SGE was officially rolled out on 14th May 2024 in most languages and regions. The ML techniques now generate organic search results and recommendations tailored to individual users’ needs; local search is no exception. This article aims to critically examine SGE’s impact on local businesses and highlight the tools that can be used to address issues immediately.
Why Does Local SEO Still Matter?
Local SEO is essential for businesses with a physical presence or local clientele, but it’s less relevant for e-commerce companies, online-only services, and private sellers.
The following statistics explain its importance:
As we can see, local SEO significantly increases conversions (18% of local searches on smartphones lead to a purchase). Therefore, it makes sense to master all the intricacies of local optimization in order to get even more traffic and leads for your customers.
Google’s ‘Local Pack’ is the cornerstone of local SEO. You’ve probably noticed those businesses in a box at the top of the search page, accompanied by a map.
Usually, they attract more clicks than the links further down the page. A company ranked in the top Local pack can receive more calls and visitors, even without additional traffic to the site.
Analyzing this data is crucial because it allows you to develop targeted strategies to improve local search visibility and attract more local customers.
To access Local pack results, you can request them using the Serpstat SERP crawling tool. If the SERP for your requested keyword includes a Local pack, you’ll find the information in the results:
As Google continues to refine its SGE, it becomes harder for local businesses to maintain their visibility:
- Google Business Profile (GBP) is now more crucial.
- The traditional Map is evolving, often including more businesses, enhancing competition.
- Featured Snippets are becoming more important, benefiting businesses that offer clear, concise, and relevant responses to user inquiries.
- SGE strongly emphasizes user intent, which means that long-tail keywords are becoming more valuable and that visibility is decreasingly dependent on traditional website listings.
Let’s explore search generative features and how they impact local SEO in detail.
What does Generative AI Mean for Local SEO?
SGE is Google’s initiative to provide users with more dynamic and personalized search results. The recent BrightEdge study revealed that nearly half of the SGE results generated in 2024 included a Places module, especially for local restaurant and travel queries.
Additionally, the VP of Google Search, Liz Reid, stated, people who tried AI Overviews through the experiment in Search Labs used to search more and were more satisfied with the results.
A newly announced Google feature allows the adjustment of AI overviews, multi-stepping reasoning, planning, AI-organized search results, and Lens search with video. The tools work with Gemini, which is becoming more than just a model, — it supports an entire ecosystem, from products to APIs and platforms.
The best example of multi-stepping reasoning is the prompt “yoga or pilates studio/ popular with locals/ conveniently located/ has a discount for new members.” This capabilities might be a strong background for attracting local customers:
Instead of relying solely on keywords, SGE operates user intent, location, search history, and context to deliver tailored search experiences. This means search results can vary greatly, even for similar queries based on individual user data.
AI strives to understand the intent behind a user’s search, moving to grasp the underlying purpose. Local businesses must, therefore, focus on providing solutions to problems rather than just selling products or services.
Source: Uberall
Looking ahead, Google will likely continue integrating artificial intelligence into various aspects of daily life, from home automation to personal finance, making it a crucial part of our everyday activities. SEOs need to be prepared if there will be a test and a tendency.
You can prevent content from appearing in AI Overviews with nosnippet meta tags. For more information, see this page on Google Search Central.
To summarize my point, SGE presents both opportunities and challenges for local businesses. Standard blue links may become less visible if SGE dominates the desktop, pushing aside the local pack. Traditional SEO tactics focusing solely on keywords may not be as effective in the AI era, which may cause a drop in search engine traffic. So, let’s explore a few points that will help you be prepared.
How to Do Local SEO on Google in 2024? [+Checklist]
According to Google, three primary factors influence local SEO rankings. I believe we might still consider them even during the AI boom:
- Relevance. Detailed information about your business helps Google better understand your company and align your listing with searches.
- Distance. If a user doesn’t specify a location, Google calculates distance based on known information about the user’s location.
- Prominence. It is based on online information, such as links, articles, directories, and the number and quality of reviews.
Some SEOs also consider NAP citations to be a ranking factor (Name, address, phone number). NAP citation occurs when a third-party website lists your business name or contact information as a reference point without necessarily providing a backlink.
Remember that an incorrect telephone number is a red flag. Google may stop displaying your GMB listing because they can’t verify your business’s legitimacy.
For now, we can assume these key strategies to succeed:
- Relevance over keyword matching. Businesses need to ensure their online presence accurately reflects their offerings and location. Google uses people’s interactions with search engines and AI to improve generative AI experiences and machine learning technologies. So, relevance and accuracy might be the highest priorities for local SEO.
- Up-to-**** information. Detailed information on Google Business Profile listings becomes paramount.
- User experience signals. Businesses need to focus on providing valuable content, optimizing their websites for mobile, and ensuring fast loading times.
- User reviews and ratings. Encouraging positive reviews and promptly addressing negative feedback becomes crucial for maintaining a favorable online reputation.
- Local intent. Businesses should tailor their content to address specific local queries and leverage local keywords to effectively target relevant audiences.
Use every opportunity to get feedback from the company’s customers. Some tips to keep in mind:
- Put the QR code on a business card or product packaging to make it easier for customers to visit the reviews or company page. This also allows you to establish constant contact.
- Provide feedback links via messaging apps (SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram).
- Improve your local search visibility by tracking competitors’ review patterns and aiming to exceed them.
To thrive, you have to adapt your SEO strategies, following this checklist:
Each country or region has local equivalents for these services. What you can post there:
- company name;
- description of its services;
- links to the site and social networks;
- address;
- schedule;
- phone and other contact details.
Managing your company pages on Google Business Profile and other local business directories can be difficult. The Local SEO tool from Serpstat can simplify this part of the task. Watch this video to learn more about the tool.
The Local SEO feature enables you to manage business presence and reputation on Yelp, and numerous other local directories from a single, user-friendly dashboard. This approach allows you to update and synchronize information across dozens of different local providers with just a few clicks.
The listing management feature saves you time by allowing you to control local data accuracy efficiently. You can edit multiple locations in bulk or focus on a single location, making changes quickly and easily. Additionally, using Serpstat Local SEO, you can make social media posts to boost engagement on your business profile—and Google values engagement!
Keep in mind the following components:
- site structure;
- sitemap.xml and robots.txt files;
- meta tags;
- internal linking;
- valid markup;
- optimized title, h1, description;
- fast page speed and optimized images.
While traditional local map packs remain important, SGE may include a Places module based on search type, incorporating additional businesses to provide more comprehensive answers. Companies with optimized, concise, and accurate content that directly answers queries are well-positioned to dominate Featured snippets.
There is a specific requirement here. It is critical that the links are taken from local resources:
- business directories;
- websites of local TV channels, magazines, and newspapers;
- websites of local charitable organizations;
- websites of business events and business associations.
Mentions of the company without links will also benefit. They help to make the website and the company’s brand recognizable and may increase local traffic for brand queries.
4.Make sure your website is optimized for smaller screens. Mobile searches, especially for local queries, are the norm as busy consumers seek answers on the go.
5.Regularly monitor customer reviews across various platforms and promptly respond to feedback. Engage with customers to build trust and credibility.
6.Stay informed about where AI is sourcing data and ensure businesses are well-represented across various platforms.
Conclusion
The advent of Google’s Search Generative Experience has brought substantial changes to local businesses. They need to use local SEO monitoring tools to track changes in the visibility and authority and be prepared to adjust their content strategies accordingly to maintain their online presence.
Enhance your local SEO by clearly communicating how your business operates to search engines and adapt your strategies using Serpstat to align with Google’s SGE!
FAQ
Using local search services is what makes local SEO different. The most famous are:
- Yelp;
- Foursquare;
- Localdatabase;
- Google Business Profile.
If you operate a business with a physical location, it’s crucial to ensure that as many local people as possible know it.
