AI SEO
AI Visibility & SEO Transformation for Curl Bar (Toronto)
How I improved client visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Year :
2025
Industry :
Consumer Services
Client :
Curl Bar (curly-hair specialty salon)
Project Duration :
3 weeks
AI SEO Project Overview
Curl Bar wanted to strengthen its visibility in both traditional search engines (Google/Bing) and emerging AI-driven search experiences such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. I conducted a detailed SEO + GEO audit in July, applied structured content improvements, and measured results again in September.
Results at a Glance
Search Query | July | September | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
“Best curly hair salon Toronto” | Missing from Google & AI | #1 in Bing Maps, appearing in AI platforms (Perplexity #3, Gemini added) | Strong AI visibility gains, still competitive on Google |
“Curly hair salon near St. Lawrence Market” | Good Google presence, weaker AI presence | #1 across all major AI engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) | Became the top AI-recommended salon in the neighbourhood |
“Where to buy curl cream Toronto” | Weak across all platforms | Improved AI ranking (Perplexity #4), still low on Google | Stronger AI results; opportunity remains in Google retail queries |
Detailed Insights
1. “Best curly hair salon Toronto” (High-competition keyword)
Still not visible on page one of Google
Now #1 in Bing Maps
Newly added to AI rankings:
Perplexity #3
Gemini’s local list (previously absent)
This keyword is highly competitive, dominated by magazine lists. AI visibility is now significantly stronger.
2. “Curly hair salon near St. Lawrence Market” (Local-intent keyword)
Performance drastically improved across all AI engines:
Google positions maintained (#1 site result, multiple sitelinks)
ChatGPT: #1 recommended salon
Perplexity: #1
Gemini: #1, with an enhanced brand summary
Curl Bar is now the definitive AI-recommended salon for this neighbourhood query.
3. “Where to buy curl cream Toronto” (Product-intent query)
Still absent from Google SERP and Bing
Appears #5 in Google Maps
AI visibility gained in Perplexity (#4)
Gemini + ChatGPT show preference for major retailers (Sephora, Amazon, drugstores)
Product-intent queries remain the biggest opportunity for growth.
Overall Impact
Significant improvements in AI search visibility, especially for neighbourhood-specific queries.
Strong map visibility (Bing #1), improved credibility for tourists and local shoppers.
Clear roadmap now exists to target high-competition Google keywords and retail-intent product searches.
Next Steps Identified
Structured content for top services
AI-optimized service pages (schema, conversational Q&A)
Google Maps review velocity improvements
Optimized product landing pages for “curl cream”, “curl products Toronto,” etc.
Build authority through local partnerships + citations
More Projects
AI SEO
AI Visibility & SEO Transformation for Curl Bar (Toronto)
How I improved client visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Year :
2025
Industry :
Consumer Services
Client :
Curl Bar (curly-hair specialty salon)
Project Duration :
3 weeks
AI SEO Project Overview
Curl Bar wanted to strengthen its visibility in both traditional search engines (Google/Bing) and emerging AI-driven search experiences such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. I conducted a detailed SEO + GEO audit in July, applied structured content improvements, and measured results again in September.
Results at a Glance
Search Query | July | September | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
“Best curly hair salon Toronto” | Missing from Google & AI | #1 in Bing Maps, appearing in AI platforms (Perplexity #3, Gemini added) | Strong AI visibility gains, still competitive on Google |
“Curly hair salon near St. Lawrence Market” | Good Google presence, weaker AI presence | #1 across all major AI engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) | Became the top AI-recommended salon in the neighbourhood |
“Where to buy curl cream Toronto” | Weak across all platforms | Improved AI ranking (Perplexity #4), still low on Google | Stronger AI results; opportunity remains in Google retail queries |
Detailed Insights
1. “Best curly hair salon Toronto” (High-competition keyword)
Still not visible on page one of Google
Now #1 in Bing Maps
Newly added to AI rankings:
Perplexity #3
Gemini’s local list (previously absent)
This keyword is highly competitive, dominated by magazine lists. AI visibility is now significantly stronger.
2. “Curly hair salon near St. Lawrence Market” (Local-intent keyword)
Performance drastically improved across all AI engines:
Google positions maintained (#1 site result, multiple sitelinks)
ChatGPT: #1 recommended salon
Perplexity: #1
Gemini: #1, with an enhanced brand summary
Curl Bar is now the definitive AI-recommended salon for this neighbourhood query.
3. “Where to buy curl cream Toronto” (Product-intent query)
Still absent from Google SERP and Bing
Appears #5 in Google Maps
AI visibility gained in Perplexity (#4)
Gemini + ChatGPT show preference for major retailers (Sephora, Amazon, drugstores)
Product-intent queries remain the biggest opportunity for growth.
Overall Impact
Significant improvements in AI search visibility, especially for neighbourhood-specific queries.
Strong map visibility (Bing #1), improved credibility for tourists and local shoppers.
Clear roadmap now exists to target high-competition Google keywords and retail-intent product searches.
Next Steps Identified
Structured content for top services
AI-optimized service pages (schema, conversational Q&A)
Google Maps review velocity improvements
Optimized product landing pages for “curl cream”, “curl products Toronto,” etc.
Build authority through local partnerships + citations
More Projects
AI SEO
AI Visibility & SEO Transformation for Curl Bar (Toronto)
How I improved client visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Year :
2025
Industry :
Consumer Services
Client :
Curl Bar (curly-hair specialty salon)
Project Duration :
3 weeks
AI SEO Project Overview
Curl Bar wanted to strengthen its visibility in both traditional search engines (Google/Bing) and emerging AI-driven search experiences such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. I conducted a detailed SEO + GEO audit in July, applied structured content improvements, and measured results again in September.
Results at a Glance
Search Query | July | September | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
“Best curly hair salon Toronto” | Missing from Google & AI | #1 in Bing Maps, appearing in AI platforms (Perplexity #3, Gemini added) | Strong AI visibility gains, still competitive on Google |
“Curly hair salon near St. Lawrence Market” | Good Google presence, weaker AI presence | #1 across all major AI engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) | Became the top AI-recommended salon in the neighbourhood |
“Where to buy curl cream Toronto” | Weak across all platforms | Improved AI ranking (Perplexity #4), still low on Google | Stronger AI results; opportunity remains in Google retail queries |
Detailed Insights
1. “Best curly hair salon Toronto” (High-competition keyword)
Still not visible on page one of Google
Now #1 in Bing Maps
Newly added to AI rankings:
Perplexity #3
Gemini’s local list (previously absent)
This keyword is highly competitive, dominated by magazine lists. AI visibility is now significantly stronger.
2. “Curly hair salon near St. Lawrence Market” (Local-intent keyword)
Performance drastically improved across all AI engines:
Google positions maintained (#1 site result, multiple sitelinks)
ChatGPT: #1 recommended salon
Perplexity: #1
Gemini: #1, with an enhanced brand summary
Curl Bar is now the definitive AI-recommended salon for this neighbourhood query.
3. “Where to buy curl cream Toronto” (Product-intent query)
Still absent from Google SERP and Bing
Appears #5 in Google Maps
AI visibility gained in Perplexity (#4)
Gemini + ChatGPT show preference for major retailers (Sephora, Amazon, drugstores)
Product-intent queries remain the biggest opportunity for growth.
Overall Impact
Significant improvements in AI search visibility, especially for neighbourhood-specific queries.
Strong map visibility (Bing #1), improved credibility for tourists and local shoppers.
Clear roadmap now exists to target high-competition Google keywords and retail-intent product searches.
Next Steps Identified
Structured content for top services
AI-optimized service pages (schema, conversational Q&A)
Google Maps review velocity improvements
Optimized product landing pages for “curl cream”, “curl products Toronto,” etc.
Build authority through local partnerships + citations