Generative Artificial Intelligence is everywhere! From journalists crafting compelling stories to clinical researchers creating synthetic medical data for studies, AI is being used in various fields to create a more streamlined and seamless user experience. In a world where there’s so much information, AI Overviews is a Google initiative that’s used as a way to gather sources and provide people with accurate insight into whatever topic they’re researching.
When it comes to the internet, search engines are being programmed to harness their optimizing power through various methods. Technologies like Natural Language Processing and machine learning are being utilized to provide searchers with more accurate and insightful results. Between content, keywords, media, and a cross-platform approach, there are several practical strategies you can implement to improve your local SEO ranking. In this age of AI, it’s important to implement these online steps in order to grow and be successful in any market.
Local SEO: Why It Matters
Most small businesses have one specific geographical location that’s dependent upon its surrounding customer base. As a business owner with only one location, investing in local SEO is a matter of survival for the wellbeing of your company. A study conducted by ‘Think with Google’ demonstrated that large percentages of smartphone users were influenced by local search results and selected the shops that were shown – with nearly 60% making contact, 70% visiting the local shop within 24 hours of the search, and 28% making a purchase. When in doubt, putting effort and funds into local SEO will help your small business generate more foot traffic to your store.
Let’s Talk… Google’s Evolving Search Landscape
Google has evolved into an intricate search engine that has reshaped itself over the years. As a staple in our technological world, this corporation has optimized the online presence of businesses all across the world, ranking them based on local intent search queries. Nowadays, making it in Google’s top Search Engine Results Page (SERP) requires more than just a basic understanding of searching and algorithms, it’s about pieces coming together to provide users with the most useful, relevant information available. Sometimes the evolution is system refinement while other times it’s a new opportunity, which is why On May 14, 2024, history was made with the launch of AI Overviews! For the first time ever, a new age of generative AI in this industry was born.
Generative AI In Search: ‘AI Overviews’ In A Nutshell
Since their implementation, AI Overviews have revolutionized the way we conduct a ‘visual search’. Rather than be met with an endless list of clickable links, it provides a more intuitive interface with multiple referral links in the bottom section instead, promoting zero-click results and an uncluttered appearance. Launched back in May of 2023, with the name ‘Search Generative Experience’, the reason for this initiative’s rebranding is unknown but their objective remains the same: display only the best, most accurate online search results.
Local SEO In The Age Of AI
We are currently in the Age of AI. This generative technological advancement has transformed the search landscape in ways unlike before, providing a personalized user experience at the center of all search requests. Since it’s always shifting, it’s important to avoid taking the same approach when it comes to SEO efforts. If you want to rank for local intent search queries, you’ll need more than just target keywords.
Here are the top 5 actionable local SEO strategies to apply in this AI era:
1. Embrace the AI-powered semantic web searches and contextual clusters!
Gone are the days when local SEO was all about targeting a bunch of location-specific or ‘near me’/‘nearby’ keywords. Now more than ever, it’s essential to focus on crafting content that matters for your audience. Instead of certain phrases people often look for, study how real people search and craft your content accordingly. Successfully selected web pages have content that dives deep into related subjects, is organized into topic clusters, and delivers the material with a smooth flow and natural manner.
2. Create interactive, dynamic, and personalized content!
How interactive and personalized your content is plays a role in whether it will be picked by Google AIO. First and foremost, it’s all about providing the user a more personalized search experience. Assess your audience’s preferences and behavior, and develop content that meets their values. Incorporating widgets like quizzes, surveys, and other tools can also be used to make the content more engaging, helping you gather user data to develop more personalized content.
3. Use human-centric, long-form and visual media that tells a story!
Google has always favored people-centric content that’s backed by in-depth research. Rather than curating content for search engines, compose long-form content that covers the topic in detail while presenting it in an engaging storytelling format. Conversational tones and diverse media increases engagement and is more relatable for the audience. Content combined with catchy graphical presentations is more likely to be shared across online platforms, significantly increasing the likelihood of reaching a broader audience.
4. Provide immediate, digestible answers in a rich answer format!
A quick delivery of relevant information is the core objective of any search engine. It’s important to leverage structured data to help search engines understand the context of your web page content. Remember to structure your content so that the search engine finds it easy to extract the relevant information displayed at the position zero and mark up the content with appropriate schema. Zero-click searches (e.g. featured snippets and AIO summaries) are aimed at serving the user with a direct answer at the top of the search page.
5. Implement multi-modal search optimization for cross-platform integration and content strategy with AI and smart devices!
The optimization effort shouldn’t be confined to any specific device and operating system. If you want your local business to be favored by Google AIO, you should optimize for multi-modal searches. Always configure conversational queries so that it appears to those conducting voice searches on platforms like Siri and Google Assistant. Whether it is a smartphone, tablet, desktop, smartwatch, or voice assistant, your online assets should have the ability to adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. Seamless search experience, regardless of platform or search method, is the key to staying ahead in a search landscape led by generative AI.
In Conclusion
When it comes to local SEO, it’s important to note that it’s always shifting and incorporating different aspects in order to prosper as a business. From Google listings and reviews to local business schema citation building, there are many ways to make sure your website is being seen properly on the internet. By staying up-to-date with the latest trends, your business remains visible in this search landscape powered by generative AI.
