✦ Local AEO
How Do Local Businesses Rank in AI Search?
AI search ranking for local businesses is determined by a combination of review signals, geographic specificity in content and schema, Google Business Profile completeness, and cross-source validation. Businesses that excel at all four appear consistently. Businesses that have significant gaps in one category rarely appear even if the others are strong.
The weighting we observe in local service categories: reviews carry roughly 40–50% of the ranking signal for local AI recommendations. A business with 60 reviews will appear in AI recommendations significantly more often than a competitor with 15 reviews, even if the competitor has better website content and more schema markup.
Geographic specificity is the second most important factor. AI systems need explicit location signals to make confident local recommendations. Your website must mention your service cities in headings and content — not just in the address field. Your schema must include `areaServed` with specific city names. Your GBP must be verified at your actual business address. Each of these location signals reinforces the others.
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