For years, digital visibility followed a relatively predictable path. A customer searched on Google, reviewed a handful of websites, and then decided whom to contact. Today, that journey is changing faster than most businesses realise.
A growing number of consumers no longer start with traditional search results. Instead, they ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google’s AI-powered search experiences for answers, recommendations, and business suggestions. At the same time, location-driven searches remain one of the strongest indicators of purchase intent. The result is a new reality: businesses must now optimise for both local discovery and AI-driven discovery if they want to remain visible where customers are making decisions.
The Evolution of Customer Discovery
Search behaviour is becoming increasingly conversational. Rather than typing short phrases such as “marketing agency London” or “dentist near me”, users are asking detailed questions:
- Which digital marketing agency is best for a SaaS company?
- Who is the most trusted accountant in Manchester?
- What are the top local restaurants near me with great reviews?
This shift is being accelerated by AI-powered search experiences. According to Similarweb data reported by TechCrunch, Google AI Overviews appeared in approximately 43% of searches by mid-2026, highlighting how quickly AI-generated answers are becoming part of the search experience.
At the same time, ChatGPT continues to gain massive adoption. Industry data shows that the platform reached hundreds of millions of weekly users, transforming how people research products, services, and businesses.
For businesses targeting the US and UK markets, this means potential customers are no longer confined to a single discovery channel. They are moving seamlessly between Google Search, Google Maps, AI assistants, and conversational search platforms.
Why Local SEO Still Matters
Despite the excitement around artificial intelligence, local search remains one of the strongest drivers of commercial intent.
Research indicates that approximately 46% of Google searches have local intent, demonstrating how frequently people search for businesses, products, and services in specific geographic locations.
Google itself confirms that local rankings are influenced primarily by relevance, distance, and prominence, while accurate business information, reviews, and profile completeness continue to play important roles in local visibility.
For businesses targeting customers in the United States, investing in Local SEO services for USA businesses has become increasingly important. A strong local presence helps organisations appear in Google Maps, local business listings, and location-based searches where purchasing decisions often happen quickly.
The data supports this investment. Studies show that businesses with a complete Google Business Profile are significantly more likely to be viewed as reputable by customers, and local searches continue to drive substantial business visits every month.
The Rise of AI Search as a Discovery Channel
While local SEO helps businesses capture demand within traditional search ecosystems, AI search is creating an entirely new layer of visibility.
When someone asks ChatGPT for the best CRM software, a trusted healthcare provider, or a reliable digital marketing agency, they are often presented with a synthesised response instead of a list of links. The brands featured in these responses gain a significant advantage because they enter consideration before a customer even visits a website.
Recent research from Ahrefs highlights how dramatically search is evolving. AI Overviews now reach over a billion monthly users, and AI-generated search experiences continue to reshape how information is consumed.
The challenge for businesses is that traditional rankings alone no longer guarantee visibility. A company may rank well organically while remaining largely absent from AI-generated recommendations.
That shift has created the need for a new discipline.
Why Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) Matters
Generative Engine Optimisation, commonly known as GEO, focuses on improving a brand’s visibility within AI-generated answers.
Unlike traditional SEO, which is primarily concerned with rankings, GEO focuses on helping AI systems understand, trust, and reference a business when generating responses.
Research from Ahrefs indicates that AI search platforms often source information differently from traditional search engines, and many cited sources do not perfectly overlap with Google’s top-ranking results.
As AI search platforms continue to influence buying decisions, more companies are exploring Generative Engine Optimisation services to improve their visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
The objective is not merely to rank. It is to become a trusted source that AI systems reference when users seek recommendations or expert guidance.
The Brands Winning in 2026 Are Doing Both
One of the biggest misconceptions in digital marketing today is that AI search will replace local SEO.
The reality is more nuanced.
Local SEO and AI search optimisation solve different visibility challenges.
Local SEO helps businesses appear when users actively search for nearby solutions. GEO helps businesses become visible when AI systems help users evaluate options and make decisions.
Businesses that combine these strategies create multiple pathways to discovery:
- Visibility in Google Maps
- Presence in local search results
- Citations within AI-generated answers
- Increased brand recognition across multiple platforms
- Greater trust through authoritative digital footprints
As customer journeys become more fragmented, visibility across multiple touchpoints becomes increasingly important.
Practical Steps Businesses Can Take Today
The organisations succeeding in this environment are not chasing every new algorithm update. Instead, they are strengthening the fundamentals that influence both traditional and AI-driven visibility.
These include:
- Maintaining accurate and complete Google Business Profiles
- Publishing expert-led content that answers real customer questions
- Building authoritative mentions across trusted websites
- Demonstrating expertise through original insights and research
- Creating clear service and location-focused pages
- Improving website structure and content clarity
Notably, many of these practices support both local SEO and AI search optimisation. Businesses that invest in creating trustworthy, useful, and authoritative content are often better positioned regardless of how customers choose to search.
Final Thoughts
The future of business discovery is not a choice between Google and AI.
Customers are increasingly using both.
Some begin with a local Google search. Others start by asking ChatGPT a question. Many move between traditional search results, business profiles, reviews, and AI-generated recommendations before making a decision.
For businesses targeting competitive US and UK markets, the most effective strategy is no longer to optimise for a single platform. It is to build visibility wherever customers seek answers.
The companies that understand this shift early will not simply rank better. They will become easier to find, easier to trust, and more likely to be chosen in a world where discovery is increasingly powered by both local search and artificial intelligence.
