AI assistants ignore nearly half of Swiss businesses
A study by Quaryan, reported by ICTjournal, reveals that 41% of 276 Swiss businesses examined are never cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity. Only 12% of the panel were mentioned by all four assistants across 1,728 test queries in six cities and six sectors.
For a Romandy SME leader, this finding changes the game. Potential customers are already asking assistants: "find me a good carpenter in Sion" or "which hotel near downtown Lausanne." If your business does not appear, you will not even make the list of options — without ever knowing it.
What Quaryan's numbers tell us
Results vary significantly by assistant. Gemini shows the broadest coverage with 12.9% of businesses mentioned on average per response, followed by Claude (10.7%), ChatGPT (7.9%), and Perplexity (5.1%). More concerning: 56% of responses cite no business from the test sample, and a response mentions on average only 9.1% of locally available establishments.
Quaryan also observes that assistants limit the number of establishments suggested, regardless of local competition. In a large city or a small one, filtering remains strict. The gaps between trades and regions therefore reflect both competition density and biases specific to each algorithm.
Finally, responses lack stability. In a first wave of testing the day before, fewer than half of businesses cited for the same query were identical. Algorithmic visibility is thus volatile, even if overall rates remain stable.
Who is affected in a Romandy SME
This issue primarily affects businesses dependent on local clientele and provider searches: hospitality, restaurants, crafts, personal services, medical or paramedical practices. A carpentry in Sierre, a fiduciary / accounting firm in Monthey, a property management company in Martigny — all are exposed.
B2B SMEs less dependent on local reputation are more shielded. A technical parts manufacturer selling to three major clients does not face the same stakes. Similarly, businesses already well represented on booking platforms or specialized directories have a head start.
However, caution is warranted: the relationship between visibility and observed factors is correlational, not causal. Businesses with many reviews may also be larger or more active online. Quaryan insists on this methodological limitation.
What actually works, according to the study
Quaryan identifies several levers associated with better visibility. Here they are ranked by accessibility for a Romandy SME:
| Lever | Observed impact | Concrete action |
|---|---|---|
| Google reviews | 1.7x more citations for the top half | Systematically ask satisfied customers, respond to reviews |
| Cited third-party pages | 2.1x more citations | Be present on local guides, sector directories, regional media |
| Online booking | Associated with better visibility | Integrate a booking or quote request button online |
| Structured hours | Associated with better visibility | Use schema.org format on your site, not just plain text |
| Local SEO | Overall positive factor | Optimize Google Business Profile, consistent NAP (name, address, phone) |
Two elements show no significant effect according to Quaryan: the llms.txt file, promoted by some experts, and simply publishing hours or prices in free text. Structured data matters more than raw display.
The study also reveals that assistants rely heavily on the traditional web. The business's own site is consulted in 55% of cases where it is cited. For "the best" queries, a third-party page (guide, ranking, directory) is the sole source in 52% of cases. Being visible on the classic web therefore remains the foundation of AI visibility.
Watchpoints for a Romandy SME
Dependence on American platforms. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity are foreign services whose opaque selection criteria evolve without notice. Your visibility depends on actors who owe you nothing. This is a strategic risk, not merely a technical one.
Swiss nFADP (nLPD) and personal data. If you develop tools to collect reviews or analyze your visibility, check where this data transits. The new Federal Act on Data Protection (Swiss nFADP, nLPD) applies. For specific questions, consult the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or your fiduciary / accounting firm.
Hidden costs. Managing your presence on Google Business Profile, multiple directories, an optimized site with structured data, plus monitoring reviews — this takes time. Count a few hours per week for active management, or budget for a provider. It is not free.
The review race trap. Systematically asking for reviews can become intrusive. A dissatisfied customer who feels harassed will leave a negative review. Service quality remains the first lever; SEO cannot save a failing business.
Tool maturity. AI assistants change rapidly. What works today may disappear tomorrow. Do not restructure your entire digital strategy around criteria whose longevity is not assured.
What to do now
- Check your basic presence. Search your business on Google, test a few queries on ChatGPT and Gemini with web search enabled. Note whether you appear, and in what context. Five minutes suffices for a first diagnosis.
- Optimize Google Business Profile. This is the most accessible foundation. Up-to-date hours, recent photos, responses to existing reviews, precise categories. Quaryan's study shows that Google reviews count particularly.
- Structure your data. If you have a site, ensure hours, address, and phone use schema.org format. Your webmaster or the agency managing your site can verify this. It is invisible to visitors but machine-readable.
- Identify two or three relevant third-party pages. A local guide, a professional directory, a booking platform in your sector. Check whether you are listed, and up to date. Do not scatter efforts across ten channels.
- Request a pre-diagnosis. At FlowBiz.ai, we offer a free selection assistant to evaluate whether automation or an AI agent can help you structure this visibility — no commitment, hosted in Switzerland. You can also consult our automation examples or take our two-minute AI quiz.
Algorithmic visibility is not a fad. It is already a discovery channel for your potential customers. Quaryan's finding is clear: half of Swiss businesses are invisible on it. For a Romandy SME, this is as much a threat as an opportunity to distinguish yourself before competitors close the gap.
