In AI franchise marketing we use AI for work that cannot be done by hand across dozens of locations: collecting data from Google, Apple and Bing, tracking down discrepancies, preparing draft texts and measuring whether AI assistants mention your franchise brand. Every text is checked by a person before it goes live, and strategy remains human work.
Why does a franchise marketing agency use AI?
A chain with thirty locations quickly has ninety listings across three map services, plus reviews, photos, posts and location pages. Something can change every day: a user suggests different opening hours, a category shifts, a review goes unanswered. Our own benchmark of 500 Google Business Profiles from 100 chains showed that 40% were fully completed. That is rarely down to unwillingness. It is simply too much to keep up with.
That is where AI helps. Not to invent marketing, but to see more quickly where something goes wrong and to do preparatory work. That way our specialists spend their time on decisions instead of searching.
Which tasks does AI carry out in our approach?
We describe the use of AI per task, so you know exactly what happens. There is no secret in-house software behind it; we use AI tools within a fixed way of working with human oversight.
| Task | What AI does | What a person does |
|---|---|---|
| Collecting data | Retrieves data from all profiles on Google, Apple and Bing | Decides which data is authoritative |
| Flagging discrepancies | Compares NAP, opening hours and categories per location | Assesses and corrects |
| Draft texts | Produces a first version per location based on fixed input | Checks and edits every text |
| Measuring AI visibility | Asks AI assistants fixed test questions | Interprets the answers and chooses actions |
| Entity and schema | Helps keep markup and sameAs links consistent | Checks the structure of the franchise brand and its locations |
| Reporting | Prepares monthly figures per location automatically | Writes the conclusions and discusses them |
Work together on measurable results, not on an annual contract. Start with the free visibility scan.
How do we measure AI visibility for franchise brands?
More and more people ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Perplexity for advice, and Google shows AI Overviews above the regular results. Whether your franchise brand is mentioned there cannot be measured with a ranking tool. We work with a fixed set of test questions per franchise brand and region, which we ask again every month. That shows you whether anything is moving. More about the approach is on visibility in ChatGPT and Gemini, and the knowledge base article explains how AI assistants recommend franchise brands.
Gijs Bodenstaff also tests questions like these outside client work, in his own test lab LocalSEOLab.nl. Read more about Gijs's background and experience.
| Test question (fictional) | Assistant | Franchise brand mentioned? | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which hairdresser in Utrecht can I visit on a Sunday? | ChatGPT | No | Check opening hours and location page |
| Which hairdresser in Utrecht can I visit on a Sunday? | Gemini | Yes, 1 location | Bring the other locations into line |
| Which hairdressing franchise brand has locations in the central Netherlands? | Copilot | No | Review Bing Places and the franchise brand's schema |
| Which hairdressing franchise brand has locations in the central Netherlands? | Perplexity | Yes | Record the sources that are cited |
Where are the limits of AI in franchise marketing?
We are honest about what AI cannot do. AI makes mistakes, sometimes invents data and does not know the local situation of a location. That is why we never publish anything without human review. Answers from AI assistants also vary by moment and by user, so a single measurement says little. Only a trend over several months counts.
We also do not promise time savings in percentages or a guaranteed place in ChatGPT. Nobody can guarantee that. What we do promise: every month you see what was measured and what we did with it, in the reporting for every location.
| Agreement | Why | How we measure it |
|---|---|---|
| Every text checked by a person | AI can invent facts | Review recorded per text |
| No client data in public AI tools | Privacy of clients and franchisees | Working agreement per assignment |
| Test questions fixed and repeatable | One-off measurements are not comparable | Same question set every month |
| A person decides on strategy | AI does not know the franchise brand or its business owners | Decisions in quarterly meetings |
| Open about what AI did | You need to know what you are steering on | Explanation in the monthly report |
What remains human work in an AI-driven approach?
Strategy, review and contact. An AI can flag that a location is falling behind in Maps, but it cannot discuss with the franchisee why the opening hours keep changing. Our specialists do that work. For us, AI is part of our four-phase approach, not a replacement for it. It fits what makes us different: fast, open about what we do and measurable per location. Which channels we serve this way is set out in the complete online services package.
Questions about AI in how we work
Does AI write the texts for our locations?
Can AI guarantee that ChatGPT mentions our franchise brand?
Which AI assistants do you measure?
Do you use your own AI software?
What happens to our data?
How does AI find errors in our profiles?
Does AI make you cheaper?
What exactly is entity and schema building?
Who is responsible if AI makes a mistake?
Can we see for ourselves what AI has done?
Sources
Gijs Bodenstaff
Franchise marketer, local SEO and GEO specialist, author
Request the free visibility scan and see whether AI assistants already mention your franchise brand.