AI continues to upend the search industry. AI engines like ChatGPT continue to eat traditional search engines’ lunch, while Google responds by gobbling its own lunch before others can. Google has learned the consequences of not cannibalizing oneself in the face of disruption… from when it was the disruptor.
And it’s working to a degree. Overcoming the innovator’s dilemma and cannibalizing itself has put it in a strong position in the AI race, prompting Sam Altman’s recent “Code Red” memo. And as we’ve argued since the beginning of the AI hype cycle, Google is primed for AI. It’s been training its whole life for this.
But beyond those industry-level competitive dynamics, questions still loom such as the rapidly changing playbook for digital marketers. After spending years mastering SEO, do they have to now follow the shifting goal posts and learn a new craft, also known as AI SEO or generative engine optimization (GEO)?
All of this served as the backdrop to a webcast this week run by Yext. Moderated by our friend Mark Kabana, it hosted a who’s who of local SEO experts, including Local SEO Guide’s Andrew Shotland, Sterling Sky’s Joy Hawkins, and Search Lab’s Greg Gifford. These are some of the heaviest hitters in local SEO.
Will AI Elevate or Eviscerate Search: The New Rules of Engagement
Summarize & Synthesize
To summarize and synthesize the takeaways for Localogy Insider readers (you can also watch the full webcast replay below), we’ll zero in on a few key themes. For one, drawing on something noted above, Google isn’t afraid to disrupt itself by investing big in AI. It’s going hot & heavy to compete in AI search.
“Google is really hitting hard on this AI train,” said Hawkins, “and I don’t think it’s slowing down. So, I think SMB need to look at the AI features that are showing up in local search results, which are expanding every day.”
But before we go too far down the AI rabbit hole, traditional SEO is still alive and kicking. Despite all the noise, there are still ample consumer touchpoints with Google search, even if it is increasingly AI-infused. By extension, that means that SEO fundamentals still matter, and many of them carry over to AI SEO.
But sticking with core search, SMBs shouldn’t let the AI hype cycle distract them from still-relevant good-old SEO. For example, ranking factors for the local pack are still critical. And impactful factors that have grown, according to Hawkins, include average review rating and visible addresses in GBP listings.
Meanwhile, product-relevant keywords are still a big ranking factor, as are images in websites and GPB listings. But there’s some nuance in that image importance varies by vertical. If you sell and install garage doors, 500 images of garage doors won’t help you. But it’s important in restaurants for obvious reasons.
It’s also important to note that these vertical-specific tactics run across the board, not just with images. In Fact, Gifford laments generalist commentary in the SEO world that makes blanket statements about local SEO. It’s very important to learn the playbook for each vertical, as Google treats them differently.
Moving Target
Back to AI, there are of course several ways that it’s integrating with Google search, and that’s going to continue to be a moving target. That means that AI SEO for local search will likewise be a moving target. But then again, so is traditional SEO. The difference is that the pace of change in ranking factors has accelerated with AI.
In that light, what are tactical takeaways for AI search, and its local flavors? According to Hawkins, the AI local pack has greater scrutiny and competition than the regular-old local pack. For example, the number of businesses that show up in the AI local pack is about 1/3 of those in the regular local pack, on average.
This is partly due to smaller AI local packs, but also a narrower set of businesses that appear there. The same SEO-strong businesses are showing up more often, while underperformers and long-tail businesses get less love. This means that in an AI SEO for local search world, brand strength and prominence matter more than ever.
Boiling that all down, what should be priorities for SMBs and digital marketers? For one, paid search is increasingly important as a complement to SEO, to recoup for what you might be losing organically (per the above). And, according to Hawkins, work on your reviews, which could be your biggest SEO asset.
Meanwhile, Shotland says that engagement is king. Just like traditional SEO, user engagement that confers authority and credibility is critical in the AI SEO for local search age. That means fundamentals like users searching and clicking on you, writing reviews, and the rest of the laundry list of user engagement factors.
Finally, Gifford says to stop looking for SEO silver bullets. There’s no one thing that’s going to move the needle. It’s always a combination of factors, and it’s never generalized. In other words, it will always be specific to your business. That means test everything and find what works, then double down.
Best in the Business
So there you have it… a smattering of takeaways from the webcast. But it really only scratches the surface. You can see the full video below for more color, and we recommend watching it for fully fleshed-out insights from the heavy-hitter team. Think of it as free insights from the best in the business.
