Tips & Resources for business owners
Get your business ranked in search engines & AI
At Local Business First, we constantly research the latest search engine guidelines as Google, Bing, and other search engines change their search criteria and algorithms virtually every day. Add AI to all that!
We understand how local clients search for your business, and we know that Local SEO is different than organic SEO. We plan to write step-by-step guides and DIY local SEO procedures for everything you need to know to ensure that your business will rank locally.
Check out our blog articles!
Discover 2026 local search ranking factors for Local Pack, Organic, and AI. Your local business nees to be real, trusted, popular, and relevant.
Learn what AI hallucinations are, how they differ from incorrect data, why they happen, and how businesses can reduce AI-generated errors.
Hey folks! If you're hustling for a local business in 2026, you know the game has leveled up. Gone are the days when local SEO was just about nailing your Google Business Profile (GBP) and grabbing a few backlinks. Now, with AI Overviews showing up in over 70% of local searches (per recent Google data), and tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity dishing out recommendations, it's all about blending classic SEO with AI smarts. We're talking about making your business not just visible, but the obvious choice in AI-generated answers.
In the competitive digital world of 2026, a robust Google Business Profile (GBP) is crucial for service-based businesses expanding across multiple towns without losing local search relevance. For industries like event planning, roofing, and legal services-where customer proximity drives decisions-strategic GBP optimization can boost visibility in Google's Local Pack and AI-driven searches. This article draws on concrete examples from three Massachusetts-based companies: Canvas N Cup (a paint-and-sip event studio in Westborough serving in-person and virtual clients), Master Roof Contracting (a Milford-based roofing firm covering over 70 towns statewide), and the Law Offices of Jason M. Ranallo P.C. (a Dedham personal injury law firm with an additional Milford meeting spot, assisting clients across Massachusetts towns). We'll explore multi-town expansion tactics, GBP's role in AI discoverability, key AI factors, and optimization steps.
Explore the major Google algorithm updates in 2025, including core algorithm changes and AI-related search features. Learn what changed and how it can impact your website’s rankings.