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For years, local SEO followed a familiar pattern. Optimise your website, build some links, polish your Google Business Profile and aim for the top of the map pack.

That model still matters. But it is no longer the whole story.

With Google rolling out AI Overviews and pushing further towards AI Mode, local search is shifting away from blue links and static results and towards conversational, AI generated answers. Instead of showing a list of options, Google increasingly summarises the best answers and businesses for the user.

For business owners and SEOs alike, this raises an uncomfortable question. If Google answers the question itself, where does that leave your business?

The good news is that local visibility is not disappearing. But the way it is earned is changing fast.

From rankings to recommendations

Traditional SEO has always been about ranking. Position one, page one, top three.

AI Mode changes that goal.

Instead of ten blue links and a map pack, users are increasingly seeing a single AI generated summary, a small selection of businesses highlighted as examples and follow up questions answered without another search.

In other words, Google is moving from ranking websites to recommending entities.

If your business is not part of the information Google trusts enough to summarise, your visibility drops sharply. And when AI Overviews appear without mentioning your business, click through rates can fall dramatically.

It doens’t matter who it’s for. Whether it’s local SEO for accountants, landscape gardners or solicitors, success is no longer just about being the best optimised website. It is about being the most credible, consistent and verifiable business entity in your market.

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Why Google Business Profile matters more than ever

In AI Mode, Google needs trusted, structured sources of local information. The single most important one is your Google Business Profile.

Think of Google Business Profile as Google’s official record of your business. If the details there are incomplete, inconsistent or outdated, the AI has less confidence in showing you.

Businesses that perform well in AI driven local results tend to have accurate categories, clearly defined services, up to date opening hours, real photos and regular engagement such as reviews, updates and responses.

This is not new advice. But the consequences of getting it wrong are now much bigger.

If your Google Business Profile data conflicts with your website, or your hours do not match reality, Google’s AI is more likely to skip you entirely than take a risk.

In AI Mode, clarity beats cleverness.

Consistency is the new competitive advantage

One of the biggest changes AI brings to local search is how much it values consistency.

Google’s AI does not rely on a single page or signal. It cross checks facts across your website, your Google Business Profile, online directories, reviews and mentions on other sites.

If your business name, address, phone number or services vary across these sources, the AI has a problem. Conflicting information creates uncertainty, and uncertainty reduces visibility.

This is why businesses with fewer backlinks but cleaner data often outperform bigger competitors in AI influenced local results.

For local SEO today, consistency is not housekeeping. It is strategy.

Reviews now shape how AI describes you

Reviews have always mattered for trust. In AI Mode, they do something new. They influence how Google talks about your business.

AI systems summarise review sentiment. They do not just look at star ratings. They extract themes.

If customers consistently mention fast service, friendly staff, clear communication or reliability, those phrases are more likely to appear in AI generated summaries.

That means businesses should stop chasing generic five star reviews and start encouraging specific feedback. Not scripting reviews, but prompting customers to mention what actually mattered to them.

In an AI driven environment, the language your customers use becomes part of your marketing.

Visibility is becoming behavioural, not just technical

Another shift AI Mode accelerates is the importance of real world engagement signals.

Google does not just look at what you say. It looks at what people do.

Signals like requests for directions, phone calls from search, engagement with your profile and visits tracked through Maps all help Google understand whether your business is genuinely relevant and used.

In competitive areas, businesses that attract more real interaction tend to be trusted more by the system overall. AI Mode amplifies this because it prioritises businesses that appear actively chosen, not just optimised.

This reinforces a simple truth. Local SEO works best when it reflects reality.

Links matter less on their own, but authority still matters

There is a lot of talk about links becoming less important in AI search. That is only half true.

What is really happening is this. Google cares less about raw link volume and more about overall authority and validation.

Mentions on trusted sites, coverage in local press, industry recognition and being talked about in the right places all feed into AI trust.

For local businesses, this means brand mentions can matter as much as links, PR partnerships and visibility outside your website are increasingly valuable and being known beats being optimised.

AI Mode rewards businesses that exist clearly and confidently across the web, not just those that tick SEO boxes.

What businesses should focus on now

You do not need to rebuild your entire SEO strategy overnight. But you do need to adjust priorities.

Here is what matters most in an AI driven local search world.

Treat your Google Business Profile as mission critical. Keep it accurate, active and aligned with reality.

Eliminate data inconsistencies. One version of your name, address, phone number and services everywhere.

Encourage better reviews, not just more reviews. Specific, experience based feedback beats generic praise.

Strengthen your wider web presence. Mentions, partnerships and coverage build entity authority.

Optimise for being chosen, not just seen. Engagement, clarity and trust drive AI recommendations.

Local SEO is not dying. It is maturing.

AI Mode does not kill local SEO. It raises the bar.

Businesses that relied on shortcuts, thin optimisation or outdated tactics will struggle. Businesses that are clear, consistent and genuinely trusted will benefit.

The future of local search is not about chasing rankings. It is about becoming the obvious answer.

And for businesses that get this right early, AI Mode is not a threat. It is an opportunity.