Your Google Business Profile Is Not the Only Ranking Factor in the AI Era

The 68% Reality Check

Here's a number that should reset your local SEO priorities: in a recent study of 540 queries across three U.S. cities and six industries, Google AI Overviews appeared in an average of 68% of local business-type queries (Whitespark). That's not a fringe phenomenon—it's the new baseline. Meanwhile, the traditional Local Pack showed up for only 39% of those same queries. If you've been pouring all your time into polishing your Google Business Profile (GBP) and ignoring what the rest of the internet says about you, you're fighting the last war.

Yes, GBP is still a heavyweight—Google's own numbers show that complete profiles make customers 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to buy (Ahrefs). But the game has shifted. AI-driven local search pulls from what the entire internet says about a business, not just its GBP (SE Ranking). So the real question isn't 'Is my GBP optimized?' but 'What does the whole web say about me?'

Three Contenders: GBP, Reviews, and Citations

Let's break down the three main levers you can pull, and where each one actually matters.

• Google Business Profile optimization – Your listing's completeness, categories, attributes, and posts.
• Review generation and management – Volume, recency, and responses.
• Citation consistency and building – NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across directories, aggregators, and third-party sites.

Each has a different weight depending on whether you're chasing the Local Pack or trying to get into AI Overviews.

Round 1: The Local Pack – GBP Still Rules

When someone searches with clear local intent—like 'plumber near me'—the Local Pack appears more than 90% of the time (Whitespark). And within that pack, trust signals are weighted heavily: roughly 36% for your GBP, 17% for reviews, and 16% for website content (SE Ranking). So if your goal is to win that click, your GBP is still the strongest lever. But it's not the only one—reviews come in second, and they're not far behind.

Round 2: AI Overviews – Citations and Reviews Take the Lead

Flip the script to informational or hybrid queries—like 'how long does an eye exam take near me' or 'average cost of dental implants in Phoenix.' AI Overviews show up for 92% and 97% of those respectively, while the Local Pack appears for only 6% and 17% (Whitespark). And here's the kicker: in hybrid-intent plumber searches in Houston, AI Overviews cited third-party publisher sites (Indeed, Yelp, Thumbtack) for 60% of sources versus 40% individual local business websites (Whitespark). That means your own content is only part of the story. An analysis of 23,000 citations found that a business's own content accounts for only about 23% of citations in branded queries; the rest comes from off-page sources (Search Engine Journal).

So if you want to be cited by AI, you need to be visible and consistent across the web—not just on your GBP. That's where citations and reviews become your best friends.

Round 3: Reviews – The Universal Currency

Reviews are the second most important Local Pack factor, with volume and recency often mattering more than average star rating (SE Ranking). And consumers are ravenous: 97% read reviews for local businesses, and 41% say they 'always' read them (BrightLocal). But it's not just about having a high rating—47% of consumers won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and 31% insist on 4.5 stars or higher (BrightLocal). Recency matters too: 74% look for reviews from the last three months (BrightLocal).

And responding to reviews? 80% of consumers are more likely to use a business that responds to every review, and 89% expect owners to respond (BrightLocal). That's a low-effort, high-impact move.

The Comparison Table

What I'd Actually Do

Here's my blunt take: if you're a local business with a limited budget, stop obsessing over GBP tweaks and start obsessing over your entire digital footprint. Yes, your GBP is the foundation—make sure it's 100% complete, because that alone can boost visits (Ahrefs). But then shift your energy to two things:

1. Fix your NAP everywhere. Even minor inconsistencies can suppress rankings, and 80% of consumers lose trust with incorrect contact info (BrightLocal). Use a tool like BrightLocal to audit your citations and clean up the mess.

2. Build a review engine. Aim for 20+ reviews, but more importantly, keep them fresh. Encourage reviews from recent customers, and respond to every single one—good or bad. That alone will satisfy both the Local Pack algorithm and the AI overviews that love to quote review snippets.

And don't forget your own website—54% of consumers visit a business's website after reading positive reviews (BrightLocal). If you're one of the 40% of local businesses without a dedicated site, you're dropping those leads (BrightLocal). So make sure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and consistent with your NAP.

The bottom line: the Local Pack is still yours to win, but AI Overviews are the new battleground. Diversify your local SEO portfolio, or you'll be invisible in both.

Sources

• SE Ranking – https://seranking.com/blog/google-local-pack/
• BrightLocal – https://www.brightlocal.com/
• BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey – https://www.brightlocal.com/resources/local-consumer-review-survey/
• BrightLocal (NAP and citations guidance) – https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/what-is-nap/
• Ahrefs Local SEO Guide – https://ahrefs.com/blog/local-seo/
• Whitespark AI Overviews in Local Search – https://whitespark.ca/blog/case-study-the-prevalence-of-ai-overviews-in-local-search/
• Search Engine Journal – https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ai-overviews-now-answer-most-local-searches-how-to-get-your-business-cited/580757/