Written by: Ashley Wade

If you’re seeing fewer website visits but more calls or direction requests coming from search results and map apps, you’re not imagining it. Local search has changed.

AI now answers many local searches by recommending businesses directly. When someone searches “best local seafood near me” or “top wineries and tours,” AI may show a curated list based on Google Business Profiles, reviews, directories, websites, and other trusted data sources, all before a user clicks a single link.

What Has Changed — AI and the New Local Search Experience

From Search Results to Search Answers

Google now frequently uses AI Overviews (AI-powered summaries that appear at the top of search results) to respond to local searches. Instead of forcing users to click through multiple websites, Google often provides an answer immediately—and includes a short list of recommended businesses within that response.

These recommendations don't always come from the traditional local 3-pack (the three businesses that appear in the map section of Google search results). In many cases, they're pulled from data Google already trusts, including business listings, reviews, and structured content.

As a result, visibility today isn't just about where you rank. It's about whether your business is selected as part of the answer.

How AI Decides Which Businesses Show

Modern AI search tools don’t just look at websites anymore. They need to understand your business and trust the information before they recommend it. That’s why AI looks for the same details across the places customers already expect to find you.

AI compares details from:

Your Google Business Profile
Your website
Major online directories (like Yelp, Apple Maps, industry sites, and local chambers of commerce)
Customer reviews

When all of this information matches, your business is easier for AI to understand and recommend. When details don’t line up, AI often skips over the business entirely rather than risk showing something inaccurate.

Why Google Business Profiles Matter More Than Ever

AI-powered search experiences often pull details directly from Google Business Profiles (formerly known as Google My Business—the free listing that controls how your business appears on Google Search and Maps). This includes services, photos, reviews, and hours. In many cases, this information appears before a user ever reaches a website.

That makes your profile less of a supporting asset and more of a primary source of truth. A well-maintained profile helps both customers and AI systems understand exactly what you do, where you operate, and why you're a good choice.

Ownership Means Control

Claiming your Google Business Profile gives you control over how your business appears across Search, Maps, and AI-powered results. It allows you to keep your information accurate, respond to customer feedback, and present your business professionally.

A verified and active profile signals that your business is legitimate, qualities that matter not only to customers, but to Google's systems as well.

What Happens When Profiles Aren’t Managed

When profiles go unclaimed or are rarely updated, problems tend to stack up quietly. Business details may change without your knowledge, reviews go unanswered, and visibility declines.

In an AI-driven search environment, uncertainty is costly. If Google's systems aren't confident in your information, they're far less likely to recommend your business, even if you've served your community for years.

Best Practices for Local SEO in the AI Era

Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for AI

Think of your Google Business Profile as a living business record, not a one-time setup. The goal is clarity, for people and for machines.

Start by making sure every relevant section is fully completed. Categories should be specific and accurately reflect what you actually want to be found for. Services and products should be written in plain language that mirrors how customers ask for help.

Photos play a larger role than many realize. Regularly updated images of your location, team, and services help AI and customers confirm that your business is active and legitimate. Posting updates or short explanations about your services also helps reinforce what you do in a way that AI can understand and reuse.

Reviews are no longer just about star ratings. Recent, descriptive reviews give AI context about what your business does well and when it should be recommended. Responding to reviews in clear, natural language reinforces those signals and shows engagement.

Making Your Business Easy for AI to Cite

To increase the chances of your business being recommended by AI, focus on making your information clear, consistent, and easy to verify.

AI is more likely to cite your business when:

Your descriptions are written in an “answer-first” way

Clearly explain what you do, who you serve, and where you operate in one or two simple sentences. This is more effective than long or overly promotional marketing copy.

The same wording is used everywhere

Use consistent language across your Google Business Profile, website, and major directories so AI sees the same story repeated in multiple trusted places.

Your website supports your business listing

Service and location pages should clearly match what’s listed in your profile. Simple headings, short paragraphs, and clear FAQs make it easier for AI to pull accurate information.

Your website is structured for clarity

Using structured data (behind-the-scenes code that labels things like your hours, services, and location) helps search engines understand your business details and connect them correctly.

Your business is validated by others

Reviews, directory listings, and mentions on reputable local or industry websites help confirm that your business is trustworthy and worth recommending.

What We Predict Next

Local search is continuing to move away from traditional rankings and toward recommendation-based visibility. Businesses that win won't necessarily be the loudest or most aggressive with tactics. They'll be the ones that are easiest to understand, most consistent, and most trusted.

We expect Google Business Profiles to play an even larger role as AI becomes the front door to local discovery. Reviews, real-world signals, and accurate data will matter more than technical shortcuts. While total clicks may decrease, the quality of visibility will increase for businesses that are cited directly in AI answers.

The future of local SEO isn't about chasing algorithms. It's about making your business the clearest, safest answer Google can give.

How will you leverage it? Let’s chat: www.a-rmarketing.com/contact