When someone asks ChatGPT “best dentist in Austin” or Perplexity “plumber near me reviews,” AI pulls from review sites, local directories, and business content. Local businesses that optimize for AI recommendations gain a significant advantage over competitors who only focus on Google Maps.
How AI Handles Local Queries
Each AI engine processes local queries differently: As we discuss in GEO for Personal Brands: Get AI to Recommend You, this is a critical factor.
ChatGPT pulls from Yelp, Google Business profiles, and authoritative local directories. It favors businesses with consistent information across multiple platforms.
Perplexity uses Bing’s local index plus user-generated content. Yelp reviews, Reddit recommendations, and local forum discussions heavily influence Perplexity’s local answers. If you want to go deeper, How to Run a GEO Competitor Analysis breaks this down step by step.
Google AI Overview draws from Google Business Profile data, Maps reviews, and locally-relevant web content. It has the richest local data set. (We explore this further in GEO for SaaS: How to Get Your Product Recommended by AI.)
The Local GEO Checklist
1. Claim and Complete All Profiles
AI engines cross-reference multiple platforms. Incomplete or inconsistent profiles reduce trust.
| Platform | Priority | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | 🔴 Critical | Google AI Overview pulls directly from here |
| Yelp | 🔴 Critical | ChatGPT and Perplexity both cite Yelp heavily |
| Bing Places | 🔴 Critical | Perplexity uses Bing’s index |
| Apple Maps | 🟡 High | Apple Intelligence uses this data |
| Facebook Business | 🟡 High | Social signals feed AI trust |
| Industry directories | 🟡 High | Avvo (lawyers), Healthgrades (doctors), Houzz (contractors) |
2. NAP Consistency
Name, Address, Phone number must be identical across every platform. AI engines detect inconsistencies and reduce confidence in your information.
3. Collect Recent Reviews
AI engines prioritize businesses with fresh, positive reviews. A business with 50 reviews from 2024 ranks lower than one with 20 reviews from 2026. This relates closely to what we cover in How to Write Answer Units — Paragraphs AI Can Quote.
Review strategy:
- Ask every satisfied customer for a review
- Respond to all reviews (positive and negative)
- Focus on Google and Yelp first
- Aim for detailed reviews that mention specific services
4. Create Service-Specific Pages
Don’t rely on one homepage. Create individual pages for each service:
yourdomain.com/teeth-whitening-austinyourdomain.com/emergency-plumbing-austinyourdomain.com/family-law-attorney-dallas
Each page should directly answer the query “best [service] in [city]” in its first paragraph. For more on this, see our guide to Why Every Page Needs an FAQ Section for GEO.
5. Local Content That AI Cites
Create content targeting local AI queries: Our Future of Search: What to Expect in 2026-2027 guide covers this in detail.
| Content type | Example |
|---|---|
| Service + Location page | ”Emergency Plumbing in Austin, TX” |
| FAQ page | ”How much does a dentist visit cost in Austin?” |
| Comparison content | ”Best Italian Restaurants in Downtown Austin” |
| Guide content | ”What to Look for in an Austin Family Lawyer” |
6. Structured Data for Local
Add LocalBusiness schema to every page:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Dentist",
"name": "Austin Family Dental",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "Austin",
"addressRegion": "TX",
"postalCode": "78701"
},
"telephone": "+1-512-555-0100",
"openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00",
"priceRange": "$$",
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.8",
"reviewCount": "234"
}
}Local GEO vs Local SEO
| Factor | Local SEO | Local GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Google Maps, local pack | AI answer recommendations |
| Reviews | Help rankings | Feed AI recommendations directly |
| Content | Location pages | Answer-unit formatted service pages |
| Citations | Directory listings for authority | Cross-platform consistency for AI trust |
| Result format | Map pin + listing | ”I recommend [business] because…” |
Common Mistakes
- Google-only focus — AI engines also use Yelp, Bing, and community content. Optimize everywhere
- No individual service pages — A single “Services” page won’t get cited for specific queries
- Outdated business hours — AI engines share incorrect hours, frustrating potential customers
- Ignoring negative reviews — Unaddressed negative reviews appear in AI answers. Respond professionally
- No FAQ content — Local businesses miss easy citations by not answering common questions on their website
FAQ
Does GEO replace local SEO?
No. Local GEO complements local SEO. Google Maps and the local pack still drive significant traffic. GEO adds visibility in the growing AI search channel.
How quickly can a local business see results from GEO?
Profile completeness improvements can impact AI answers within 1-2 weeks. Review collection and content creation are ongoing efforts that compound over time.
Should small businesses prioritize GEO over other marketing?
GEO should be part of your overall strategy, not a replacement. For most local businesses, start with Google Business Profile optimization and review collection — these help both SEO and GEO simultaneously.