How Will AI Search Impact Your Local SEO Strategy?

Google's latest AI development, AI Overviews, is drawing considerable attention for its potential to transform search engine optimization: but to the better or worse? Also, what's the deal with SearchGPT and Perplexity?

Up front, we can tell you that these innovative tools/features aim to enhance search results—and the search experience—by providing better answers to queries. In this blog article, we’ll discover how they reshape our online search experience with a particular focus on how businesses can future-proof their SEO marketing.

What is AI Overviews?

Google introduced AI Overviews originally as part of their Search Generative Experience (SGE) in 2023, and then officially launched at the Google I/O 2024—to be available to over a billion searchers by the end of 2024, with major implications for both local SEO marketing and search engine advertising.

Google AI Overviews uses generative artificial intelligence, powered by Google Gemini, to provide quick answers to search queries by creating a topic preview with links to learn more.

Google claims they can save users the hard work of researching multiple online sources by writing a general overview of a topic. At the same time, though, it is streamlining discovery and synthesis, all in the name of enhancing the user experience.

Shifts in Ranking Factors

In theory, Google AI Search uses the search algorithm to analyze each query, go through its search index, find the information, and generate AI output with supporting passages from specific content. However, the lab phase over the last year suggests that, in practice, the process works differently to the traditional algorithm, with less emphasis on authority and links.

Instead, the results tend to focus mainly on relevance. This shift towards user-centricity builds on the longer trend of ranking signals prioritizing user intent and behavior. However, you should also keep aware of how voice and visual search could influence SEO.

• For voice-driven AI search, consider more conversational keywords, and offer clear answers with a local focus.

• For visual search, consider how Google Lens might impact your ranking: use clear descriptions for images, have strong meta data and alt tags, while making your content voice-friendly.

What Do AI Overviews Mean for SEO Marketing?

Marketing teams who rely heavily on SEO to drive traffic may find themselves negatively affected as the AI overview reduces the need for users to click through to original content. That means multi-location marketers could face a drop in traffic; which is why Google’s AI Overviews faces controversy among veteran marketers.

To better understand AI powered search engines, let’s distinguish among three general types of AI Overviews: informational, shopping, and local.

AI Overviews for UX – Informational

Searchers will receive a different user experience using Google AI search: the AI overview appears in a highlighted box at the top of the search results page. Clicking a “show more” button reveals more Google AI-generated content, as well as links to sites for further information.

Instead of seeking to appear in a ranked list on the SERP, websites will now compete even harder for search result real estate. However, the general principles of E-E-A-T still apply if you want to showcase your relevance.

Our advice: optimize for AI Overviews by including statistics and direct quotes in your content while deploying an authoritative tone of voice.

AI Overviews for Shopping

When Google AI determines that a search intends to lead towards a purchase, the AI Overview should feature a range of different products, pulling from product review sites or related items with tags related to the specific query. Hence, it provides a direct link for searchers to make a purchase, rather than sites to browse.

Our advice: optimize for Shopping AI Overviews by working with the Google Shopping Graph and ensuring you provide accurate product data through the Google Merchant Center.

AI Overviews for Local Search

Perhaps the most familiar to multi-location marketers, AI Overviews present citations, listings, and the map pack. However, the new results are based on AI search instead of the established ranking factors.

Our advice: keep optimizing for local search and do everything you’d need to cover to reach for the Google 3-Pack—get into directories, manage reviews, keep your NAP information current, and so on.

What is SearchGPT?

Developed by OpenAI, SearchGPT builds on the capabilities of GPT-4 to offer a more conversational and contextually aware search experience. The core idea is to provide users with answers that feel more intuitive and personalized.

Unlike traditional search engines that rely heavily on keyword matching and link authority, SearchGPT uses deep learning models to understand and generate human-like responses based on the context of a query. That way, it can handle complex queries, provide explanations, and even engage in follow-up questions to clarify your needs.

How Does SearchGPT Impact SEO Marketing?

The ability to understand and generate text that mimics human conversation can significantly alter how users interact with search engines, shifting the focus from mere keyword matching to a more nuanced understanding of user intent.

For businesses, optimizing for SearchGPT involves focusing on the clarity and relevance of content rather than just keyword density. Creating content that answers common questions comprehensively and engages users in a natural way can improve visibility and relevance in SearchGPT-driven queries.

What is Perplexity?

Perplexity is an AI-supported search engine that basically combines the functions of AI Overviews and ChatGPT - because unlike many other AI models, it also provides sources for the answers.

In contrast to conventional search engines, Perplexity provides summarized information so that users do not have to search through links. These functions make it particularly useful for finding information quickly.

Although Perplexity doesn't directly affect your SEO strategy, it’s a good reason to look into the features of advanced AI models, and how you can optimize your content. Content that minimizes confusion and enhances clarity can improve how well AI models interpret and rank it.

For businesses and content creators, Perplexity's approach means that traditional SEO tactics based on keywords and backlinks may need to evolve. Instead, focusing on creating high-quality, contextually rich content that answers specific user questions and engages them meaningfully becomes crucial. Content should be structured to provide clear, in-depth answers and maintain a high level of relevance to improve visibility in search results powered by Perplexity.

Actionable Steps for the Future of Search

So how can you get your multi-location company’s online presence ready and able to capitalize on the future of search? Let’s look at some actionable steps you can take right now, and some longer-term strategies to prepare.

Immediate Steps towards AI Search Readiness

#1 Conduct a SEO Audit

A SEO audit evaluates the various elements of a website or digital properties that can impact performance in organic search. Your audit should identify current strengths and weaknesses in both on- and off-page SEO, so you can address existing issues and ensure you’re keeping up with the algorithms.

#2 Align Content with AI Search Engine Preferences

Search engines try to interpret the user’s intent and provide the most relevant results. How they achieve that goal involves constant evolution, and the advent of AI search makes for more technical search engine optimizations you will need to consider.

• Maintain structured data to translate your content into code, which is more easily processed for AI search.

• Apply schema markups as Google AI relies on these to provide rich snippets in results.

Always remember: generative AI treats words as mathematical objects, so you may need to restructure or reverse engineer your content to send the right signals for AI tokenization.

#3 Monitor AI Search Results

Utilize data-driven marketing to ensure your new content strategy and AI search engine-ready SEO strategy function properly. As part of your strategic review, monitor AI search results and track any changes you see in things like traffic and engagement. Keeping a close eye on the data will help you spot potential Google AI search fails before they turn into bigger issues.

#4 Ask your Customers

One element of content strategy that people tend to overlook: actually asking customers what they need. With AI search still in its infancy, customers may take their time adjusting their search behavior. Engage with them directly, ask how they use AI, and how they find the experience, so you can adjust your strategy based on their input.

Long-term Planning Alongside AI Search

#1 Optimize your Content Strategy

AI search wants specific things for the content it promotes in search rankings:

• depth, or content that is comprehensive and of exceptionally high quality

• relevance, or content specific to user needs or user experience

• engagement, or content that users like and share

Make sure you optimize your content strategy with the user journey and search intent in mind, providing strong content with depth, if you want to hit all the priorities for AI search.

#2 Test, Learn and Iterate with Data Analysis

How do you know what content the AI search engine prefers? Methodologies such as A/B testing can determine what works best for your multi-location business and needs, bearing in mind that each location may need different content for local search engine optimization. Testing and learning means you’ll need to invest in continuous data collection and analysis tools to gather timely insights.

#3 Experiment with AI Search Engine Optimization Tools

To future-proof your digital presence, it's crucial to provide engaging experiences andcontent that meets users’ specific needs and intentions. Have a look at the following seven areas that AI search engine optimization likely is based on:

• research and intent mapping

• content strategy

• user interactions

• user experience (UX) design

• omnichannel real estate

• data, AI, and schema

• authority and relevance

Design your testing around these areas, using AI search engine optimization tools to gather data and tweak your tactics as needed.

Harness the Power of AI Search as an Early Adopter

Already there is no shortage of Google AI search fails: in fact, Google AI search hit the headlines recently, when AI Overviews told users by turns to use “non-toxic glue” to stick cheese to pizza more effectively, and that geologists recommend humans eat one rock per day.

At the same time, AI search has powered customer interactions for longer than you might think. Just think of natural language processing (for sentiment analysis) or machine learning (for image classification). Amazon’s and Netflix’s recommendation engines are powered by AI, while voice shopping has been available via Amazon Echo and Alexa for several years. In China, Alibaba’s eCommerce platforms use AI to enhance search and product discovery too, with users able to take a photo of an item they like and use image recognition AI to help them find similar products for purchase.

To make the most of AI search, especially to take maximum advantage of local search engine optimization techniques, invest in technology that can keep up with constant developments. You need real-time, round-the-clock control over your business information, with the capabilities to experiment and capture data that checks what’s working, so you don’t fall victim to Google AI search fails.

Keep your data in sync and maintain accuracy with Uberall’s AI-powered multi-location marketing platform. Get in touch and ask for a demo to see how Uberall can drive engagement from discovery to purchase and beyond; because the influence of Google AI on search engine optimization will only continue to increase.