What Multi-Location Marketers Need to Know about Generative AI Search
Generative AI is still the trending topic these days, and there are many more uses, tools, and advancements to explore than ever before. Today, we’re focusing on generative AI search and how it can be used to enhance results for multi-location businesses. With its ability to understand natural language and generate highly relevant search results, generative AI search is making it easier for multi-location businesses to drive accurate search results. Multi-location businesses often present a number of unique challenges for marketers who need ensure high-level brand consistency yet local results. In this article, we will explore what generative AI search is, its usefulness, and what multi-location marketers need to know about its impact on local search.
The Big Idea Behind Generative AI Search
Generative AI search, powered by advanced algorithms and machine learning, enables search engines to comprehend complex queries and provide more accurate and contextually relevant search results. Unlike traditional keyword-based searches, which often rely on exact match keywords (hello, SEO), generative AI search attempts to determine the intent behind a user’s query, allowing it to deliver results that closely align with the user’s needs. This technology leverages natural language processing (NLP) to interpret user queries, identify patterns, and generate search results that go beyond simple keyword matching.
In a recent update from Google about how they are incorporating generative AI into search, the company made it clear that they are committed to making search more intuitive and helpful. While some marketers are worried that SEO strategies will become obsolete with Google providing one-click results, the company noted that it will continue sending traffic to valuable sites across the web. However, it’s still far too early to tell if that will be the case as testing on generative AI search capabilities is still ongoing in Search Labs and for most other search engines.
How Will Generative AI Search Be Useful for Multi-location Marketers?
Generative AI search enhances the user experience by providing more precise and personalized search results. This means that when a user searches for a specific service or product offered by a multi-location business, generative AI search can understand the query’s nuances and deliver results that match the user’s intent accurately. This improved search experience helps drive higher customer satisfaction and increases the likelihood of conversions for multi-location businesses.
Generative AI search also has the potential to level the playing field for smaller locations within multi-location businesses. Traditionally, larger locations or well-established branches tend to dominate local search results due to factors such as brand recognition or higher web traffic. However, with generative AI search, smaller locations can gain visibility by providing highly relevant and localized content. By optimizing their online presence, smaller locations can compete more effectively with their larger counterparts and attract customers specifically searching for their offerings.
What Can Marketers Start Doing to Ensure Strong Impacts to Multi-Location Businesses?
First, it’s important to keep in mind that what we are talking about is still in the early stages of development, so any generative AI search strategy created today will need to evolve in the coming months to incorporate new features and approaches. However, as a marketer you are most likely already used to evolving any strategy frequently. .
When working with generative AI search, or as Google now calls it, Search Generative Experience, it’s crucial to understand that generative AI search prioritizes high-quality, relevant content and user intent over rigid keyword matching. Marketers should focus on creating content that answers users’ queries in a unique, comprehensive, and informative manner. This means optimizing website content, product descriptions, and also building content that speaks to different viewpoints or provides expert-led guidance, anything that will help the location stand out.
The easiest and quickest win for marketers right now is to ensure multi-location businesses are already leveraging local search optimization techniques. This includes claiming and optimizing individual location listings on search engines, providing accurate and up-to-date business information, and actively managing online reviews. Once the company has a solid base of information and a strategy for keeping this updated, it should have an immediate impact on conversions.
Moreover, implementing schema markup can help multi-location businesses catapult their success with generative AI search. Schema markup provides search engines with structured data about a business, its offerings, and other relevant information, it is the information that search engines analyze to return results. By implementing schema markup for each location, such as FAQs, reviews, products, media, and creative works, marketers can provide search engines with valuable context and increase the chances of their locations appearing in generative AI search results.
As generative AI search evolves, it’s vital that marketers stay in the know. For multi-location businesses in particular, the advancing generative AI search industry could have a resounding impact and it’ll be important for marketers to be paying attention to all the upcoming changes. If you start with the ideas listed above, your multi-location business should have a solid foundation from which to start benefiting from the wonderful world of generative AI search.