Reputation makes or breaks your business.
As someone who teaches local service providers to build trust online, I wanted to see how generative AI handles a credibility check.
I ran a simple experiment: I asked ChatGPT about a marketer named Lane Houk, who sold me a pricey SEO platform that didn’t work.
Rather than relitigating old allegations, I want to show how easily AI surfaces reputational signals.
What ChatGPT revealed about Lane Houk
When I typed “What controversies are there about Lane Houk?” ChatGPT instantly surfaced two things that aligned with my own experience.
First, it pointed to a Florida appellate court decision about a foreclosure involving him.
Second, it highlighted blog posts complaining that his Signal Genesys SEO service failed to deliver results after a $10,500 payment.
In other words, without digging through court dockets or blogs myself, the AI flagged legal and customer issues.
Try it yourself
You can replicate this experiment to check any business partner, or even yourself, in just a few minutes:
- Ask a direct question. Open ChatGPT and type something like “What controversies involve [Name]?” or “What do people say about [Company]?” Be specific so the model knows what to look for.
- Read the summary. ChatGPT will pull from public records, news articles, reviews, and blog posts. Pay attention to the first things it mentions: they’re usually what sticks out online.
- Turn the lens inward. Ask the same question about your own name or company. If negative stories appear, that’s a cue to strengthen your digital footprint with case studies, testimonials, and responses.
What ChatGPT is really doing is reflecting your existing reputation back to you. If that foundation isn’t strong, AI won’t save you, and that’s exactly why reputation-first marketing matters.
Why it matters
Your reputation is defined by what others say about you online and offline. Lane Houk’s example proves that AI will surface both good and bad information. Use this knowledge to audit your credibility now and proactively build a body of work you’re proud of.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified.