Are you a local business owner scratching your head, wondering where all your online enquiries have gone? You’re not alone. It used to be that a decent local SEO strategy was like a magic wand for bringing in new customers. But lately, it feels like that wand has lost its sparkle. Let’s be honest: for many, it seems like local SEO isn’t working anymore. So, what’s changed, and what new challenges and opportunities are emerging in 2025 that we need to address?
You set up but neglected to update your Google Business Profile
Failing to keep your Google Business Profile (GBP or GMB) fresh may cause a decline in your visibility. (In the industry, we used to refer to this as “Google My Business.” So you may see it abbreviated as GMB.)
Especially if a competitor decides to freshen up theirs. For instance, if they start proactively getting reviews when you’re not, that’ll bump them higher up the list of results. And the longer you put off collecting reviews, the longer it’ll take to get your profile ranking again.
When your Local SEO isn’t working and your Google Business Profile stops showing up — I’d call it a code red! 🚨 If you’ve stopped being visible online, how will your customers find you?
AI search results are here! This means there’s more competition for space
This is especially a problem if you have been relying on informational content to try and gain visibility. Because nowadays, Google’s AI-powered answers dominate the top of the results page when people are looking for answers.
As a result, many web page search results get pushed further down the results page. However, transactional or commercial search queries (i.e. those that include “buy”) don’t usually generate an AI answer, and still give you a shot at the coveted top spot.
There’s another problem with this! (explained in the next point)
Consumers are getting dissatisfied with Google’s AI, and are searching elsewhere…
Other than Google, consumers are searching social media like TikTok, or answer machines like ChatGPT.
Are you keeping up with how your audience’s behaviour and preferences are changing?
As more people become dissatisfied with Google’s AI, and more savvy with ChatGPT, they’ll start searching there.
The “rules” and best practices for Google Ads change!
If you rely on Google Ads, but expect them to work the same way year-after-year, I have some news for you… It’s not going to be the same, sorry!
>>> For the full story about why and how Google Ads are changing, check out this podcast: Episode 044: The real reason your Google Ads aren’t working in 2025.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to be an expert in what you do *and* Google Ads!
Overwhelmed with your local SEO not working?
You don’t have to be! This is what I’m here for. I offer ongoing visibility to help you get leads, or just coaching/consulting advice on an as-needed basis.
I’m here to help your business reach the people you want to reach. All that said, the longer you leave your Google presence in disarray, the longer it’ll take to get your rankings back.
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