Local SEO in 2026: What Changed, What Still Works
Local SEO in 2026 has a new referee — AI answers — but the same scoreboard: who gets the call. Here's what actually changed, minus the panic content.
What changed
AI summaries now answer many searches before the links — and they pull from businesses with clean, consistent, specific information. Vague sites don't get quoted. Review recency and replies weigh more than raw counts: a steady trickle with owner responses beats a dusty pile of five-stars. And your Google profile's activity — posts, photos, Q&A — behaves like a ranking pulse.
What still works (and still decides)
A page per service, a page per town — the fundamentals — because both Google and its AI need something specific to rank and quote. Real proof, real photos, real addresses. Speed. Consistent name-address-phone everywhere it appears.
The 2026 move most owners miss
Write like an answer. "How much does a paver patio cost in Glenview?" answered plainly on your page is exactly what AI summaries lift — with your name attached. My whole cost guide engine is built on this principle; steal it for your industry.
Want the machine version? Content targeting real local questions, published monthly, is what a Growing plan does while you run the business.
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