TL;DR
Optimising for local AI search means optimising for Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). To rank in Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT responses, you need to provide clear and authoritative answers to questions your customers questions in a well-defined format. To achieve this, you should:
- Write content that answers questions what your customers will ask in a Q&A format
- Ensure your business information shows up the same way on trusted websites that AI uses for research (consistent NAP)
- Implement structured data on your website (local schema markup)
- Build credibility online by developing E-E-A-T
- Target longtail conversational “near me” queries with question based content
How Can You Show Up In Local Results?
Just last year I began to realise that more and more customers are typing questions into Google and AI assistants rather than searching for blue link websites. When I run a search for my local service providers, I’m increasingly met with AI summaries at the top of Google’s results rather than a link to their website.
Likewise, I’ve noticed that ChatGPT is becoming a more common place to search for local businesses.
I call this new trend: Local AI Search.
Local AI search has changed the entire strategy I use to get found online.
If my business doesn’t show up in AI search, I’m not showing up for customers. And worse, I’m losing potential customers to my competition that are.
NEW: AI-powered features are now
included in over 60% of SERPs
If you haven’t taken notice, there’s no time like the present. Google AI Overviews now show up in nearly 55% of all Google searches, becoming a common part of everyday browsing.
What Is Local AI Search and Why Should I Care?
Local AI search is when search engines and AI digital assistants find information about local businesses and provide it directly to customers. Instead of giving searchers a list of blue links to crawl through, AI will often provide a single answer at the top or bottom of search results.
Ask Alexa or your Google home device “Find me a plumber near me” and your AI assistant will search for you then read you a list of businesses.
Customers are asking questions about local businesses to AI assistants EVERY DAY. That means if your business can’t be found by these AI tools, your business doesn’t exist to your customers.
I have realised the growing need to optimise for AI or lose my competitive edge for example.
AI SEO 2026: Is Your Business Optimised for AI SEO to Survive?
How Do I Optimise for Local AI Search?
On optimising for local search via AI, think less traditional SEO and more Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Getting ranked on Page One in AI isn’t about getting my website to rank for keyword rich phrases. Instead, it’s about getting my business information shown VERBATIM in an answer.
To get optimised for AI, I provide clear and authoritative answers to questions people ask in a well-defined format. Websites, business directories, review sites, rich snippets on Google, city websites and online forums are where I provide this information.
From there, AI services crawl this data and provide direct answers to customers who are asking questions about my business.
Key Elements of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) that I’m Focusing On
- Answering questions my customers will ask in a clear Q&A format
- Showing up the same on websites that AI uses to generate answers (Consistent NAP)
- Implementing markup on my website (schema markup)
- Optimising for Experience and Expertise (E-E-A-T)
- Targeting question based longtail “near me” queries
Why Is Consistent NAP Important for AI Search?
AI won’t trust my business information if it can’t find the same name, address, and phone number on multiple websites. Let’s say my business shows up on Google Business Profile, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, and Apple Maps. However, my address shows on Google Business Profile with a first line apartment number “123 Example St. Apt. 1” but on Apple Maps my address is “123 Example Street Apt. 1.”
While these two addresses probably mean the same thing to you and me, search engines may not know that these two locations are the same business. AI searches may never connect these two listings as my business.
Not only do I need to make sure my NAP is consistent across all online directories and locations my business shows up, but I also need to monitor these places regularly to ensure changes are made when they occur.
I use SEMRush to monitor my NAP consistency, display my full address on my website contact page, and show my business location on Google Maps.
How Does Local Schema Markup Impact AI?
Schema markup allows me to send signals directly to Google and AI what my business is. Think of schema as a conversation between me and Google/AI. By implementing schema, I can tell Google/AI things like my name, address, hours of operation, services, and much more in a language they both understand.
Without schema markup, AI is left to figure out what my business does by crawling my website and hoping they can find clear answers.
How Do I Build E-E-A-T for Local Search?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience + Expertise + Authoritativeness + Trustworthiness. E-E-A-T is a ranking factor that Google uses to rank websites, and it’s becoming increasingly important for AI search.
Building local credibility means proving to AI that my business has the experience and skillset to solve customers problems. Fortunately, there are several actions I can take to build E-E-A-T for my business.
How Can I Target Conversational Searches and “Near Me” Queries?
Traditional SEO often revolves around keyword research and finding search terms that people use in Google. With AI search, I want to think less about keywords and think more about questions.
When working on local AI optimisation, I ask myself questions like:
- How do customers find local SEO near them?
- What does someone say when they want leads immediately?
- Who do I ask when I need a top tool for marketing?
These types of question-based searches are called conversational searches. I use conversational searches as inspiration to create content that answers questions around these topics.
Asking questions containing “near me” is another popular type of conversational search. Since most local businesses are searched with strong location intent, I should also optimise my content for these types of queries.
Google My Business
Reviews are HUGE for local AI search.
When AI crawls the internet for local businesses to show customers, reviews are a great way for these bots to decide if my business is trustworthy. But don’t just focus on quantity over quality. AI will actually analyse your reviews for keywords and link back to them later. That means that if my reviews are detailed and provide genuine helpful information about my service, AI is more likely to pick up my business.
It should also be noted that having reviews on popular websites like Reddit will get me noticed by AI. AI tends to crawl websites that other websites are linking to. These websites are often authoritative news websites and forums like Reddit.
Which Local Citations are Best for AI?
Similar to reviews, some citations will matter more to AI than others. Here are some high-impact places I can get listed for local AI search.
Industry Related Review Sites
Local News Sites
Local Search Engines
Professional Associations
Local Brand Mentions
The important thing to take away from local citations is that AI tends to crawl websites that other websites are linking to. Garnering mentions on authority websites like news publications and large forums will allow AI to crawl these websites and potentially pick up my business.
Why Should I Target Reviews and Citations?
Reviews and citations show authority to AI.
Show me reviews on your website.
Show me you’re popular on social media.
Show me you exist on GoogleMaps.
These are just some of the thoughts that run through AI when trying to decide if my business is relevant to search queries.
How Long Does it Take to See Results From Optimising for Local AI Search?
It typically takes about 2-3 months to see some sort of movement when it comes to optimising for local AI. However, a full local AI search optimisation strategy can take 6-12 months to complete.
Failing to optimise for local AI search will eventually hurt my business. As more and more people turn to AI digital assistants to find local businesses, my business could be pushed farther down in search results OR not show up at all.