Local Business GEO: How to Get Cited by AI for Local Queries
LocalBusiness schema, NAP consistency and the trust signals that win local AI recommendations like "best [service] near me".
Why is local a key AI battleground?
"Best dentist near me" increasingly returns an AI answer naming two or three businesses. Being one of them is the entire game for local operators.
LocalBusiness schema is non-negotiable
Add LocalBusiness JSON-LD with name, address, geo coordinates, openingHours, telephone and priceRange. This is how AI resolves you as a real place it can recommend.
Reviews and ratings
Mark up your reviews with AggregateRating. AI weighs star ratings heavily when recommending local options — an unmarked 5-star reputation is invisible to it.
NAP consistency
Keep your Name, Address and Phone identical across your site, Google Business Profile and directories. Inconsistency makes AI distrust the entity and drop it from recommendations.
