AI, Authenticity, and Attribution: Your 2025 Location Marketing Non-Negotiables!

A lot was going on for marketers in 2024, right? So, let's make a stand. 2025 is the year when we take stock and put our efforts into achieving greater efficiency and results.

We have identified 3 key pillars to help you do just that—cut through the noise and focus on what matters most.

1. AI: Your Marketing Superpower

Sorry, we know you’re sick of seeing it (on every marketing trends post out there), but hear us out. AI is not going anywhere. It’s the hot topic of boardrooms, marketing summits, and even family dinners. (Yes, your grandma probably asked if ChatGPT can bake cookies yet. Spoiler: it can’t. At least not yet.) You might understandably roll your eyes at the hype but AI is no passing fad. It’s redefining how marketers operate daily, and it can be a game-changer when used wisely.

AI is here to help you as a location marketing superhero to streamline the boring but necessary activities, like crunching numbers and sifting through data, so you can focus on strategy and creativity. Need to personalize your campaigns at scale? Done. Want to manage customer reviews faster? Easy. AI brings the jet fuel, but crucially you’re still the pilot.

AI might seem scary like it’s here to replace marketers but in reality, it’s your secret weapon. Marketers using AI are projected to achieve 60% greater revenue growth than those flying solo. Moreover, according to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of marketing teams will rely on AI to handle at least 30% of their workflows, from creative ideation to operational tasks. The key is using it wisely: don’t set it and forget it. Use AI to amplify your expertise and fuel better results.

2. Be Authentic and Keep It Simple

We have more tools and tech than ever before, but success still boils down to the basics which a lot of us have neglected in recent months. While AI can make you faster and more efficient, the fundamentals of location marketing are still your bread and butter.

Here’s where to start:

• Know your audience and your customer base. Understand their preferences, needs and behaviors to deliver the right message and create meaningful connections. This is the backbone of successful local SEO. When you know what your customers are searching for, where they’re looking, and how they engage with businesses like yours, you can tailor your message to meet them at the right moment. For instance, optimizing for “near me” searches or using localized keywords based on customer behaviors can significantly boost your visibility in local results. Add personalized touches like responding to reviews or highlighting location-specific offers, and you’ll create meaningful connections that build loyalty and trust.

• Optimize your visibility. Boost search rankings by prioritising local SEO so that your locations rank highly in search results, boosting their chances of being found and chosen by potential customers. Among the best things you can do to ensure your locations get found in search results is to complete your Google Business Profiles and Apple Map listings accurately. On these, you need to have your NAP data (name, address, phone number) spot on. Then, add direct links to your website and select relevant categories, attributes, and services to boost your visibility in searches, including in the Google 3-Pack and Google Maps, and, of course, on Apple Maps. Don’t stop there though! You’ve also got to optimize other platforms and channels critical to your business’s online presence.

• Manage your reputation. Your digital storefront is as critical as your physical one and nothing works harder to promote your locations than customer reviews. Honest reviews on the likes of Google, Yelp, and Trustpilot are SEO gold so encourage customers to share feedback. But don’t forget to reply to all reviews to show you care and boost trust. A review management tool keeps it all under control.

• Build engagement with your audience. Hyperlocal social posts are underutilized and highly effective in increasing conversions. Sharing neighborhood events, celebrating community milestones, or highlighting store-specific offers creates a personal connection that search engines love and customers trust. By showing you’re part of the community, you not only boost conversions but also improve your visibility in “near me” searches, making it easier for local customers to choose you.

A key aspect of doing the basics and keeping things simple is being authentic so stay true to your brand and what it does best. Yes, authenticity is becoming something of a cliche among marketers but there’s good reason why it’s on everyone’s minds – 86% of consumers say authenticity is key to choosing a brand, but only 57% of brands are seen as authentic.

Being authentic by showing up as a human, not a marketing machine. Respond to reviews, share real stories, and stay consistent. Authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

3. Practical Revenue Attribution: Show Me the Money

Let’s face it: CMOs are under pressure to prove financial outcomes fast. Clicks and impressions are no longer enough. Now, every marketing dollar needs to show a clear return on investment. The brands that can measure the full customer journey—online to offline—and attach financials to it, are the ones that will have the edge in 2025.

But most marketers are drowning in fragmented data. 73% do not have clear KPIs for measuring location marketing, and even fewer connect those metrics directly to revenue. That’s where Location Performance Optimization (LPO) comes in as a new practice to connect digital presence to local revenue.

At the heart of LPO is the Location Performance Score (LPS), a revolutionary metric designed to combine visibility, engagement, and reputation into one clear number that shows how your digital presence drives revenue. It’s the missing link between your online activities and your bottom line which will enable you to make data-driven decisions quickly.

Actionable Tips for Revenue Attribution:

• Start Small with Key Metrics: Pick one key metric, like “Clicks to Driving Directions.” Estimate how many clicks lead to purchases and the average purchase value. Multiply those numbers for a rough revenue figure, then divide by your investment costs. Voilà—your local SEO ROI (roughly)!

• Think Long-Term: Don’t just measure immediate gains. Account for ongoing revenue driven by consistent visibility, engagement, and reputation management. This gives you a clearer picture of your cumulative impact.

• Leverage LPO: Streamline your process with solutions and practices that combine fragmented data into actionable insights. Metrics like LPS can help you focus on activities that drive real revenue.

• Automate Where Possible: Use analytics and reporting tools to save time and stay accurate, freeing you to refine your strategy instead of wrestling with spreadsheets.

Remember, building a revenue attribution model doesn’t need to be complex. By starting with a simple funnel and scaling up, you can showcase the value of your location marketing efforts and make a compelling case for future investments.

2025: From Overwhelm to Opportunity

So, what’s the game plan for 2025? It boils down to three essentials:

1. Unleash your superpower with AI as your co-pilot—not your replacement.

2. Solidify your strategy by mastering the fundamentals and staying authentic while having the courage to experiment.

3. Get serious about revenue attribution by embedding Location Performance Optimization as a practice. LPS is on hand to help as a single, powerful metric combining visibility, engagement, and reputation data, and tying them all to revenue performance.

Marketers who focus on these pillars will cut through the clutter and come out ahead. Ready to steam ahead? We’re here to help—let’s tackle location marketing in 2025 together.