Get Your Local Business AI Search Ready - Be An Early Adapter

What Is AI Search?

Our digital world is evolving rapidly, and AI is rising prominently on the horizon. It’s no surprise that AI is gradually making its way into our everyday search experiences. When we talk about AI search, we’re referring to the advanced features search engines are increasingly adopting to deliver more detailed, personalized, and user-friendly results. These features can take the form of standalone platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude or direct integrations within traditional search engines, such as Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).

AI Search is revolutionizing how users find and process information. It allows you to access the right information faster, with fewer clicks and enables follow-up questions for deeper information gathering. Overall, the experience is becoming more conversational and interactive.

With AI Search on the rise, you might be wondering whether traditional SEO is enough to remain competitive in search rankings. The truth is, that SEO is evolving, and there are specific aspects you should now prioritize to stay ahead in the age of AI search.

What Is GEO?

The term GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization and refers to the process of optimizing your content and overall strategy for AI-driven platforms like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and others. As these tools continue to gain prominence in search experiences, offering conversational and interactive answers to users’ queries, it’s crucial for your business to rank among their top suggestions.

GEO represents the evolution of traditional SEO, expanding its focus beyond optimizing for search engines alone and optimizing also for AI tools and integrations. This shift is especially significant for local SEO, as AI-driven platforms are transforming how users discover and interact with local businesses. Whether searching for a nearby doctor, a local restaurant, or an emergency plumber, users are slowly expecting personalized, conversational results from AI tools. Thus, changing your strategy to align with these platforms will result in your business remaining visible and competitive when AI search gradually rolls out more and more into our daily search behavior.

What Is the Difference Between Local GEO and Local SEO?

Aspect	SEO (Search Engine Optimization)	GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Focus of Optimization	Optimizing for local search results mainly on traditional search engines like Google and Bing.	Optimizing for AI-driven platforms, such as ChatGPT, and hybrid search engines like Google SGE, where AI summaries complement traditional results.
User Interaction	Users search for local businesses or services on search engines and navigate to websites or maps.	Users ask AI tools specific, more conversational queries about local businesses and get direct answers or AI summaries.
Content Strategy	Focuses on creating locally relevant content, using location-based keywords, and managing online reviews.	Emphasizes structured data (e.g., location schemas), conversational content, and providing information relevant for AI summaries and hybrid search results.
Search Results	Appears as local packs (Google Maps), organic listings, and featured snippets.	Local answers are highlighted in AI-generated overviews (e.g., Google SGE) or directly within AI tools, blending AI summaries with traditional listings.
Google Business Profile (GBP)	Critical for improving visibility in local packs and maps by optimizing business details and reviews.	GBP remains essential as AI tools (and hybrid platforms like Google SGE) pull information directly from it to create accurate local summaries.
Success Measures	Success is tracked through local search rankings, organic traffic, GBP views, and customer reviews.	Success is measured by inclusion in AI-generated local summaries, prominence in hybrid search results, and user engagement with conversational responses.
Type of Queries	Optimizes for explicit local keywords (e.g., "best dentist in New York").	Adapts to conversational, AI-driven queries (e.g., "Who’s the best dentist near me for kids?").
User Journey	Users navigate through multiple steps—search results, GBP, and website—to find local businesses.	Users get immediate, conversational answers and summaries, potentially reducing the need to visit websites and often requiring fewer steps to find relevant information.
Reviews	Encourages collecting and managing online reviews to influence local search rankings and credibility.	AI tools rely heavily on reviews and ratings to curate the best recommendations for users.
Traffic vs. Visibility	Aims to drive foot traffic, calls, and website visits through traditional rankings and local packs.	Aims to ensure businesses are prominently featured in AI-driven summaries, such as Google SGE, even if users don't click through to a website.

How to Appear on AI Search Overviews?

No matter which AI search platform you’re targeting, they all share a common process: gathering information, processing it, and tailoring suggestions to match user queries. These platforms rely on specific structures and ranking factors to evaluate your business’s online presence.

First, you need to understand where the information is sourced from and then you need to optimize on this end!

ChatGPT gathers its information primarily from Bing search engine results, trusted public sources such as Wikipedia and government websites, and licensed datasets. It avoids relying on private or unindexed websites to ensure transparency and reliability.

Microsoft Copilot, on the other hand, draws its data from the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including tools like Word, Excel, and Teams, alongside Bing search engine results and professional directories like for instance LinkedIn. This allows it to cater to productivity-focused and business-oriented use cases.

Google SGE is powered by Gemini, Google’s response to ChatGPT. The local AI Overview provided by Gemini relies heavily on information from Google Business Profiles (GBP), with a strong emphasis on reviews and social proof. To ensure Gemini understands your business and what it offers, it’s crucial that the information on your GBP is accurate and up to date. In addition to GBP data, Google SGE pulls information from indexed websites, customer reviews, and structured data like schema markup.

General Optimization Rules for AI Search

Optimization Rule	Details
Optimize Your Business Listings	Ensure GBP and Bing Places are fully updated with consistent NAP details, accurate business descriptions, categories, and high-quality images.
Leverage Structured Data	Use schema markup (e.g., LocalBusiness, FAQ schema) to provide AI platforms with structured data about your business, location, services, and events.
Focus on Localized Content	Create hyperlocal content with location-based keywords, answering common queries (e.g., "best dentist in [city]") and writing about specific neighborhoods.
Prioritize Reviews and Ratings	Encourage positive customer reviews on Google, Bing, and Yelp. Respond promptly to reviews and showcase testimonials to build credibility and trust.
Align Content with AI Expectations	Write conversational, easy-to-understand content with clear headings, bullet points, and direct answers to local queries.
Optimize for Voice and Conversational Search	Adapt content to reflect natural language (e.g., "Where’s a good coffee shop near me?") and focus on long-tail keywords to optimize for voice searches.
Keep Content Fresh and Relevant	Regularly update your content with seasonal changes, new trends, and local events. Write blogs or guides to highlight your role in the community. Use Google Posts for fresh, daily updates.
Tailor for Hybrid Platforms Like Google SGE	Optimize for E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) and structure your content for AI-generated summaries.
Maintain Visibility Across AI-Driven Platforms	Ensure your business info is accessible to AI platforms by listing in trusted directories and using local keywords. Maintain NAP at all times to avoid contradicting information on the web.

What Is Google SGE?

One of the most significant advancements in AI search is Google SGE. This AI-powered feature appears at the top of regular search results, offering a summarized overview tailored to the user's specific query. As Google remains the leading platform for (local) searches, SGE holds immense importance. You may also know it as AI Overview. Currently, SGE is limited to certain locations, search queries, and is only accessible in the Google Chrome browser for users who opt in. For example, a search like "best time to visit Bali" might generate an AI-Overview that suggests the ideal travel time along with a curated list of Bali hotels. Results in the AI Overview can appear in various formats, such as flowing text or structured lists. Local results, in particular - like when searching for a nearby restaurant - often resemble the Google 3-pack format, providing a concise summary of top recommendations based on proximity, relevance, and reviews.

How Does SGE Change Local SEO?

While SGE poses a critical challenge for the organic search results, the local 3-pack will be less impacted. Google SGE completely dominates the screen and pushes the regular search results even further down. Now organic searches are not only competing with sponsored results and featured snippets but with an even bigger attention grabber! Local businesses however can take a breath, the local 3-pack will not end up at the bottom-of-the-page graveyard. And we have even more good news, a study by BrightEdge revealed that almost half of all SGE results generated in 2024 included place suggestions, mainly for local restaurant and travel searches! It poses an opportunity for tapping into new searches and securing potential customers through advanced search intent understanding. With a decline in organic search traffic (website traffic) local businesses have now the chance to stand out even more through smart optimizations of the Google Business Profile!

Regardless of where you want to show up, you don’t have to optimize “alone”. So called AI Agents will get you at the top of the search results with a precision that humans could not really achieve. We usually work 8h per day, 5 days a week. AI Agents work 24/7 and that 365 days of the year!

What Are AI Agents?

AI agents are software programs that can work on their own or with minimal help to get things done. They can take in information from their surroundings, use algorithms and machine learning to make decisions, and perform actions to meet specific goals. These agents are smart enough to learn from their experiences and improve over time. In easy terms, they are programs that independently do work for you.

They come in different types, like chatbots that help with customer service, tools for analyzing data, personal assistants, and programs that work with other systems. Using advanced technologies like natural language processing, machine learning, and predictive analytics, AI agents are now widely used to simplify tasks, make better decisions, and bring new ideas to life across various industries.

What Are the 3 Obenan AI Agents That Get You AI Search Ready?

If you're using Obenan, you're already ahead of the curve when it comes to optimizing for AI-driven search. Here's the thing: AI doesn’t just invent information—it pulls it from somewhere. That’s why it's crucial to optimize the sources AI relies on. The good news? You’ve already been doing this for years—optimizing for Google, following best practices, debunking myths about ranking factors, and staying one step ahead of your competitors. So, how does Obenan help you take it to the next level?

We’ve got 3 dedicated AI Agents working around the clock to ensure your online presence stays optimized—not just for traditional local search ranking factors, but also for AI-powered searches. These agents are constantly adapting to the latest updates and developments to make sure your business’s online presence is optimized correctly and will be ahead of the competition.

Ready to find out how these powerhouse agents get your business primed for those high-value AI searches? Let’s dive in!

Indexability Agent

If your business isn’t indexed, it’s essentially invisible! That’s where our Indexability Agent comes in, ensuring your business is properly indexed by search engines and ready for AI-driven platforms. This intelligent agent conducts in-depth market and trend analysis to automatically optimize your business listings. It keeps your business data accurate and consistent across 125+ platforms*, including must-haves for AI search like Google Business Profile and Bing Places.

Our agent also ensures your business is correctly categorized and linked with the right attributes, so AI algorithms can easily understand and retrieve your information. Indexability forms the foundation of your online visibility, not just for traditional search engines but also for AI tools. By making your business data accessible and structured, the Indexability Agent ensures that AI can seamlessly pull and present your information to potential customers, helping you stand out in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.

*The amount may vary depending on availability in each country.

Discoverability Agent

Our Discoverability Agent ensures your business gets matched with the right search queries, helping potential customers find you when they need you most. By targeting all the key factors search engines use to evaluate and rank businesses in local searches, it positions you as the top choice for users searching for services like yours.

This agent actively pushes fresh, daily content, keeping your business active, engaging, and visible. It provides valuable context to customers, search engines, and AI tools alike by incorporating traffic-driving keywords that connect your business with the right search queries. Beyond visibility, it helps you gain ranking authority over competitors by optimizing all aspects of your online presence.

The better your ranking on general search results, the Google 3-pack, or Google Maps, the higher the likelihood that AI search platforms like Google SGE or ChatGPT will feature your business in recommendations or summaries. With the Discoverability Agent, your business doesn’t just show up - it stands out, ensuring you’re the answer to your customer’s immediate needs.

Reputation Management Agent

Remember, AI search relies heavily on customer reviews to generate relevant and trustworthy recommendations. That’s where our Reputation Management Agent becomes your ultimate ally in preparing your business for AI-driven search. This powerful tool ensures you're continuously collecting fresh customer reviews that include traffic-driving keywords, automatically responding to them promptly on your behalf, and even taking proactive measures to prevent negative reviews from being published online.

By using this agent, your business not only steadily grows its review count but also maintains a flawless response rate of 100%. This boosts your average rating, showing AI algorithms that your business is reputable and responsive - two critical factors for ranking in AI-generated suggestions and summaries. Whether it’s Google SGE, ChatGPT, or other AI tools, these platforms prioritize businesses with strong, recent, and engaging review profiles. With our agent keeping your online reputation in top shape, your business is primed to stand out in AI Search results and attract more local customers effortlessly.

Be an Early Adapter - Join Obenan Before It’s Too Late

AI Search is on the rise and you need to jump on the train before your competition has already claimed all the spots and built a loyal customer base that could have been yours.

Effortlessly optimize for AI Search with Obenan’s 3 AI Agents that ensure autonomous optimizations without you having to worry about the how, why, where, and when! Make sure to be the first one to show up once features like Google SGE are fully rolled out and available to the broad population!

Lastly, the Ever-Present Question: Is (Local) SEO Dead?

This question has been going around for years, and the answer remains a resounding no. (Local) SEO is far from dead - it’s just evolving. The world of SEO is constantly shifting, and success depends on your ability to adapt and refine your strategies in response to new ranking factors and priorities.

Remember, SEO has always been about change. A few years ago, we used different techniques and achieved results that reflected the landscape at that time. We adjusted, we learned, and we grew - and the same will be true as we embrace AI search. This emerging form of SEO will likely become the new normal, and just like before, those who adapt will thrive. Let Obenan help you along this journey and take on the heavy work for you!