Google doesn’t usually just hand over the playbook, but this week… they did!
Google openly explained what its AI looks at when deciding which businesses show up in AI-powered search results. It’s a big deal because as most of us know by now, AI results are quickly becoming the first thing people see in local searches. We knew it was inevitable, but man it seemed to happen fast! We’ve been talking about AI summaries and AI mode searches for months, and if you care about getting found locally, understanding how AI ranks businesses is critical.
Below are the top 5 ways to stand out to Google’s AI:
Upload Images & Videos Regularly:
Photos and videos give Google’s AI context for what your business is really like. They help turn basic facts into something real, which builds trust with both Google and potential customers.
Fully Optimize Your Profile:
List all your services, prices, specialties, and unique attributes (like “emergency weekend service” or “payment plans”). If the information isn’t on your profile, Google’s AI can’t recommend you when someone searches for it.
Get As Many Reviews As You Can:
Google’s AI pays close attention to customer feedback. Encourage happy customers to leave reviews as often as possible and always respond professionally.
Make Sure Google Can See Your Content:
If Google can’t crawl or understand your website content, AI can’t use it. Focus on content-rich pages, make sure important information is visible (not hidden), and use structured data only when it matches what people can actually see on the page.
Keep Business Information Consistent:
Google’s AI pulls data from lots of trusted sources. If your business information doesn’t match across your website, Google Business Profile, and other business directory listings, it can confuse the AI and hurt your visibility. Consistency helps Google trust you.
AI isn’t a future trend anymore; it’s already deciding which local businesses get shown and which ones get skipped. Google is leaning hard into AI results, and those results pull directly from your Google Business Profile and online presence. If your profile isn’t fully built out, kept fresh, and consistent, you’re quietly losing ground to competitors who are doing it better than you are.
Get in touch today for a free local search audit
