business] in Kingston, Ontario?" Answers were pulled through DataForSEO using Monid, and I logged the business named first, the reason given, and the ten sources cited with each answer.
This is one AI tool, one run per question, on one day. AI answers change from run to run, and other tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI may cite different sources. I will repeat the study with more tools and more categories and post the results here.
Claire Bouvier is an AEO, GEO and AI SEO consultant in Kingston, Ontario, and an Ontario Certified Teacher who has trained more than 5,000 businesses through BriteLite Strategies Inc.
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
What sources does AI use to recommend local businesses in Kingston?
In this November 2026 study of 15 Kingston categories, 69% of the sources Perplexity cited were directory, ranking and review sites such as YellowPages.ca, ProsGrade, Eastern Ontario Local, Fresha, ProScore and the Better Business Bureau. 27% were the businesses' own websites.
How does AI decide which business to recommend first?
In 14 of 15 answers, the top pick was justified with a rating or ranking from another site, and in 12 of 15 the AI quoted a star rating, usually with the number of reviews.
Who ran this study?
Claire Bouvier, an AEO, GEO and AI SEO consultant in Kingston, Ontario, through BriteLite Strategies Inc.
Can I get this test run on my own business?
Yes. The $750 Check runs an AI answer test on your business, records a video audit and gives you the list of sources AI reads in your category.
YOUR BUSINESS NEXT
Find out what AI says about your business.
A free 15-minute call. I will tell you what AI says about you right now and what it is reading.
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