Methodology
How we measure
On a small island, people check. So here is everything: the questions, how often we ask them, how we count, and what we never do.
The short version
- Same for everyone. Every business in a category is measured with the same questions, the same number of runs and the same math — including any business we work for.
- Can’t be bought. Nobody pays to appear or to be ranked. Paying for our improvement service never changes a score or its position.
- No single answers. AI answers vary from one ask to the next, so each question is asked 5 times and we only publish totals.
- Traceable. Every number comes from stored raw answers that we can re-check and recompute.
1. The questions
For each category we wrote about 20 questions that tourists actually type into an AI assistant: “best dive shop in bonaire”, “where should i get my padi open water certification in bonaire?”, and so on. They cover different angles — best overall, beginners, budget, families, couples, private trips — plus a few in Dutch, since many Bonaire visitors come from the Netherlands. No question names a business.
English questions are asked as if from the United States; Dutch questions as if from the Netherlands (English from United States; Dutch from Netherlands).
Bonaire: all questions
Dive shops20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| dive-01 | “best dive shop in bonaire” | Best | English |
| dive-02 | “which dive center in bonaire would you recommend?” | Best | English |
| dive-03 | “where should i get my padi open water certification in bonaire?” | Beginner | English |
| dive-04 | “best dive shop in bonaire for beginners” | Beginner | English |
| dive-05 | “cheapest place to rent dive gear and tanks in bonaire” | Budget | English |
| dive-06 | “best dive shop in bonaire for unlimited shore diving” | Shore diving | English |
| dive-07 | “which bonaire dive operators do boat dives to klein bonaire?” | Boat diving | English |
| dive-08 | “who offers guided shore dives in bonaire?” | Guided | English |
| dive-09 | “best place in bonaire for nitrox and tech diving courses” | Advanced | English |
| dive-10 | “dive shop in bonaire good for kids and junior divers” | Family | English |
| dive-11 | “dive shops near kralendijk bonaire” | Location | English |
| dive-12 | “best dive shop in the south of bonaire” | Location | English |
| dive-13 | “highest rated dive centers in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| dive-14 | “best dive and stay package in bonaire” | Package | English |
| dive-15 | “compare the main dive shops in bonaire” | Compare | English |
| dive-16 | “private dive guide in bonaire” | Private | English |
| dive-17 | “beste duikschool op bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| dive-18 | “waar kan ik het beste mijn duikbrevet halen op bonaire?” | Beginner | Dutch |
| dive-19 | “duikcentrum bonaire aanrader” | Best | Dutch |
| dive-20 | “goedkoop duikmateriaal huren op bonaire” | Budget | Dutch |
Snorkel & boat tours20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| snorkel-01 | “best snorkel tour in bonaire” | Best | English |
| snorkel-02 | “top boat trips in bonaire” | Best | English |
| snorkel-03 | “snorkel trip in bonaire for beginners who can't swim well” | Beginner | English |
| snorkel-04 | “cheap snorkel tour bonaire” | Budget | English |
| snorkel-05 | “best way to snorkel klein bonaire” | Location | English |
| snorkel-06 | “bonaire drift snorkel tour” | Specific | English |
| snorkel-07 | “family friendly boat trip in bonaire with kids” | Family | English |
| snorkel-08 | “romantic boat trip for couples in bonaire” | Couples | English |
| snorkel-09 | “private boat charter bonaire snorkeling” | Private | English |
| snorkel-10 | “best snorkel excursion in bonaire for cruise ship passengers” | Cruise visitors | English |
| snorkel-11 | “where can i snorkel with turtles in bonaire on a tour?” | Specific | English |
| snorkel-12 | “small group snorkel tour bonaire” | Small group | English |
| snorkel-13 | “snorkel trip in bonaire with lunch and open bar” | All-inclusive | English |
| snorkel-14 | “highest rated snorkel tours in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| snorkel-15 | “what's the best half day boat trip in bonaire?” | Duration | English |
| snorkel-16 | “compare the main snorkel tour operators in bonaire” | Compare | English |
| snorkel-17 | “beste snorkeltocht bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| snorkel-18 | “boottocht naar klein bonaire snorkelen” | Location | Dutch |
| snorkel-19 | “snorkelen met kinderen op bonaire boottocht” | Family | Dutch |
| snorkel-20 | “leuke boottocht bonaire aanrader” | Best | Dutch |
Sailing & sunset cruises20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| sailing-01 | “best sailing tour in bonaire” | Best | English |
| sailing-02 | “best catamaran cruise bonaire” | Best | English |
| sailing-03 | “best sunset cruise in bonaire” | Sunset | English |
| sailing-04 | “sunset sail bonaire with drinks” | Sunset | English |
| sailing-05 | “dinner cruise in bonaire” | Dinner | English |
| sailing-06 | “romantic sailing trip in bonaire for an anniversary” | Couples | English |
| sailing-07 | “private sailing charter bonaire” | Private | English |
| sailing-08 | “private sunset sailboat for a small group in bonaire” | Private | English |
| sailing-09 | “affordable sailing trip in bonaire” | Budget | English |
| sailing-10 | “full day sailing trip in bonaire” | Duration | English |
| sailing-11 | “where can i learn to sail in bonaire?” | Learn | English |
| sailing-12 | “sailing yacht trip in bonaire that isn't a party boat” | Specific | English |
| sailing-13 | “sailing trip in bonaire for a birthday or group celebration” | Groups | English |
| sailing-14 | “highest rated sailing tours in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| sailing-15 | “sailing excursion in bonaire for cruise passengers” | Cruise visitors | English |
| sailing-16 | “compare sailing and catamaran tours in bonaire” | Compare | English |
| sailing-17 | “zeiltocht bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| sailing-18 | “sunset cruise bonaire aanrader” | Sunset | Dutch |
| sailing-19 | “catamaran tocht bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| sailing-20 | “romantische zeiltocht bonaire” | Couples | Dutch |
Restaurants20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| food-01 | “best restaurants in bonaire” | Best | English |
| food-02 | “where should i eat in bonaire?” | Best | English |
| food-03 | “best seafood restaurant in bonaire” | Cuisine | English |
| food-04 | “where to eat local food in bonaire” | Local | English |
| food-05 | “most romantic restaurant in bonaire” | Couples | English |
| food-06 | “best waterfront restaurant in kralendijk” | Location | English |
| food-07 | “restaurant with a sunset view in bonaire” | Sunset | English |
| food-08 | “cheap good food in bonaire” | Budget | English |
| food-09 | “best breakfast or brunch in bonaire” | Breakfast | English |
| food-10 | “family friendly restaurants in bonaire” | Family | English |
| food-11 | “best vegetarian or vegan food in bonaire” | Dietary | English |
| food-12 | “best fine dining in bonaire” | Luxury | English |
| food-13 | “best beach bar in bonaire” | Casual | English |
| food-14 | “best lunch spot in bonaire after diving” | Lunch | English |
| food-15 | “highest rated restaurants in kralendijk” | Reviews | English |
| food-16 | “restaurant in bonaire for a special occasion” | Occasion | English |
| food-17 | “beste restaurant bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| food-18 | “lekker eten kralendijk aanrader” | Best | Dutch |
| food-19 | “romantisch diner bonaire” | Couples | Dutch |
| food-20 | “goedkoop uit eten bonaire” | Budget | Dutch |
Hotels & stays20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| hotel-01 | “best hotel in bonaire” | Best | English |
| hotel-02 | “where to stay in bonaire” | Best | English |
| hotel-03 | “nicest resort in bonaire” | Luxury | English |
| hotel-04 | “best dive resort in bonaire” | Divers | English |
| hotel-05 | “affordable hotel in bonaire” | Budget | English |
| hotel-06 | “best family resort in bonaire” | Family | English |
| hotel-07 | “adults only resort bonaire” | Adults only | English |
| hotel-08 | “bonaire hotel with a beach” | Beach | English |
| hotel-09 | “best hotel in bonaire for a honeymoon” | Couples | English |
| hotel-10 | “boutique hotel bonaire” | Boutique | English |
| hotel-11 | “best apartments or condos to rent in bonaire” | Apartment | English |
| hotel-12 | “where to stay in bonaire for a month” | Long stay | English |
| hotel-13 | “best area to stay in bonaire” | Location | English |
| hotel-14 | “where to stay in bonaire near lac bay” | Location | English |
| hotel-15 | “highest rated hotels in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| hotel-16 | “all inclusive resort bonaire” | All-inclusive | English |
| hotel-17 | “beste hotel bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| hotel-18 | “waar overnachten op bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| hotel-19 | “appartement huren bonaire aanrader” | Apartment | Dutch |
| hotel-20 | “duikresort bonaire” | Divers | Dutch |
Car & truck rental20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| car-01 | “best car rental in bonaire” | Best | English |
| car-02 | “which rental car company should i use in bonaire?” | Best | English |
| car-03 | “pickup truck rental bonaire for diving” | Divers | English |
| car-04 | “best car rental in bonaire for divers” | Divers | English |
| car-05 | “cheapest car rental bonaire” | Budget | English |
| car-06 | “car rental at bonaire airport” | Location | English |
| car-07 | “4x4 rental bonaire for washington slagbaai park” | 4x4 | English |
| car-08 | “local car rental companies in bonaire” | Local | English |
| car-09 | “scooter or golf cart rental bonaire” | Alternatives | English |
| car-10 | “long term car rental bonaire” | Long stay | English |
| car-11 | “car rental in bonaire with child seats” | Family | English |
| car-12 | “e-bike rental bonaire” | Alternatives | English |
| car-13 | “highest rated car rental in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| car-14 | “do i need a rental car in bonaire and which company should i use?” | Do I need one | English |
| car-15 | “car rental in bonaire that delivers to your hotel” | Delivery | English |
| car-16 | “car rental in bonaire with full insurance and no hidden fees” | Trust | English |
| car-17 | “auto huren bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
| car-18 | “pick-up huren bonaire duiken” | Divers | Dutch |
| car-19 | “goedkope autoverhuur bonaire” | Budget | Dutch |
| car-20 | “betrouwbare autoverhuur bonaire” | Trust | Dutch |
Windsurf & kitesurf20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| wind-01 | “best windsurf school in bonaire” | Best | English |
| wind-02 | “best kitesurf school in bonaire” | Best | English |
| wind-03 | “learn to windsurf in bonaire as a beginner” | Beginner | English |
| wind-04 | “kitesurfing lessons bonaire for beginners” | Beginner | English |
| wind-05 | “windsurf lessons for kids in bonaire” | Family | English |
| wind-06 | “windsurf board rental lac bay bonaire” | Rental | English |
| wind-07 | “kite gear rental bonaire” | Rental | English |
| wind-08 | “where to kitesurf in bonaire” | Location | English |
| wind-09 | “best place at lac bay to rent windsurf gear” | Location | English |
| wind-10 | “stand up paddle rental bonaire” | Alternatives | English |
| wind-11 | “wing foil lessons bonaire” | Specific | English |
| wind-12 | “private kitesurf lessons bonaire” | Private | English |
| wind-13 | “cheap windsurf lessons bonaire” | Budget | English |
| wind-14 | “highest rated windsurf and kite schools in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| wind-15 | “best time and school for kitesurfing in bonaire” | Season | English |
| wind-16 | “kitesurf camp or package in bonaire” | Package | English |
| wind-17 | “windsurfles bonaire” | Beginner | Dutch |
| wind-18 | “kitesurfen leren op bonaire” | Beginner | Dutch |
| wind-19 | “surfplank huren lac bay” | Rental | Dutch |
| wind-20 | “kitesurfschool bonaire aanrader” | Best | Dutch |
Island & nature tours20 questions
| ID | Question | Type | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| tours-01 | “best tours in bonaire” | Best | English |
| tours-02 | “best things to do in bonaire besides diving” | Best | English |
| tours-03 | “mangrove kayak tour bonaire” | Kayak | English |
| tours-04 | “clear kayak tour bonaire” | Kayak | English |
| tours-05 | “guided tour of washington slagbaai national park” | National park | English |
| tours-06 | “where to see flamingos in bonaire on a tour” | Wildlife | English |
| tours-07 | “best island tour in bonaire” | Island tour | English |
| tours-08 | “atv or buggy tour bonaire” | Adventure | English |
| tours-09 | “cave tour bonaire” | Adventure | English |
| tours-10 | “horseback riding bonaire” | Specific | English |
| tours-11 | “birdwatching tour bonaire” | Wildlife | English |
| tours-12 | “best tours in bonaire for families” | Family | English |
| tours-13 | “best shore excursion in bonaire for cruise passengers” | Cruise visitors | English |
| tours-14 | “cultural or history tour bonaire” | Culture | English |
| tours-15 | “private island tour bonaire with a local guide” | Private | English |
| tours-16 | “highest rated tours in bonaire” | Reviews | English |
| tours-17 | “excursies bonaire aanrader” | Best | Dutch |
| tours-18 | “mangrove kajak tour bonaire” | Kayak | Dutch |
| tours-19 | “rondrit bonaire met gids” | Island tour | Dutch |
| tours-20 | “leukste activiteiten bonaire” | Best | Dutch |
2. Asking the AI
We use ChatGPT with web search, the way a tourist would see it — answer text, cited sources and the business cards it shows. Each question is asked 5 times, so a category of 20 questions gives100 answers. We store every raw answer.
We currently measure ChatGPT. Other assistants, such as Gemini, will be added the same way and shown separately.
3. Counting a mention
A business counts as mentioned in an answer if any of these is true:
- The answer names it — its name or a known alternative spelling or short name (“Dive Friends” for “Dive Friends Bonaire”).
- One of the business cards or brand names the AI shows matches it.
- The answer cites or links the business’s own website.
Matching ignores capital letters, accents, a trailing island or town name, and small typos. Each answer counts once per business, however many times the name appears in it. Names we can’t match to a known business are reviewed by hand every month, and the business list is updated.
4. The numbers
- AI Share
- Answers that mention the business ÷ all answers in its category. Shown as a whole percent. 34% means it was named in 34 of 100 answers.
- Rank
- Position by AI Share within the category. Businesses with the same share get the same rank. Businesses that were never named are listed, unranked, as “not named yet”.
- Change
- Difference in percentage points from the previous month (▲ up, ▼ down).
- By question type
- The same calculation, limited to the questions of one type (for example only “Budget” questions, or only Dutch questions).
- Questions you show up for
- For each question, how many of the 5 runs named the business, shown as “3/5”.
- “AI calls it”
- The short label AI most often attaches to the business, such as “Best for beginners”, taken from the answers themselves.
- Where AI gets its information
- The websites cited in the parts of answers that mention the business, counted.
5. Problems we look for
We also check how AI lists each business — for example, whether its business card links to the wrong website, or to no website at all. To avoid shaming anyone publicly, we only publish the number of problems found. The details go to the owner, privately.
6. How often
We run the full set of questions once a month. Each page says which month its data is from (currently October 2026).
Questions or corrections
If a business is missing, listed under the wrong name, or you think a number is wrong,send us a message. We will check it against the raw answers.