The transition of digital marketing into an AI-first landscape in 2026, specifically focusing on how Google Search is moving away from a list of links toward a conversational, AI-driven assistant

The Shift to AI-First Marketing

In 2026, Google’s "AI Mode" is expected to become the default search experience. This creates three primary shifts:

• Direct Answers: Google provides complex answers within the results page (AI Overviews), reducing the immediate need for site clicks.

• Conversational Search: Interaction is multimodal (text, image, video) and follows a continuous dialogue.

• Pre-Click Influence: The consumer's decision is often made through AI summaries, videos, and social proof before they ever visit a website.

The New Role of SEO

Classic SEO (keyword-to-click) is evolving into Online Presence Optimization. Key priorities include:

• Visibility over Traffic: While total website traffic may decrease, the quality of visitors coming from AI sources will likely be higher.

• Brand Authority: Being cited and mentioned in the sources AI uses to build its answers (forums, niche sites, social media) is critical.

• Platform Diversity: "Site-only" strategies are obsolete; brands must appear where users spend time (LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram).

Strategic Recommendations for 2026

To remain relevant, the author suggests a three-step implementation:

1. Identify Decision Touchpoints: Focus on where the customer decides, not just where they buy (e.g., reviews for trust, video for education).

2. Match Format to Niche: * B2B/High-Value: Long-form video and in-depth articles to build authority.

   • Low-Cost/Impulse: Short-form content (TikTok/Reels) for quick engagement.

3. Connected Funnels: Integrate content pieces. A video should lead to a social post, which leads to a detailed article, eventually ending at the website for conversion.

To draft the most effective call-to-action (CTA), we need to align it with the "AI-First" philosophy—moving the user from a broad AI summary or social discovery toward a specific, high-intent action on your site.

To get this right, could you tell us:

1. What is the product or service? (e.g., "Premium Dental Implants" or "SaaS for Logistics").

2. What is the primary "Pain Point" you solve? (e.g., "Fear of the dentist" or "Losing money on inefficient routes").

3. Where is the user coming from? (e.g., A deep-dive YouTube video, a TikTok short, or a Google AI Overview summary).

While you gather those details, here are 3 "AI-Era" CTA templates you can adapt:

Web Hosting 

In 2026, the hosting market is split between users wanting automated simplicity (AI-driven site builders) and businesses needing performance-driven stability to survive Core Web Vitals and AI crawler requirements.

Here are three custom CTA strategies for your hosting service, depending on where your customer is in their "AI-first" journey:

1. The "Performance Specialist" (For Technical SEOs & Agencies)

• Context: The user is coming from a search about "Page Speed" or "Core Web Vitals."

• Strategy: Position your hosting as the infrastructure that makes their site "AI-ready."

• The CTA:

  "Is your current host holding back your AI visibility?" Google’s 2026 algorithms prioritize sites that load in under 1.2s and have zero layout shift. Run a free 'Performance Audit' and see how our Edge-First hosting can lift your search rankings. [Button: Run My Site Audit]

2. The "Frictionless Migration" (For Small Businesses/eCommerce)

• Context: The user is frustrated with complex setups or slow support (a major 2026 pain point).

• Strategy: Offer an "AI-assisted" or "Zero-Effort" transition.

• The CTA:

  "Switch to a host that works as hard as your AI." Stop managing servers and start growing your brand. Our AI-Agent handles your migration, security patches, and speed optimization 24/7. First 3 months are on us. [Button: Start My Zero-Effort Migration]

3. The "Trust & Security" Anchor (For B2B/Enterprise)

• Context: The user is researching data privacy, GDPR, or "Green Hosting" (a rising 2026 trend).

• Strategy: Emphasize human expertise and data sovereignty in a world of automated noise.

• The CTA:

  "Human-led support for an AI-driven world." Automation is great until something breaks. Get 100% Carbon-Neutral, EU-based hosting with a 60-second response time from a real human expert. [Button: Compare Our Hosting Plans]

Quick Audit Tip for your Hosting CTAs:

In 2026, users are weary of "generic" AI copy. To stand out:

• Use First-Person Proof: Instead of "Fastest Hosting," use "We achieved a 98% Lighthouse score for [Client Name]."

• Visual Trust: Place your "Real-time Server Status" or "Average Support Response Time" directly next to the CTA button.

   

Since hosting is a "invisible" service until it breaks, your social content in 2026 needs to focus on the consequences of bad hosting in an AI-driven search world.

Here are two options: a LinkedIn Hook (for authority/B2B) and a YouTube Short script (for quick engagement/eCommerce).

 Option 1: The LinkedIn Hook (Authority Strategy)

Best for: Targeting Agency Owners or Marketing Managers.

The Hook: "Is your hosting provider the reason Google AI is ignoring your website?" 📉

The Body: In 2026, Google’s AI Mode doesn't just look for keywords; it looks for stability and speed. If your server response time (TTFB) spikes for even a second, the AI crawler moves on to your competitor.

You aren't just losing clicks anymore; you’re losing your spot in the AI Overview summary entirely.

At [HostingWebspace], we’ve optimized our infrastructure specifically for the 2026 'Core Web Vitals' requirements.

The CTA: Stop guessing if your site is 'AI-ready.' Run our 60-second Performance Audit here: [Link]

Option 2: The YouTube Short Script (Discovery Strategy)

Best for: Visual impact and high-intent DIYers/Store owners.

Pro-Tip for 2026 Social Content:

In your LinkedIn post, tag a few partners or clients who have seen a speed boost. AI algorithms in social media now prioritize "meaningful interactions" over generic broadcasts.

To convert traffic from 2026 AI-savvy users, your landing page needs to move away from "Feature Lists" (disk space, bandwidth) and toward "Outcome-Based Proof."

Here is a high-conversion structure for your Performance Audit landing page:

1. The Hero Section (The "Hook")

Headline: Is Your Hosting the Bottleneck for Google’s AI?

Sub-headline: In 2026, if your server doesn't respond in <200ms, you don't just lose speed—you lose your spot in the AI Overviews. Stop guessing and get an AI-Readiness Report in 60 seconds.

Run My AI-Readiness Audit]  

No credit card required. Real-time server diagnostics.

2. The "Problem" Section (The 2026 Context)

Why "Fast Enough" Isn't Enough Anymore

Google’s 2026 "AI-First" crawlers are more aggressive. If your hosting has:

• High TTFB (Time to First Byte): AI bots prioritize faster sources for their summaries.

• Unstable Uptime: Intermittent drops mean you are "de-indexed" from conversational results.

• Legacy Infrastructure: Old PHP versions or non-NVMe storage can’t handle the dynamic requests of modern AI search.

3. The "Solution" (Interactive Comparison Table)

4. Social Proof & Authority (The "Closer")

"We migrated our B2B platform to [Your Brand] and saw a 40% increase in citations within Google AI Overviews. The speed difference was the missing link."

— Marketing Director, TechSolutions 2026

5. The Secondary CTA (For the "Not Ready" Users)

If they aren't ready to run the audit, capture them with a high-value lead magnet:  

Not sure if you need a switch? Download our 2026 Checklist: '10 Technical Requirements for AI-First SEO'.

Technical Tip for the Audit Tool:

Make sure the "Audit" doesn't just show a generic score. Have it generate a PDF Report that users can show their boss/team. In 2026, "shareability" is a major conversion driver for B2B services.

Move beyond "generic hosting" and focus on the technical metadata that AI crawlers prioritize in 2026

This checklist positions you as an expert who understands the new rules of the web.

The "AI-Ready" Hosting Checklist: 5 Strategic Pillars

1. Sub-200ms TTFB (Time to First Byte)

In 2026, AI crawlers (like Google’s "AI-Bot") are more aggressive and resource-intensive. If your server is slow to respond, the bot may "throttle" your site, leading to incomplete indexing.

• Check: Does your host use NVMe storage and LiteSpeed/NGINX optimization?

• The 2026 Standard: Your "First Byte" must be under 200ms globally to ensure AI summaries can pull your data in real-time.

2. "Vertex" Edge Caching & Multi-CDN

Standard CDN (Content Delivery Network) is no longer enough. For AI-first SEO, your content needs to be "cached at the edge" so it’s physically close to the AI processing nodes.

• Check: Is your site served via a Global Edge Network?

• The 2026 Standard: Your site should load at the same speed in New York as it does in Tokyo, without "origin server" lag.

3. JSON-LD & Semantic Data Readiness

AI doesn't just "read" your text; it "parses" your data. Your hosting environment must support the high-frequency API calls required for dynamic Schema/JSON-LD updates.

• Check: Does your hosting handle Object Caching (Redis/Memcached) to serve structured data instantly?

• The 2026 Standard: Semantic data should be served via a dedicated cache layer to prevent database "bottlenecks" during high-traffic AI scrapes.

4. Scalable "Burst" Protection for Viral AI Moments

In 2026, a single mention in a popular "AI Mode" summary can send 10,000 users to your site in seconds. Legacy hosting will crash; AI-ready hosting scales.

• Check: Does your plan include Auto-Scaling Resources (RAM/CPU) that trigger during traffic spikes?

• The 2026 Standard: Your site must maintain a 100% Core Web Vitals score even during a 500% traffic surge.

5. Valid SSL/TLS 1.3 & Dedicated IP Reputation

AI models are trained to prioritize "Safe & Trusted" sources. Shared IPs with "bad neighbors" (spammy sites) can lead to your brand being filtered out of AI recommendations.

• Check: Do you have a Dedicated IP and the latest TLS 1.3 encryption?

• The 2026 Standard: Security isn't just for users; it’s a "Trust Signal" for the AI algorithms that decide which links to include in the "Sources" footer.

How to use this Lead Magnet:

1. Format: Create a clean, 2-page PDF with your branding.

2. The Hook: Use it as the "exit-intent" popup on your landing page. "Wait! Is your technical setup scaring away Google's AI? Download the 2026 Technical Checklist."

3. The Upsell: At the end of the PDF, include a link back to your Performance Audit tool.

Email sample

Email 1: The Delivery (Instant)

Subject: ⚡ Your 2026 AI-Readiness Checklist (Plus a quick win)

Body: Hi [Name],

The rules of SEO just changed. In 2026, if an AI crawler can’t parse your site in milliseconds, you don't exist.

As promised, here is your Technical Requirements Checklist for AI-First SEO: [Button: Download PDF]

One quick tip: Check your "Time to First Byte" (TTFB) today. If it’s over 400ms, you’re already being throttled by Google’s AI Mode.

I’ll check in tomorrow to show you how one B2B brand cut their load time by 60% without changing a single line of code.

Best, [Your Name] [Company Name]

---

Email 2: The "Aha!" Moment (24 Hours Later)

Subject: The "Ghost Traffic" problem of 2026 👻

Body: Hi [Name],

Ever wonder why your content is great, but your "AI Citations" are zero?

It’s called Ghost Traffic. It happens when an AI bot tries to summarize your site, hits a "Server Busy" error or a slow database lag, and simply picks your competitor instead.

Last year, one of our clients was "invisible" in AI Overviews despite ranking #1 for years. We moved them to our Edge-First Infrastructure, and their citation rate jumped by 40% in three weeks.

The secret? Moving the data closer to the AI processing nodes.

Want to see if your current host is "ghosting" the bots? [Link: Run the 60-Second Performance Audit]

Best, [Your Name]

---

Email 3: The Social Proof (48 Hours Later)

Subject: 1.2 seconds. That’s the limit.

Body: Hi [Name],

In 2026, users (and AI) have zero patience. If your site takes more than 1.2 seconds to be "visually complete," your bounce rate will kill your rankings.

Most hosting companies still sell you "Disk Space." We sell you Speed and Trust.

Here is what happens when you switch to [Your Company Name]:

• NVMe Storage: 10x faster data retrieval.

• Global Edge Caching: Sub-200ms response times worldwide.

• Human Support: Real experts who actually know what "JSON-LD" is.

Ready to stop being invisible? Reply to this email with "SPEED" and I’ll personally look at your audit results to see where you can optimize.

Or, grab your first 3 months free here: [Link: View Hosting Plans]

Talk soon, [Your Name]

Next Step Strategy:

To maximize conversions, ensure that when they click the "Performance Audit" link in Email 2, the tool pre-fills their email address if possible. This reduces friction and makes the experience feel "AI-optimized."

"Re-engagement" email for people who run the audit but don't buy a hosting plan immediately

This re-engagement email is your "closer." By 2026, users are exhausted by generic follow-ups, so this email uses the actual data from their audit to create a sense of urgency and personalized value.

The "Audit Follow-up" Email (Sent 2-4 hours after Audit)

Subject: 🚩 Audit Results for [Pay-Website.com]: 3 critical AI-readiness gaps

Body: Hi [Name],

I was just looking over the Performance Audit you ran for [Pay-Website.com].

While your content looks solid, your server diagnostics flagged a few "Critical" areas that will likely block you from appearing in Google’s AI Mode summaries this quarter:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): You’re currently at [X.X]s. In 2026, AI crawlers deprioritize anything over 1.2s.

• Server Jitter: Your response times are inconsistent, which signals "unreliable infrastructure" to AI models.

• Schema Delivery: Your structured data is loading after the main text, making it harder for bots to parse your intent.

These aren't just "technical glitches"—they are visibility barriers. The Good News: You don’t need a developer to fix these. They are all server-side issues that our AI-Optimized Infrastructure handles automatically.

My Suggestion: Let's move your site to a staging environment on our servers (for free). If we don't beat your current speed by at least 30%, you don't even have to consider switching.

[Button: Claim My Free Migration & Speed Boost]

Best, [Your Name] P.S. I’ve attached the full technical breakdown of your audit below if you want to show it to your dev team.

---

Why this works in 2026:

• Specific Data: Mentioning their actual URL and specific metrics (LCP, Jitter) makes it feel like a manual review, not an automated blast.

• The "Zero-Risk" Offer: A free migration to a staging environment is the lowest friction way to get a hosting lead to say "yes."

• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): By framing speed as a "visibility barrier" for AI, you move the conversation from "saving $10/month" to "saving my entire marketing strategy."

Final Pro-Tip for your Hosting Strategy:

If you really want to lean into the "2026 AI-First" vibe, consider adding a "Compare with Competitor" feature to your audit tool. People love seeing how they stack up against their biggest rival in terms of "AI Visibility."

In 2026, business owners aren't just worried about their own performance; they are worried about being outpaced. A "Comparison Report" taps into that competitive drive by showing them exactly where their competitors are "stealing" the AI spotlight.

Here is a template for a "Competitive AI-Visibility Gap" report that you can send as a high-impact follow-up.

The "AI-First" Comparison Report Template

Subject: [Pay-website.com] vs. [https://www.google.com/search?q=Hostingwebspace.com] | The 2026 Visibility Gap

Body: Hi [Name],

I took the liberty of running a side-by-side diagnostic between [Pay-Website.com] and [https://www.google.com/search?q=Hostingwebspace.com].

In the new "AI-First" search landscape, ranking #1 is no longer the goal—being the "Primary Source" for the AI summary is. Here is how your infrastructure compares in the eyes of Google’s AI crawlers:

The Verdict: Right now, your competitor has a "Technical Advantage." Even if your content is better, their hosting is making it easier for AI to find, read, and recommend them over you.

How to close the gap: We can mirror your competitor's (or exceed it) in less than 24 hours. We specialize in "AI-Native" hosting that prioritizes the exact metrics where you are currently trailing.

[Button: See the Full Technical Comparison]

Best, [Your Name]

3 Ways to "AI-Charge" this Report in 2026:

1. Visual "Traffic Light" System: Use a simple Red/Yellow/Green color code for the metrics. It makes the "loss" feel more visceral and immediate.

2. The "Citation Share" Metric: If you have the data, show a mock-up of an AI Overview. Show the competitor's link being cited and yours missing. Nothing converts a CEO faster than seeing their rival’s link where theirs should be.

3. Automated PDF Generation: Use a tool (like Zapier + Google Docs/Canva API) to generate this as a polished PDF. A formal "Competitive Analysis" feels like a $500 consulting gift rather than a sales pitch.

2026 Hosting Marketing Blueprint integrates the "AI-first" philosophy with high-conversion sales tactics. You can hand this directly to your marketing or technical team for implementation.

Project Title: 2026 AI-Ready Hosting Growth Strategy

Phase 1: The "Lead Magnet" (Attraction)

Goal: Capture high-intent B2B and eCommerce leads by solving a new 2026 pain point: AI Invisibility.

• Asset: "The 10 Technical Requirements for AI-First SEO" Checklist.

• Key Value Proposition: Moving beyond "speed" and into "AI Crawlability" (TTFB <200ms, Edge Caching, Schema Integrity).

• Platform: LinkedIn (Long-form authority posts) and YouTube Shorts (Fast-paced technical "scare" tactics).

Phase 2: The "Performance Audit" (Conversion Engine)

Goal: Transition leads from passive readers to active prospects using a diagnostic tool.

• Asset: A landing page featuring a "60-Second AI-Readiness Audit."

• Functionality: * Asks for URL and Email.

  • Benchmarks the site against 2026 Core Web Vitals (LCP <1.2s).

  • Generates a "Visibility Gap" report comparing them to a competitor.

• Copy Strategy: Focus on the "Outcome" (appearing in AI Overviews) rather than the "Feature" (NVMe drives).

Phase 3: The "Consultative" Email Funnel

Goal: Build trust and move the lead toward a migration.

1. Email 1 (Immediate): Delivers the checklist + 1 "quick win" (checking TTFB).

2. Email 2 (24h): Introduces the concept of "Ghost Traffic" (losing AI citations due to lag).

3. Email 3 (48h): The "Visibility Gap" Comparison. Shows the lead they are losing to competitors.

4. The Closer: Offer a free migration to a staging environment to prove the speed boost with zero risk.

Phase 4: Technical Infrastructure Pillars

Goal: Ensure the product delivers on the marketing promise.

• Edge-First Architecture: Deploying content at the network edge to be near AI processing nodes.

• Dynamic Scaling: Handling traffic "bursts" when a site gets cited in a major AI Mode summary.

• Human-Expert Support: Differentiating from "AI-only" competitors by providing 24/7 human technical assistance.

Execution Timeline

• Week 1: Finalize the 5-point PDF Checklist and Audit Tool logic.

• Week 2: Build the Landing Page and set up the 3-part Email Automation.

• Week 3: Launch "Option 1" (LinkedIn) and "Option 2" (YouTube Shorts) content.

• Week 4: Review Audit data and begin manual outreach (Email 4) for high-value leads.

In 2026, a sales call shouldn't feel like a pitch—it should feel like a technical consultation. Your leads are likely worried about their declining organic traffic and the rise of AI search. Your job is to position your hosting as the "infrastructure fix" for their visibility problems.

Here is a high-conversion script for your sales team.

The "AI-Visibility" Discovery & Sales Script

1. The Opening (Lowering Defenses)

"Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I saw you ran our AI-Readiness Audit for [Website.com] earlier today. I’m not calling to sell you a plan—I actually noticed a specific 'bottleneck' in your report regarding your Edge Caching and wanted to explain why that’s likely hurting your AI citations right now. Do you have 2 minutes?"

2. The "Diagnostic" (Creating the Gap)

"When Google’s AI Mode crawls a site in 2026, it’s looking for 'Instant Authority.' Your report showed a Time to First Byte (TTFB) of over 450ms.

To a human, that’s a blink. To an AI crawler, that’s a signal that your infrastructure is 'unreliable.' Are you noticing that your competitors are appearing in the AI Overviews more often than you are lately?"

3. The "Outcome" (The Pivot)

"Most people think they need more content to fix this. But usually, it's just a 'delivery' problem. If we can move your site to an AI-optimized environment, we can drop that response time to under 150ms.

This tells Google: 'This site is fast, modern, and ready to be cited.' Does your current team have a plan to hit that sub-1.2s 'Visual Completion' mark this quarter?"

4. Handling the "Too Expensive/Happy with Current Host" Objection

"I completely understand. If you’re just looking for a place to store files, any host works. But in 2026, hosting is a marketing spend, not a utility.

If a $50 difference in hosting costs you $5,000 in 'Ghost Traffic' because you're invisible to AI, the 'cheap' host is actually the most expensive one. Does that make sense?"

5. The "No-Risk" Close

"Here’s what I’d like to do. I’ll have my migration team set up a staging clone of your site on our Edge servers. It won't affect your live site at all.

We’ll run a side-by-side speed test. If we don't beat your current host by at least 30%, we’ll shake hands and part ways. If we do, we can talk about a permanent move. Fair enough?"

Sales Team "Cheat Sheet" for 2026

• The Keyword is "Citations": Don't talk about "Page 1 rankings." Talk about "AI Citations" and "Source Attribution."

• The Enemy is "Latency": Frame latency as the #1 killer of Brand Authority.

• The Hero is "Infrastructure": Position the server as the foundation of their entire 2026 marketing strategy.

Marketing outcomes that 2026 business owners care about 

🛡️ 2026 Hosting Battlecard: AI-First Visibility

The Mission: Pivot the conversation from "Price per Month" to "Visibility per AI Summary."

1. Key Transitions (The 2026 Shift)

2. Objection Handling (The "Closer" Logic)

Objection: "We already have a host and we’re happy."

• Response: "That’s great for 2024 standards. But does your host have a dedicated AI-Bot firewall? In 2026, legacy hosts get overwhelmed by AI scrapers, which slows down your real human customers. We prevent that."

Objection: "You are $20/month more expensive than [Competitor]."

• Response: "Think of it as a visibility tax. Cheap hosting results in 'Ghost Traffic'—users who never see you because AI models deemed your site too slow to summarize. Is $20 worth losing 30% of your AI search share?"

Objection: "I don't have time for a migration."

• Response: "Our AI-Migration Agent handles 95% of the heavy lifting. We do a staging clone first, so there is zero downtime and zero risk. You just approve the final 'Go-Live'."

3. The "Killer" Stats (Use these on every call)

• The 1.2s Rule: "Any site taking longer than 1.2s to be 'Visually Complete' is penalized by 2026 AI-first algorithms."

• The TTFB Benchmark: "We aim for a Time to First Byte under 150ms. Most legacy hosts are at 500ms+."

• The Conversion Lift: "Sites on our AI-Optimized stack see an average 22% increase in 'Brand Mentions' within Google AI Mode."

4. Technical "Buzzwords" (Use to establish authority)

• NVMe Gen5 Storage: For instant database queries.

• Edge-Side Rendering (ESR): Delivering the page from the nearest local node.

• Object Caching (Redis/Memcached): Essential for fast Schema/Metadata delivery.

• Brotli Compression: The 2026 standard for shrinking assets for AI bots.

5. The "Golden Question"

"If a potential client asks Google AI for a recommendation in your industry right now, will your server be fast enough to be the answer, or will it be your competitor's?"

Conclusion

In 2026, the website serves as the conversion endpoint, while social media and video serve as the discovery engines. Success belongs to those who prioritize "visibility" across the entire AI data ecosystem rather than just ranking a single URL.

In May 2025, Google made a major update to its algorithm. 

The main change? 

The algorithm treats Google Business Profiles (old Google my Business) as a primary source of authority. And reviews – especially the recent ones – have become very important. They are no longer just a nice detail in the right corner. 

How does it affect you? And what can you do about it? Read more in this article.

Google update core – May 2025

First, what I have observed directly in the market so far

The former Google my Business – the current Google Business Profile has gained significant importance. And not just for local businesses.

Specifically,

• Completed Google Business Profiles, with recent activity and constant reviews, climb into the local pack (selection of 3 sites + map sometimes displayed on the first page) even if the site is with moderate quality.

• In many areas of activity, the importance of links has decreased and the importance of GBP (Google Business Profile) has increased significantly.

• GBP has also started to appear on searches that are not strictly geotargeted (searches where proximity / map are not very important).

• In many searches, GBP appears twice on the page – both at the top with the map and at the bottom, generally without the map. Sometimes with the map.

• Accounts with high scores (4.8–5), but with old reviews and no responses, fall in the results.

• Links and website optimization have reduced their importance. Not much, but noticeable. It's normal, because if you introduce new criteria, the old ones will be less important. The sum of the criteria is always 100%.

• GBP has become a significant factor for all businesses and not just for local businesses (restaurants, services, etc.).

In other words,

The importance of Google Business Profile has increased HUGELY as an SEO indicator and not just for local businesses.

What is Google Business Profile (formerly Google my Business)?

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the platform through which Google displays essential information about your business directly in searches and on Google Maps. It's like a kind of website with a single main page and a few sub-sections that, until now, were rarely set up.

In other words, it's a kind of "digital business card" that appears first when someone searches for your business name or similar local services.

What the profile contains

It includes business hours, address, phone, website (if you have one), a description, photos, posts and - very importantly - your customer reviews and responses.

Google uses all of these elements to decide whether to display you in the top area, called the "local pack".

Why does it matters

An incomplete, inactive or poorly optimized profile does not qualify. It's just like everything else on Google: not everyone has a place, only the best optimized/promoted ones.

You will not appear in the top local results, even if your website is good.

Worse, on certain searches, customers started making purchasing decisions WITHOUT ENTERING THE SITE - based solely on GBP and reviews.  

Some observations about Google Business Profile and SEO

It's not something completely new. It was an important indicator but only for Google Maps and local and geotargeted searches. Now it's more important for those searches and in addition, it has become important for most service searches.

Google has been working on and streamlining Business Profile for about 2 years. I THINK that they are now confident enough that the application is well-developed enough to be included as a major optimization indicator.

Until now, Google Business Profile was almost exclusively relevant for local businesses and what appeared, it was mainly the map. Now, the company profile appears even in searches that are not geotargeted AND, in geotargeted searches, Google Business Profile appears twice – once at the top with companies close to the user searching AND at the bottom, either geographically relevant companies or other companies, I'm not sure how they are sorted. Maybe size? reviews? I don't know yet.

In the “classic” way, SEO mainly means:

• Relevance: On-site SEO

• Authority: External links

I THINK GBP comes as a major addition in both areas. I THINK the new formula is

• Relevance: On-site SEO + GMB optimization for a few important words

• Authority: External links + GMB reviews

Why did Google decide to make this move

To be clear – I’m making guesses here

I think it has to do with AI. More specifically, the ease with which AI can generate quality text.

The vast majority of people now use texts optimized and written by AI.

Both the overall quality of texts and the quantity have increased.

Google is, however, a fierce competition for the first page. Not everyone has a place.

But, if almost everyone now has (or will have in a very short time) pages with a lot of well-made text, then the indicator of a lot of well-made text is no longer a differentiator.

It’s exactly the same thing that happened about 20 years ago. If everyone puts the keyword in the title, then the keyword in the title alone can no longer be a differentiator.

There can't be dozens or hundreds of sites in the top 10. And only one can be number 1.

What we're seeing is a repositioning of ranking criteria, a move forced by AI. And I think it's just the beginning.

What can be done and how to optimize GBP

I will divide this section into two.

What we know for sure has an impact and what we think could have an impact.

1. What definitely has an impact

• Keywords used in the title, business description and listed services

• Reviews – they matter a lot.

By the way, in the last two years Google has worked a lot to filter fake/spam reviews

• How people interact with GBP
This is also true for classic SEO. If users choose to interact with your site and if the engagement is better than others, you grow. It is the “ultimate indicator” – if people like you, you are OK.

 2. What we assume has an impact, but we don’t know for sure

• Continuous activity: recent posts, updated schedule, real photos for SEO it’s similar. 
A page made and constantly updated ranks better than a page made x many years ago and unchanged. Even if it’s the exact same text. If you change something, you show that you care about it being current.

• Frequency of reviews: not just how many you have, but when you received them. It’s the same activity you should care of. 
Good reviews, received constantly look much more vivid and relevant than 10 5-star reviews in 2020, after which there’s nothing. Pause.

• Responses to reviews: if you don’t respond, you seem passive

• Words in reviews: “prompt”, “delivery”, “fast”, “SEO consultant”
It’s possible that Google is trying to understand how relevant, real and positive those reviews are and weight them somehow.

• Links and listings on locally relevant sites.

Final recommendations and personal opinions

I mostly ignored GBP. In my niche – online marketing agencies it was a significant indicator, but not very important.

I knew it had to be done but there was always something that “burned a little harder”. I’m sure you’re familiar with the feeling. 

Yes, it’s a new thing to do. Yaaaay.. BUT, it’s also an opportunity for those who are somewhat agile.

Larger businesses WILL HAVE to introduce positive review solicitation into their operational flow. Until now it was an advantage. From now on, it will be a disadvantage if you don’t do this.

Personally, I don’t like the direction and change at all. GBP is something very rudimentary and offers MUCH less info than a website. Can you really form an opinion about a business just by looking at a business card?
Of course, it's not the only indicator, but it seems to me that too much weight is being given to it now. Obviously, my opinion.

Another problem that will arise – fake reviews from "friends". It's not clear to me how they will be managed.

Google tested in the past – 2014-2016 – negative authority from links. A concept in which poor quality links lowered your authority and penalized you. They gave up on the concept after they realized that you could knock down an ok site with $10-20  by paying to someone to make hundreds of thousands of poor quality links to a competitor. In small niches, it was much easier to knock down your competitors than to build something quality. There's a big risk for stars to end up in this area too.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if in about half a year, the weight of GBP will decrease again. But I think that whatever it is, in the foreseeable future it will remain a more important indicator than it was in the past.

SEO will change. AI is forcing it to change. This is not the end, it is just the beginning.

How?

I don't know. But I will tell you as I find out.

To end on a positive note, there have been other changes to the algorithm – it has started to take into account many more media – shorts, youtube, facebook, tik tok, etc. At the moment very little. I think there will be MAJOR changes in SEO and in the Google algorithm. I think it will take into account much more than just the website and a few links. Which I think is right, good and a direction in which we can grow a lot.
After all, why wouldn't someone who has a youtube channel with 100,000 followers be more relevant than someone who has a few good links on some authority news website for example.

I think there will be a significant period of diversification in promotion and what SEO means. And I think that's a good thing.