Edmonton, AB – July 11, 2026 – In a review of 153 Edmonton service businesses, Snap SEO found that only about 3 percent were named when ChatGPT was asked for the best option in their category. That means roughly 97 percent were invisible. When a customer asks ChatGPT for the best plumber in Edmonton or the top family lawyer in the city, most local businesses are never mentioned at all.
“Being invisible to AI is the new version of being on page two of Google,” said Josh Shankowsky, Marketing Director at Snap SEO. “If AI does not know you exist, that growth passes you by.”
The gap is opening at the exact moment Edmonton is betting on AI. Prime Minister Mark Carney has set a national target of moving business AI adoption from just over 12 percent to 60 percent by 2034 under the new AI for All strategy, backed by hundreds of millions in federal funding for the country’s AI institutes, including Amii in Edmonton. Locally, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce has launched its own AI x CE strategy, pairing the city’s AI talent with its construction and engineering sector to position the region as a national leader in applied AI. Local SEO firm Snap SEO says there is a gap nobody is talking about. As Edmonton pushes businesses to adopt AI, most local businesses still cannot be found by it.
The shift in how people search is already measurable. A Pew Research Center analysis of roughly 68,000 searches found that clicks fall by about half when Google shows an AI Overview, while the businesses cited inside those AI answers earn more clicks. The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce has also partnered with Grow with Google to bring AI skills training to local businesses, a sign of how quickly adoption is moving on the ground.
“Training people to use AI tools is valuable, but it is a different job from making sure those tools recommend your business,” Shankowsky said. “Edmonton is set up to lead on AI adoption. Whether local businesses are part of the answer AI gives customers is still wide open.”
Snap SEO works with Edmonton businesses to earn visibility on Google Search, Google Maps, and increasingly on AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, using a framework it calls BOOST. The firm offers Edmonton businesses a free 15-minute visibility check & discovery call to see where they stand.
About Snap SEO:
Founded in 2018, Snap SEO is an Edmonton-based digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, AI search optimization, Google Ads, and web design for local service businesses across Alberta and Western Canada. Learn more about its Edmonton SEO services at https://snapseo.ca/alberta/edmonton-seo/.
Media ContactCompany Name: Snap SEOContact Person: Josh ShankowskyEmail: Send EmailPhone: +15879897736Address:21944 91 Ave NW City: EdmontonState: ABCountry: CanadaWebsite: https://snapseo.ca/
