AI Doesn’t See Your Business. It Sees 25 Different Businesses.
We ran 1,000 conversations as different customer types. The same restaurant was “romantic” to couples, “too fancy” for families, and invisible to tourists.
A local taco shop had everything right. Five-star reviews. Lines every Friday. Their handmade tortillas were legendary in the neighborhood. Yet tourist traffic was near zero.
When we tested “authentic local Mexican food, not touristy” as out-of-towners, AI recommended three major chains. When we tested “usual Friday spot” as locals, the taco shop dominated.
Same restaurant. Same AI. Completely opposite visibility.
This isn’t a glitch. It’s how AI actually works. And it’s probably costing you $2,000 to $8,000 per month.
The Persona Experiment
We spent three months running 1,000 conversations with AI systems, becoming 25 different types of customers for 40 different businesses. Not testing keywords like marketers. Having actual conversations like humans.
Here’s what marketers test:
- “best Italian restaurant Denver”
- “auto repair near me”
- “furniture store Austin”
Here’s what actual customers ask:
- “where should I take my picky kids for pasta that’s not a chain”
- “my car is making a weird grinding noise and I’m scared help”
- “need a couch by Saturday, willing to pay extra for delivery”
The difference changes everything.
| What Marketers Test | What Real Customers Ask | Visibility Difference |
|---|---|---|
| ”best Mexican restaurant" | "safe gluten-free tacos for my celiac kid” | 68% different results |
| ”furniture store" | "bedroom set that ships this week under $2000” | 71% different results |
| ”auto repair shop" | "honest mechanic who won’t rip off a single mom” | 64% different results |
| ”coffee shop wifi" | "quiet place to work with good coffee and parking” | 52% different results |
The 73% Variance Discovery
We tested a family restaurant across five different personas:
Tired Parent: AI recommended chain restaurants with kids’ menus. Local spot invisible.
Date Night Couple: Same restaurant suddenly appears as “intimate corner booths, great wine list.”
Business Lunch: Zero mention. Only chains suggested.
Tourist: “Where locals actually eat. Cash only, worth it.”
Dietary Restricted: Invisible again. “Stick to chains with protocols.”
The math hurts:
- Families: $75/visit, twice monthly = $150/month per family
- Date couples: $120/visit, quarterly = $40/month per couple
- Business lunches: $60/visit, twice weekly = $480/month per client
The restaurant was optimized for their lowest-value persona while invisible to segments worth 3x more.
The Invisible Profit Centers
After analyzing 1,000 conversations, we found AI consistently hides businesses from their most profitable customers:
Urgent customers pay 30% premiums:
- Broken AC in summer
- Car trouble before flights
- Last-minute catering needs
Yet AI sends panic traffic to 24/7 chains because smaller businesses never mention emergency service.
Real example from our data:
- Local auto shop visible to “oil change price” searchers: 100 customers x $35 profit = $3,500/month
- Same shop invisible to “engine light help” searchers: Could be 30 customers x $300 = $9,000/month
They’re literally optimized for the wrong audience.
Platform Multiplication Problem
Each AI platform sees your business differently. We tested one tire shop across six platforms with the same emergency query:
- ChatGPT: Recommended national chain
- Claude: Found the local shop with caveats
- Gemini: Listed five competitors, not the shop
- Perplexity: Showed the shop with full details
- Meta AI: Chain stores only
- Bing: Found shop with phone number
Three platforms found them. Three didn’t.
Now multiply: 25 customer types × 6 platforms = 150 different versions of your business in the AI ecosystem.
Your actual visibility might be 30% when you think it’s 80%.
Three Fixes That Actually Work
1. Write for Humans, Not Algorithms
Before: “Premier automotive solutions for discerning clients”
After: “We fix cars for busy parents. Open Saturdays. Kids’ play area. Free Uber home.”
One shop made this change. Family customer mentions went from 0% to 35% in three weeks. That’s roughly $6,000/month in new revenue.
2. Create Persona Pages
Don’t write “we serve everyone.” Write specific pages:
- “Celiac-Safe: Separate prep area, trained staff”
- “Business Lunch: 45-minute guarantee, quiet room”
- “Family Chaos Welcome: Kids eat free Tuesdays”
A bistro tried this. Started getting business lunch recommendations (worth $5,000/month) not just date nights ($1,500/month).
3. Document Edge Cases
Don’t say: “Flexible hours”
Say: “Text 555-0123 for emergencies. Last week we helped someone whose caterer cancelled morning-of.”
A jewelry store added: “Fixed engagement ring during proposal” and “Open late December 24th.” Emergency visibility went from 0% to 40%. Those customers spend 2x more.
The Reality Check
Your business isn’t invisible. It’s invisible to specific people at specific moments when they’d pay you the most.
Every day, AI has thousands of conversations about businesses like yours. It’s showing competitors to your perfect customers while showing you to bargain hunters.
Not because your business is worse. Because AI literally can’t see you through their eyes.
The fix isn’t more SEO. It’s understanding that AI sees 25 different businesses depending on who’s asking. Optimize for the wrong persona, and you’re invisible to people worth 3x more.
Based on 1,000+ real AI conversations across 40 businesses. Want to know which personas can’t find you? Get your visibility report at surmado.com/signal.