A year or two ago, local search meant one thing: get into Google’s map results. That still matters. But a growing number of people now ask Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT or Perplexity “who’s a good dog groomer near Brighton?” and get an answer before they ever see a list of links.
So what changes for a small business? Less than you’d think, and a few things more than you’d like. Here’s what we’re telling our clients.
What’s actually different
Traditional search gives people a list and lets them choose. AI search often picks for them. It reads what’s available about local businesses, summarizes it, and names a few.
That means two things. Being one of the businesses an AI tool mentions matters more than ranking seventh. And the AI is only as accurate as the information it can find about you. If your hours, services or location are unclear or inconsistent across the web, it may describe you wrong, or skip you.
What still matters (more than ever)
Your Google Business Profile
It remains the most important local listing you have, and Google’s own AI features draw on it. Fill in every field, keep hours current, choose accurate categories, add real photos and post updates now and then.
Consistent details everywhere
Your name, address, phone number, hours and services should match across Google, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook and your own website. AI tools pull from many of these sources. Inconsistencies make you look less trustworthy, to software and people alike.
Reviews, and what they say
Reviews have always mattered for local rankings. AI summaries also read what reviews say. A review that mentions “great with anxious dogs” or “same-day appointments” gives an AI something specific to repeat. You can’t write reviews for customers, but you can ask them to mention what they used you for.
Service pages that answer questions plainly
AI tools quote pages that answer questions directly. A services page that says what you do, who it’s for, where you work and roughly what it costs is far more useful than one full of slogans. Write the way a customer would ask: “Do you groom large breeds?” “How long does a full groom take?”
Schema markup: worth doing, not magic
Schema markup is a small block of code, usually in a format called JSON-LD, that states facts about your business in a way machines can read without guessing: your name, address, phone, hours, service area and links to your social profiles. The vocabulary comes from schema.org, which Google, Microsoft and others support.
Here’s what a simple version looks like for a made-up business:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Brighton Paws Grooming",
"url": "https://www.example.com",
"telephone": "+1-617-555-0123",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Example Street",
"addressLocality": "Boston",
"addressRegion": "MA",
"postalCode": "02135",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"openingHoursSpecification": [{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": ["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],
"opens": "09:00",
"closes": "18:00"
}],
"areaServed": ["Brighton", "Allston", "Brookline"],
"sameAs": [
"https://www.instagram.com/yourbusiness",
"https://www.facebook.com/yourbusiness"
]
}
</script>A few honest notes:
- Use a more specific type if one fits, like Restaurant, Dentist or HairSalon. Schema.org lists dozens.
- Most SEO plugins, like Yoast and Rank Math, can add this for you on WordPress, so you may not need to touch code.
- Check it with Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator.
- Schema doesn’t boost your rankings on its own. It helps search engines and AI tools read your details correctly, which matters more now that they’re summarizing for people.
How to tell if AI is finding you
- Ask the tools. Search ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google for the questions your customers would ask, like “best [your service] in [your neighborhood].” Note who shows up and what’s said about you.
- Check your analytics. In Google Analytics, look for visits referred from chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and similar sites. The numbers are small for most businesses today, but they’re worth watching.
- Ask new customers how they found you. “ChatGPT recommended you” is becoming a real answer.
The short version
AI search rewards the same things good local SEO always did: a complete Google Business Profile, consistent details, real reviews and clear pages. Add basic schema markup so your details are easy to read, then check what the AI tools are saying about you every few months.
Want to know how your business looks to Google and AI tools today? Our SEO Audit covers your listings, schema and pages, or book a free 20-minute call.
