by 
New research from Evoke Strategy
The 2026 Tampa Bay AI Visibility Report
A regional study of how ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity recommend 625 prominent Tampa Bay businesses across 25 industries before anyone searches for a company by name.
Nearly seven in ten businesses in the study never appeared in a single AI recommendation.
Being searchable by name is not the same as being discoverable when a potential customer asks AI who to consider. The more important question is what happens before that customer knows your business exists.
Report at a Glance
Evoke Strategy’s 2026 Tampa Bay AI Visibility Report examines which businesses are surfaced when people use AI to ask for local providers, compare options, and build an early consideration set.
The study reviewed 625 businesses across 25 Tampa Bay categories, testing each category across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. Only 197 businesses appeared at least once. The remaining 428, or 68.5%, were invisible in the tested recommendations.
Visibility was also highly concentrated. The 50 most visible businesses captured 68.5% of all matched mentions, while only 19 businesses appeared across all four platforms.
Florida AI Visibility Research Series
Part of Evoke Strategy’s ongoing research into AI-assisted business discovery.
This report examines Tampa Bay businesses across 25 industries. Explore the broader Florida research series or compare the regional findings with our manufacturing and commercial construction studies.
Three Things Stood Out
The strongest findings were widespread invisibility, the limits of real-world prominence, and major differences among platforms.
68.5% never appeared
Of the 625 businesses studied, 428 never appeared in a matched recommendation. Only 31.5% surfaced at least once.
Category leadership offered little protection
Fourteen of the 25 category leaders, or 56%, were completely invisible. Among the five most prominent businesses in each category, 59.2% never appeared.
Visibility depended on the platform
Among visible businesses, 44.2% appeared on only one platform. Just 9.6% appeared on all four.
Four Platforms. Four Different Views of Tampa Bay.
No platform surfaced even one-fifth of the 625 businesses in the study.
Perplexity
112 businesses surfaced
Perplexity had the broadest reach, but still surfaced only 17.9% of the study roster.
Gemini
102 businesses surfaced
Gemini surfaced 16.3% of the roster and produced a different mix of businesses.
ChatGPT
99 businesses surfaced
ChatGPT surfaced 15.8% of the roster. Visibility there did not consistently carry over to other systems.
Claude
78 businesses surfaced
Claude had the narrowest reach, surfacing 12.5% of the businesses studied.
The Data Behind the Findings
25
local business categories
625
businesses included
2,400
category-platform tests
3,534
matched business mentions
A Small Group Captured Most of the Visibility
The 50 most visible businesses generated 68.5% of all matched mentions.
Appearing Once Did Not Always Mean Appearing Consistently
Among businesses that appeared in at least one test, 29.6% appeared only once, 22.3% appeared twice, and 48.1% appeared in all three runs. AI visibility should be tested repeatedly rather than treated as a permanent ranking.
Why This Matters for Tampa Bay Businesses
AI tools are becoming part of how people research local providers, compare options, and validate referrals.
The challenge is no longer only whether someone can find your website after searching your exact name. It is whether your business appears before a potential customer knows who to search for.
What the Report Covers
- How 625 prominent businesses performed across 25 industries
- Which platforms surfaced the broadest and narrowest business sets
- How often category leaders disappeared from recommendations
- How visibility was concentrated among a small group
- How consistent results were across platforms and repeated tests
- What businesses can do to improve local AI visibility
Research methodology and public reporting note: The study examined 625 businesses across 25 categories and 2,400 category-platform tests. A business counted as visible if it appeared at least once in the tests conducted for its category. The report measures discoverability in the tested AI responses, not business quality, customer satisfaction, or suitability. Evoke Strategy does not publish a company-level leaderboard or reproduce raw AI model responses verbatim.
View the 2026 Tampa Bay AI Visibility Report
Read the full report to understand where Tampa Bay businesses are appearing, how the platforms differ, and what the findings mean for local business discovery.
Want to Know How Your Business Stacks Up?
Request an AI Visibility Review to understand where you appear, which competitors surface instead, and what your team can improve.
1. Discovery Testing
We test relevant buyer-style prompts across the major AI platforms.
2. Peer Benchmark
See how your visibility compares with category and regional patterns.
3. Practical Roadmap
Receive a clear briefing showing what your team should prioritize next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What the report measures, how the study was conducted, and why AI visibility matters for Tampa Bay businesses.
What is the Tampa Bay AI Visibility Report?
The report is a regional study from Evoke Strategy measuring which prominent Tampa Bay businesses appear in AI-generated recommendations across 25 local business categories.
Which AI platforms were included?
The study tested ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity.
How were businesses selected?
Each category included 25 businesses selected independently of the AI results using dated records and estimated location sales.
What counted as visible?
A business counted as visible if it appeared at least once in the tests conducted for its category.
Is this a ranking of the best Tampa Bay businesses?
No. It measures whether businesses appeared in the tested AI recommendations, not quality, customer satisfaction, or suitability.
Why should a business test more than one AI platform?
The platforms surfaced meaningfully different sets of businesses. Among the 197 visible businesses, 44.2% appeared on only one platform and just 9.6% appeared on all four.
Does a high Google ranking guarantee AI visibility?
No. Traditional search can help, but AI recommendations also draw on broader entity, category, local, and third-party signals.
How can a Tampa Bay business improve AI visibility?
Clarify services and service areas, strengthen local and category-specific content, maintain consistent entity information, earn credible third-party mentions, and test unbranded discovery prompts.
