Back
2026 Market Analysis

State of AI Visibility:
Texas Overview

Comprehensive algorithmic audit across all trade verticals statewide.

We analyzed 47,786 businesses across Texas. The findings reveal a critical digital divide: 94% of businesses remain invisible to AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI-augmented search engines.

Only 1% of the market reaches "AI-Ready" status—the minimum threshold required to appear in AI-generated recommendations. Roofers lead with 4% compliance, while HVAC-R lag critically at just 0%.

This disparity represents an immediate opportunity for businesses ready to act.

47,786
Businesses Audited
1%
AI Ready
Market Distribution
AI-Ready (1%)
Visible (7%)
Invisible (93%)
59%
Have Website
6%
Schema Ready

Trade Landscape

Trade-by-Trade Disparities

Our analysis spans 9 trade verticals across the state. The radar chart visualizes performance gaps between industries.

Roofers currently show the highest average score at 44/100, with 4% of businesses reaching AI-Ready status.

HVAC-R show the lowest average score at 38/100, a 6-point gap. 0% of businesses in this sector reach AI-Ready status.

This data represents a market snapshot. Score differences may reflect industry maturity, sample size, or sector norms.

AI Visibility by Trade

Average score indicates relative AI visibility by trade

Leaders vs Laggards

Click a trade to view the full report

The Complete Picture

The Gap Between Web Presence and AI Visibility

The table below reveals a troubling reality: 59% of businesses have a website, yet only 6% use Schema.org markup—the technology that enables AI to understand and recommend a business.

This 53-point gap represents businesses that invested in their online presence but remain invisible to new search interfaces. It's like having a storefront with no sign.

  • Avg Score: composite indicator including reviews, Schema, and technical signals
  • AI-Ready %: businesses above the 75/100 threshold
  • Competition: market saturation level in that sector

This table contains detailed data best viewed on a larger screen. Please switch to desktop to view.

Score Distribution

What the Distribution Reveals

The market median score is 30/100, with an average of 30. This skewed bell curve shows that 49% of businesses fall below the median.

Green bars (scores 81-100) represent "AI-Ready" businesses—those appearing regularly in AI recommendations. Red bars (0-20) show businesses that are completely invisible.

Strategic Implications

  • Reaching the top 20% means dramatically higher visibility
  • Each 10-point increment significantly improves recommendation rates
  • The majority of the market remains vulnerable to disruption by optimized competitors

Score Distribution

AI-Ready (80-100)
Average (20-79)
Invisible (0-19)

The Performance Gap

The Visibility Snowball Effect

The gap between top performers and the rest is striking—and it's widening.

The Top 10% average a score of 58 compared to just 20 for the bottom half of the market. This 38-point gap translates to massive visibility differences.

The Review Multiplier

Even more telling: leaders accumulate 646.1x more reviews than their competitors. Reviews generate trust, trust generates clicks, clicks generate more reviews. It's a virtuous cycle for some, vicious for others.

Businesses in the bottom 50% aren't just behind—they're actively becoming less visible every day relative to the competition.

Top 10%
Avg Score58
Avg Reviews982
Bottom 50%
Avg Score20
Avg Reviews2
Review Gap
646.1x

Reviews & Visibility

The Score-Review Correlation

Each dot represents a business, colored by trade vertical. The scatter plot reveals a clear correlation: more reviews generally mean higher scores.

Three Distinct Zones

  • Upper-right quadrant (high score, many reviews): These businesses dominate AI responses and capture the majority of new customers.

  • Middle zone: Businesses with potential but limited visibility. A modest investment could propel them to the top.

  • Lower-left quadrant: Virtually invisible. These businesses depend entirely on word-of-mouth and existing customers.

Score vs Review Volume

City Rankings

Geographic Ranking

Below: the top 10 cities and bottom 5 cities in Texas by average AI visibility score.

Lakeway leads with a score of 45/100 across 117 businesses analyzed.

Lago Vista shows the lowest average at 20/100, a 25-point gap from the leader.

What This Means

  • Low-scoring markets represent a differentiation opportunity for local businesses willing to invest in their visibility.
  • A 25+ point spread between cities suggests significant regional variation in digital adoption.

Geography isn't destiny. A well-optimized business in a "weak" market can easily outperform competitors from major cities.

Top Cities

1
Lakeway
45/100
117
2
Cedar Park
45/100
308
3
Selma
45/100
113
4
The Woodlands
44/100
219
5
Leon Valley
44/100
26
6
Round Rock
44/100
465
7
League City
43/100
330
8
Leander
43/100
335
9
Fair Oaks Ranch
43/100
15
10
Gregory
42/100
8

Lagging Cities

11
Lago Vista
20/100
16
12
Aransas Pass
20/100
61
13
Gun Barrel City
21/100
7
14
Floresville
22/100
66
15
Denton
22/100
378
Share This Report

Know a contractor?

99% of Texas contractors are invisible to AI. Send them this report before their competitors find it.

Share

Stay Informed

Receive quarterly market updates and new AI visibility strategies.

Quarterly updates for texas • One-click unsubscribe

Your next job is calling. Answer it.

AI workers that answer your calls, text back missed ones and follow up on your quotes. From $49 a month. Pay, we set it up.

Live in 2 business days or your first month is free. Money back in 30 days.

Hire an AI worker