Local search hasn’t disappeared. But people now have more ways to ask for a recommendation.
Someone looking for an electrician might search Google Maps, ask ChatGPT Search for options nearby, or see an AI Overview while searching Google. These experiences can show different businesses and sources, so a strong Maps position doesn’t automatically mean a business will appear in every AI answer.
That doesn’t mean local SEO needs to start from scratch. It means businesses should understand where AI fits into local discovery—and focus on the parts they can check and improve.
Local search now happens across more surfaces
Google AI Overviews can appear in Search when Google decides an AI summary will be useful. Those summaries can include links to supporting pages, and the businesses or sources shown can vary by query. developers.google.com
ChatGPT Search can use web sources and approximate location information to provide local results. Perplexity also presents answers with links to sources, so users can check where information came from.
These tools don’t all work in the same way, and no single list of optimisation steps guarantees a recommendation across every platform.
Strong local rankings don’t guarantee AI visibility
A business can perform well in traditional local search and still be missing from some AI recommendations. In SOCi’s 2026 benchmark of multi-location brands, only 45% of the top 20 brands for traditional local visibility in the retail category also appeared among the top 20 AI-recommended brands. That’s a finding about large brands in one category, not a prediction for every local business.
The useful takeaway is that visibility can differ between platforms. Treat AI results as another place to review how your business is represented, not as a replacement for Google Maps or Search.
GEO isn’t a secret formula
You may see the term Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) used for work aimed at helping a business appear in AI-generated answers. It’s a useful way to describe the goal, but don’t mistake it for a special Google ranking system with a fixed checklist.
Google says the usual SEO fundamentals apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. It doesn’t require special AI files or schema, and it recommends that structured data match what people can actually see on the page.
That means you don’t need to rewrite every page to fit a 40–60-word answer or add FAQ schema just because someone says AI prefers it. Clear, useful information and a technically accessible website are a better starting point.
Make your website easy to understand and access
If your pages are hard to find, vague or blocked from crawling, search systems may struggle to use them.
Review your site with a customer’s question in mind:
- Does each important service page explain what you do and where you offer it?
- Can a visitor find clear, specific answers without sorting through filler?
- Are your examples, credentials and business details accurate?
- Can search engines access the pages you want them to find?
If you want your public website to be eligible for ChatGPT Search results, OpenAI says to allow its OAI-Searchbot to crawl the site. That makes the site eligible for inclusion; it doesn’t guarantee that it will appear.
Keep your business information credible
AI-generated answers may draw on a business’s website and other information available online. Google, for example, says its local listings can use publicly available web content, third-party data, user contributions and Business Profile information.
Make sure important information about your services, locations and business is accurate wherever customers are likely to encounter it. Helpful pages, real examples of your work and genuine mentions from relevant organisations can also give people more context when they research your business.
These are sound ways to improve the information available about your business. They aren’t a promise that an AI tool will recommend you.
Check what AI tools actually say about your business
AI answers can change depending on the platform, prompt, location and time. A single test isn’t a reliable measure of your overall visibility.
Try a small set of realistic customer questions, such as:
- “Who provides [service] in [suburb]?”
- “Which [service] business in [city] works with [customer need]?”
- “What should I look for when choosing a [type of business] in [area]?”
For each test, record the platform, wording, location and date. Note whether your business appears, whether the information is accurate and which sources are cited. Repeat the checks over time before drawing conclusions.
For Google AI features, Search Console includes performance in the overall Web search reporting. It won’t provide a complete score for your visibility across every AI platform, but it can help you monitor Google Search traffic. developers.google.com
What local businesses should do now
Start with a manageable plan:
- Check that your important website pages can be crawled and indexed.
- Make service and location information clear, specific and accurate.
- Use structured data only when it correctly reflects visible page content.
- Review how your business appears in a few AI tools using repeatable prompts.
- Track useful outcomes—such as enquiries and website visits—not just mentions.
The goal isn’t to force your way into every AI answer. It’s to give customers and search systems reliable information they can understand and verify.
The takeaway
AI search is adding new ways for people to discover local businesses, but it hasn’t made local SEO irrelevant. Google’s guidance for AI search still points businesses towards sound SEO fundamentals, useful content and accessible pages. Other platforms have their own sources and methods, so results can differ.
If you want to review how your business appears across local search and AI-driven discovery, explore GlobalInfo’s AI SEO services and local SEO services, or book a strategy call.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI search replacing traditional local SEO?
No. Google’s AI features appear within Search and can link to websites, while Google Maps and traditional search results remain important ways for customers to find local businesses.
Do I need special schema to appear in AI Overviews?
Google says there’s no special schema or extra technical requirement for AI Overviews. Follow standard SEO practices and make sure any structured data matches the content people can see on your page.
Does a high Google Maps position guarantee an AI recommendation?
No. AI platforms can use different sources and present different results. A new benchmark found only partial overlap among top traditional-search and AI-recommended retail brands, but that study doesn’t predict what will happen for every business or category.
How can I check whether AI tools mention my business?
Use the same realistic questions on the platforms your customers might use. Record the location, prompt, date, result and any cited sources, then repeat the check over time. Results can vary, so look for patterns rather than relying on one answer.
