How AI is Shaping Local Search and Small Business SEO
The digital landscape is evolving at a rapid rate and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest impacts that is transforming search engine optimisation (SEO) as we know it. AI has woven itself into how we use the internet and small businesses that rely on local customers will find that understanding how AI is shaping local search can be a game changer.
AI is transforming SEO for every industry. AI in SEO is machine learning and data driven algorithms that improve how search engines understand and rank websites. AI helps search engines, such as Google, get smarter, ensuring they deliver relevant and accurate results.
AI is now responsible for powering online features and tools that you interact with daily. This can be asking Siri a question to how Google uses AI in its algorithms to identify exactly what you are searching for. AI works behind the scenes matching users with businesses based on their needs.
Local SEO has been essential for small businesses that want to attract their local community. Unlike other SEO strategies that focus on ranking globally or nationally, local SEO focuses on making your business how up when people are searching for the products or services you provide within your location.
The majority of people search online do so with intent, they are looking to take instant action. As a result, small businesses can thrive when they are visible in location-based search results.
Local SEO helps to:
AI is shaping how local SEO works. AI is getting smarter, more sophisticated, and search engines are becoming more in tune with delivering personalised and hyper-local results. This means small businesses need to adapt their local SEO strategies to stay abreast with how AI interprets location, relevance, and search intent.
Search engines are using AI to understand what users are looking for, rather than simply matching keywords. AI is focused on the intent behind the query. This means optimising for keywords, relevance, and quality. To achieve this you need to have an updated and accurate Google Business Profile, along with a steady flow of positive reviews.
With a rise in the use of AI-powered voice assistants, more people are using voice search when searching for local businesses. It's easier to talk into your phone when searching for a local business while on the go. Voice searches tend to be conversational and longer than text searches. AI is able to understand these queries. Small businesses should optimise their content for voice search focusing on answering questions in natural language.
AI has had a major impact on search engine results pages (SERPs), affecting organic traffic. Google and other search engines, are using AI, changing how results are displayed and how users interact with them. Small businesses need to understand these changes, ensuring your business remains visible.
Some of the major changes you may have noticed due to AI in SERPs is the introduction of featured snippets, knowledge panels, “people also ask” sections, and the AI Overview. These features are designed to provide direct answers on the SERP, reducing the need for users to click through to a website to find the information that they need.
AI is shaping Local Search and small business SEO as we know it, and as a small business owner you cannot afford to ignore this shift. AI is influencing how people find local businesses, at the same time AI is making SEO tasks more efficient. Get in touch with the expert team at Genie Crawl today to see how we can help you optimise for local SEO in 2025.
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