Brands Shift Search Strategy to AI Recommendations Amid Click Decline

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Multi-location brands are increasingly shifting their search visibility strategies from traditional SEO rankings to AI-powered recommendations, driven by a global decline in non-branded organic clicks, industry analysts said.

This strategic pivot is important as AI Overviews and other AI-driven discovery platforms, including Google Maps, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Apple Maps, now distribute search visibility across a broader ecosystem.

The current search environment prioritizes accurate business information, location-specific relevance, and strong reputation signals for AI recommendations, requiring companies to become businesses AI recommends, moving beyond a sole focus on ranking in traditional search results.

Multi-location brands have observed a year-over-year decrease in non-branded clicks, a trend potentially linked to the rise of AI Overviews, industry reports indicated.

The new Local Search Supply Chain now encompasses brand websites, business listings, data aggregators, industry directories, review platforms, and user-generated content.

AI systems specifically prioritize trusted business information, often referred to as NAP (Name, Address, Phone), alongside third-party validation and clear entity relationships to generate recommendations.

Four core pillars for multi-location search visibility include business data accuracy and consistency, location page quality and relevance, citations and local link signals, and reputation and reviews.

Leveraging AI tools can help identify data inconsistencies across various online destinations, extending beyond traditional directories.

Optimizing location landing pages and specific intent or specialty pages, similar to IHOP’s reported strategy, is important for enhancing entity relationships and overall visibility, according to digital marketing experts.

Platforms such as Yext, Rio SEO, Birdeye, SOCi, and Locl are considered vital for managing data and staying competitive in this developing search environment.

Source: Search Engine Journal