We found what it takes for local businesses to rank in AI

We just published research every digital marketing seller should have in their back pocket. Let's dive in.

1. New 2026 research: how AI actually chooses local businesses

We analysed 10,000 businesses across 200+ digital marketing signals to work out what drives discovery, recommendation and reputation in ChatGPT and Perplexity. Three findings stood out: 41% of businesses are never recommended by ChatGPT even when it knows they exist; businesses surfaced by AI averaged 133 Google reviews versus just 11 for invisible ones; and technical SEO perfection showed almost no relationship with AI recommendation. The report breaks AI visibility into three stages - awareness, reputation and recommendation - as a framework for your sales strategy. Download the AI Visibility Report

2. If your Google Business Profile is weak, your SEO doesn't matter

Research by Luis Rijo shows Google's AI consults Google Business Profile data before it looks at website content. The businesses showing up in AI Overviews and Gemini keep fully developed, actively managed profiles. The website still matters - but as one input among many. AI now pulls from the Google Business Profile, the website, reviews, photos and third-party sites at once: the website provides context and authority, the profile supplies structured signals, and reviews deliver trust and relevance. AI no longer just ranks websites - it builds an answer about a business from many sources. (Source: Luis Rijo)

3. Google's review policy just got stricter

Google has tightened its Business Profile review policies, cracking down on bulk solicitation, incentivised reviews and coordinated campaigns. With reviews such a powerful signal for AI recommendations, Google is raising the bar on data quality to match. LaunchCodex

4. Google ranking volatility is heating up

Search Engine Roundtable reports elevated turbulence across tracking tools in late April, with plenty of chatter in SEO communities. There's no formal core update, but Google confirms smaller updates run continuously in the background. The sites holding steady do the fundamentals well: strong E-E-A-T, fast crawlable pages and well-maintained Google Business Profiles - a solid case for ongoing retainers over one-off projects. Search Engine Roundtable

5. Google's spam crackdown is rewarding ethical agencies

Google's 2026 local SEO enforcement is pushing US small businesses away from keyword-stuffed business names, inflated service areas and duplicate listings. Competitors using those tactics are losing visibility, while cleanly optimised businesses gain ground. For agencies selling ethical local SEO, the market has tilted your way - clients who once feared losing out to corner-cutters can now watch those corner-cutters slide down the results. RS Web Solutions