We Checked 1,882 Security Companies on ChatGPT. Only 8% Ever Get Recommended.
Our July 2026 benchmark ran 1,882 U.S. alarm and security dealers through ChatGPT. Only 151 ever came up by name — the other 92% were invisible.
Watch the 40-second breakdown above.
What we actually did
In July 2026, we ran a benchmark against 1,882 U.S. security and alarm companies. For each one, we asked ChatGPT the kind of plain question a homeowner would actually type in — something like "who's a good home security company near me" or "who should I trust for alarm monitoring."
We weren't testing ads. We weren't testing Google Maps listings. We were testing whether ChatGPT, on its own, would ever say a dealer's name out loud when someone asked for a recommendation.
The numbers
Out of 1,882 companies checked:
- 151 companies — about 8% — got recommended by name at least once.
- The other 92% never came up. Not once, in any version of the question we tried.
That 92% isn't a random cross-section of struggling dealers, either. Plenty of well-run, well-reviewed, decades-old security companies were in that invisible group. Being good at the job and being visible to ChatGPT turned out to be two completely different things.
Why this matters for your business
Here's the shift that's already happened, whether or not it's on your radar: people are asking Google and ChatGPT who to trust before they ever call a company directly. A homeowner comparing monitoring options, a renter looking for a system, someone whose alarm company just got bought out — a lot of them are typing a question into an AI chat window as step one, not step three.
If ChatGPT never says your name, you're not losing a close call. You're not even in the conversation. The lead goes to whichever 151 companies did show up, and they never knew you existed as competition.
This is a new kind of visibility gap, and it doesn't behave like SEO or reviews. A company can rank well on Google, have hundreds of five-star reviews, and still be part of that invisible 92% — because ChatGPT is pulling from a different mix of signals: how consistently your business is described across the web, whether trustworthy sources mention you by name, and whether there's enough clear, structured information out there for the AI to feel confident recommending you.
What the 151 seem to have in common
We didn't find a magic trick. The companies that did get named tended to have consistent, accurate information about themselves repeated across multiple credible sources — not just one polished website. Name, service area, and what they actually do lined up everywhere someone might look. That kind of consistency seems to be what lets an AI system feel safe enough to say a name out loud.
See where the industry stands
We've published the full results as a public leaderboard at mostrecommendedhomesecurity.com, so any dealer can see who's currently showing up and who isn't. It's not a paid placement list — it's just what we measured.
If you want to know specifically where your own company stands, AI Security Edge runs a free AI visibility check at /audit. It takes a few minutes and tells you whether your business currently shows up when people ask ChatGPT for a recommendation — and if it doesn't, what's likely missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you test 1,882 companies on ChatGPT?
We asked ChatGPT a range of plain, realistic questions that a homeowner might use when looking for a security or alarm company, then recorded whether each of the 1,882 companies in our list was ever named in response. We repeated this across many query variations to make sure the results weren't a fluke of one specific wording.
Why does it matter if ChatGPT recommends my company?
More people are asking AI tools who to trust before they even open a search engine or call around. If your company never comes up, you're missing out on customers at the exact moment they're deciding who to contact — without ever knowing you were a candidate.
Does ranking well on Google mean I'll also show up on ChatGPT?
Not necessarily. Our benchmark found well-reviewed, established companies inside the 92% that never got mentioned. ChatGPT seems to weigh consistency and clarity of information across the web differently than traditional search rankings do.
How can I find out if my company is in the 8% or the 92%?
AI Security Edge offers a free AI visibility check at /audit that tells you exactly where you stand right now, and you can also compare your company against others on the public leaderboard at mostrecommendedhomesecurity.com.