Insights

Current Thinking

Field notes on local visibility, AI search, and what's actually working for small businesses right now.

FeaturedAI & Local Search

How AI is Reshaping Local Discovery

The search landscape is shifting faster than it has in a decade. AI Overviews now sit above the map pack for the majority of local queries — and the businesses that adapt first are quietly pulling away. Here's what that means for how customers find you, and the moves worth making now.

8 min read

More from the desk

AllAI SearchGoogle BusinessStrategy
Google Business

The 2026 Google Business Profile Playbook

A working checklist of the Google Business Profile tactics that still move rankings this year — and the ones that quietly stopped mattering.

6 min read
Strategy

Why Your Competitors Win “Near Me” Searches

When intent is highest, the map pack decides who gets the call. A look at the signals that quietly stack the deck — and how to even the odds.

5 min read
Reviews

The Review Response Framework That Actually Works

How to respond to reviews in a way that builds trust, improves rankings, and doesn't consume your life.

6 min read
Citations

The Citation Consistency Myth

Why obsessing over perfect NAP consistency is often wasted effort — and where to focus your time instead.

5 min read
Strategy

Stop Chasing Algorithm Updates

Why the businesses that panic at every Google update are doing it wrong — and what to focus on instead.

5 min read
Perspective

25 Years in Local Search

In 1999, local search meant Yellow Pages. Today it means AI-powered discovery. The technology transformed completely — the fundamentals didn't.

9 min read
Fundamentals

Local SEO Fundamentals: A 25-Year Perspective

Everything a local business needs to know about visibility — written by someone who's been doing this since before it had a name.

12 min read
Strategy

The Evergreen SEO Playbook

Tactics that have worked for 25 years and will work for 25 more. No tricks, no gimmicks — just fundamentals.

7 min read
Data

The State of Local Search: 2026

Where local search is headed, what AI changes mean for small businesses, and how to position yourself for what's next.

10 min read
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