Summarize with AI
By Cory Wasielczyk, Digital Media Strategist, Pink Dog Digital
Last week, the team at Pink Dog Digital gave a webinar that was chock-full of information about Google’s annual I/O event and how the various changes coming to Google Search would impact Baltimore small businesses. And, even though I was up way past my bedtime here in Tokyo, I was really happy to join and give my thoughts and perspective on what we’re seeing.
Despite the rapid rate of change, I think that Baltimore small businesses have every reason to be optimistic about their chances to get discovered in AI search. However, to do so, they’ll need to adapt their online strategy – they won’t be able to just coast on what has worked in the past.
We talked about GEO, or generative engine optimization, and how it differs from SEO, or search engine optimization. A lot of what makes good SEO also makes good GEO. It’s necessary, but it won’t be sufficient in itself.
So, what’s it going to take to get seen in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode & AI Overviews, or any other generative AI tool?
1) Get Your Local SEO Strategy On Point
According to a study by Decoding, 46% of all Google searches have local intent. That same study reports that around 19% of consumers are using AI search to find local businesses. Anecdotally, we’ve also seen local intent in AI search increase, especially in the last year or so.
So, one of the main pillars to maximize AI search visibility is going to be strong local SEO. That means, at a minimum:
- Claiming your Google Business Profile (GBP) if you qualify for one
- Filling out all of your information on your GBP
- Ensuring that your name, address, and phone details (NAP) are as consistent as possible across the web
Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile has always one of the most important assets for a Baltimore small business to have, as it was the main source of information for Google Maps to draw from. Now, with AI Overviews and other AI tools also drawing from GBP information, the need to have your profile optimized is stronger than ever.
Consider the following figures:
- Businesses in the local pack (the top 3 business listings in the map at the top of local searches) get 126% more traffic than businesses ranked 4-10 in the traditional search results.
- Consumers are 2.7 times more likely to view a business as reputable if its GBP is complete.
- Complete GBP listings get 7 times more traffic than incomplete ones.
- GBPs with photos receive, on average, 42% more requests for directions and 35% more website clicks.
- On the other hand, 62% of consumers would avoid a business if their NAP information was incorrect or inconsistent online.
There is a definitive, tangible effect to just having your GBP claimed, verified, and correctly filled out.
NAP Consistency
There are hundreds of different directories online – so many, in fact, that it would take an entire team of experts to manage them all for you.
So, when it comes to ensuring consistency, there are a few levers you have to pull that are more valuable and better uses of your time. First of all, your GBP and your own website. Ensure that these are completed and consistent. Your website is your main source of truth. It’s what AI will pull from when it comes to objective information about your business, whether that’s location, pricing, product details, or any other information that isn’t an opinion.
Secondly, figure out which directories are more important for your industry and which ones to place less focus on. A great way to do this is to conduct a few searches of your own. Ask an AI tool (in incognito mode) questions like you would expect one of your customers to when they’re searching for your business. Look at the citations it gives for its output. Which directories is it typically pulling information for? You can even ask the AI follow-up questions, such as “why did you recommend X Brand instead of (your brand)?”
2) Reviews and Reputation Management
On that note, reviews are going to be another key driver of AI search visibility success. We already know that consumers frequently use reviews as a way to make purchasing decisions. In fact, according to Brightlocal, 68% of consumers won’t even consider a business if they have lower than a 4 star rating.
Soliciting and responding to reviews are a major factor of trust for both AI tools and the people evaluating your business. So it’s critical to pay attention to your online reputation management.
The plan is simple enough: ask for reviews from your customers, respond to all reviews (both positive and negative) within 24-48 hours, and avoid using boilerplate templates for review responses. Of course, it’s not always simple to execute, so here’s a short gameplan for each point.
Ask for Reviews
This can take several forms. For some service-based businesses, asking face-to-face after a completed job is a great way as you’ve already built a connection with the customer. Retail businesses can include a QR code or a link to the review platform on a receipt, although this won’t be as effective as asking in person. You might also include the request as part of an automated email sequence.
Just keep in mind – NEVER offer incentives for reviews or solicit fake reviews, as these violate Google’s terms of service and you will be penalized.
Respond to Every Review
Don’t limit yourself to just replying to good reviews – or just bad reviews, either. Every review deserves a response, as it provides additional trust signals to your audience (plus it signals to AI and Google that your business is active and responding to its customers).
Avoid Using Boilerplate Response Templates
To put it bluntly, copy/pasting a template or using AI to write your review responses is a clear signal to your audience that your business doesn’t really care about its customer base. Even if you’re only doing it to save time, that time savings isn’t worth the hit to your reputation.
You don’t need to write a novel or be super creative – just lightly personalize each positive review and show concern for each negative review. Take concerns from negative reviews offline. And once you’ve made it right with the customer, ask them if they would consider changing or updating their review.
3) Show Your Expertise in Your Content
Think about it – if your content looks, sounds, and feels generic, why would an AI tool (or a potential customer, for that matter) choose you over your competition?
Your content needs to be unique and stand out. Show your expertise. Explain why customers should choose you over the competition.
For a lot of local Baltimore small business, a key differentiator could be knowledge of the local market. There’s a lot of national firms out there competing for your business, but you have one thing they don’t: specific knowledge about the area. If you work on homes in Baltimore, you already know the various types of homes around and what they typically need for your average job. You’ve built personal relationships with your customers – in some cases, over the course of decades and across generations.
Those are the kinds of things that will get you to stand out amidst a torrent of generic content and how you can compete against bigger, more resource-rich national competition. And if it’s great against bigger fish, just imagine how good it’ll be against your fellow local small businesses.
Specificity beats generic, bland content every single time.
The Opportunity is There
I know it’s easy to look at the numbers your website is pulling and be afraid that it’s not worth the investment anymore. Believe me, we’ve seen the profound effect that AI Overviews and Google’s continued evolution into a one-stop shop have had on small business websites.
But I think that the zero-click phenomenon has also caused us to rethink what success means for our clients. We’ve learned to look beyond vanity metrics like clicks and focus instead on the impact that content strategies have on conversions and revenue. And ultimately, that’s the most important part, right? We want Baltimore small businesses to grow and thrive in this new era of AI search… because, well, we’re one of you.
There’s a real opportunity for businesses to set themselves up for success, much as there was at the birth of SEO over two decades ago. Is your business ready to seize that opportunity?
Boost Your Site’s AI Visibility with the Experts at Pink Dog Digital
At Pink Dog Digital, we’re committed to helping Baltimore SMBs navigate the ever-changing world of online search. From boosting visibility with AI optimization and SEO best practices to closing sales with paid media, we know what it takes to build a content strategy that converts.
Some of our services include:
- Digital Advertising
- Social Media Management
- Content Creation
- SEO & AI Optimization
- Web Design
Contact us at 410-696-3305 or email us at [email protected] for any inquiries or to book a service. You can also fill out our online Contact Us form or visit our website to learn more about us.
