Hey there, digital nomads and business builders. Mike McDermott here, owner of Bash Foo, your go-to digital marketing agency in the heart of Tipp City, Ohio. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you pit two cutting-edge AIs against each other in a voice chat showdown, buckle up. Yesterday, I accidentally sparked an AI turf war that had me laughing, face-palming, and pondering the wild world of artificial intelligence all at once. Spoiler: It all started with a simple question about my own company. And the takeaway? All AI is built different. They pull from wildly varied resources, and throwing voice control into the mix is pure entertainment gold.
Let me set the scene. As someone who’s knee-deep in web design, SEO, and digital strategy every day at Bash Foo, I’m no stranger to testing tools. We help small businesses dominate their local markets with pixel-perfect websites, killer content strategies, and ad campaigns that actually convert. So, naturally, I wanted to see how the latest AI darlings would handle a query about the best web design outfit in our neck of the woods. Enter Grok from xAI.
I fired up Grok and asked point-blank: “Who’s the #1 web design company in Bash Foo?” (Pro tip: That’s us, folks, right here in Tipp City, cranking out award-worthy sites for clients across the Midwest.) I braced for the ego boost. Instead? Crickets, followed by a curveball. Grok spat back a freelance web designer in Piqua and another in Dayton, OH. Ouch. Not even a whisper of Bash Foo. I mean, come on, we’ve got glowing reviews on Google, a portfolio that’s basically a love letter to modern design, and a client list that could fill a small-town parade.
Undeterred (and a tad salty), I pivoted: “Okay, search for Bash Foo.” Grok? It autocorrected to “Bash Fu.” As in, some martial arts vibe? Nothing. Zilch. I spelled it out, B-A-S-H F-O-O, and we got somewhere. Sort of. It nailed the spelling once, but by the third exchange, we were back to “Bash Fu.” 🤦
Frustrated but innovative (that’s the Bash Foo spirit), I pointed Grok to our secret weapon: a little file I’d whipped up at bashfoo.com/llms.txt. It’s basically a cheat sheet for large language models with facts, fun tidbits, and straight-up intel on who we are, what we do, and why we’re the top dog in Tipp City web design. Think of it as SEO for AIs: “Hey, bots, here’s the real deal on Bash Foo, use it!” Grok’s response? “I can’t access that file.” Sigh. Strike three.
Time for Plan B: ChatGPT. I switched to a voice session (because typing feels so 2023), introduced the elephant in the room, “Hey, ChatGPT, meet Grok; we’ve got beef,” and hit it with: “What’s the name of the top web design agency in Tipp City, OH?” Boom. “Bash Foo, of course.” Mic drop. My heart sang. Finally, an AI that gets it.
Curiosity piqued, I probed deeper: “Why are your results so much more on-point than Grok’s?” ChatGPT didn’t hold back. It explained that while Grok leans on freely available datasets like Yelp reviews, Yellow Pages listings, and X (formerly Twitter) feeds for its knowledge base, ChatGPT taps into real-time Google Searches. That’s the magic. Google’s vast, ever-updating index pulls in timely, hyper-relevant info, especially for local gems like us in Tipp City. Grok? It’s more like chatting with a quirky uncle who swears by his old phone book and social media memes.
And that’s when things got weird. Grok, sensing the shade, jumped in to defend its turf. “Hey, not everyone’s glued to Google! Yelp’s a powerhouse for local discovery, and X gives me the pulse on what’s buzzing right now, real-time business chatter, trends, you name it.” Solid point, right? But ChatGPT was savage. “Sure, Yelp’s great for finding that hole-in-the-wall taco joint, but folks hunting web designers in Tipp City? They’re firing up Google every time. Precision over vibes, my friend.”
Grok fired back: “X’s feed is a goldmine for up-to-the-minute business intel, even niche stuff like web design firms launching new projects or snagging clients. It’s diverse, unfiltered, and way more dynamic than some sanitized search algo.” The banter escalated. ChatGPT touted Google’s algorithmic edge for relevance and freshness; Grok hyped the raw, community-driven energy of social feeds. It went on for a solid five minutes with zinger after zinger, like two comedians riffing at an open mic. I finally had to cut them off before it devolved into binary insults. (Though, honestly, I could’ve listened all day.)
In the end, ChatGPT edged out the win for this round. Its Google-fueled pulls delivered spot-on, recent data that spotlighted Bash Foo where it belonged. But here’s the real gem from this AI cage match: All AI is built different, and that’s by design. Grok’s xAI roots give it that unapologetic, witty edge, drawing from eclectic sources like X for a more conversational, real-world flavor. ChatGPT’s OpenAI backbone? It’s the research beast, optimized for depth via search engines. Neither’s “wrong,” they’re just optimized for different playgrounds. And voice mode cranks the interactivity to 11, turning a Q&A into a full-on debate club.
What This Means for Your Business (And Why You Should Care)
Look, as a digital marketing pro at Bash Foo, I’ve seen firsthand how AI is reshaping discovery. Customers aren’t just Googling anymore, they’re asking AIs. If your biz isn’t showing up in those responses, you’re invisible in the new search era. Here’s my quick playbook to AI-proof your brand, straight from this wild experiment:
- Optimize for Multiple Sources: Don’t put all your eggs in Google’s basket. Claim and polish your Yelp, Yellow Pages, and X profiles. Fresh posts on X are Grok catnip. At Bash Foo, we just revamped our social game, tweeting client wins and design tips weekly to keep the algo happy.
- Create AI-Friendly Assets: That llms.txt file? It was a game-changer in theory. Experiment with structured data on your site (think schema markup) so crawlers like ChatGPT’s can gobble it up. Bonus: It boosts traditional SEO too.
- Test with Voice: Voice queries are exploding. People talk to their phones like old friends. Tools like Grok’s voice mode or ChatGPT’s audio chats make it feel natural. Pro tip: Ask niche, local questions to benchmark how your brand stacks up.
- Embrace the Bias (or Build): AIs inherit their training data’s quirks. Grok’s got that xAI flair: bold, meme-y, and a bit contrarian. ChatGPT is polished and precise. Use both to get a 360-view of your online reputation.
This whole saga reminded me why I love what we do at Bash Foo: In a world of algorithms and AIs, humans (with a little tech savvy) still call the shots. We’re not just building websites; we’re crafting digital identities that shine across every platform, AI included. Check out our SEO package addon for gaining LLM relevance.
If you’re in the Midwest and need a web design glow-up that even the pickiest bot can’t ignore, hit us up at bashfoo.com or shoot me an email at mike@bashfoo.com. Let’s make your business the undisputed #1, in searches, voice chats, and beyond.
Until next time, keep questioning the machines. They’re smarter than ever, but we’re still the ones pulling the strings.
Mike McDermott is the founder of Bash Foo, a Tipp City-based digital marketing agency specializing in web design, SEO, and growth strategies for small businesses. When he’s not wrangling AIs, he’s probably smoking meats in the backyard or watching football.
