Search behaviour in Australia is changing quickly. For years, success in local SEO meant ranking in Google’s Local Pack, building citations, and collecting reviews. That still matters but it’s no longer the full picture.
Today, tools powered by an LLM (Large Language Model) including AI-generated search summaries are reshaping how customers find a local business. Instead of browsing multiple websites, users receive a direct, AI-written response.
That shift raises a practical question many Australian business owners are asking:
How do you optimise for AI search without undoing everything you’ve built with local SEO?
The answer isn’t starting over. It’s strengthening clarity, consistency and credibility so your business can be confidently referenced by both search engines and AI systems.
How LLMs are Changing Local Search Service Standards
Traditional local SEO (Who is closest?) focuses on maps, listings, and rankings. AI search (Who is most trustworthy and relevant) works differently. Instead of showing ten blue links, it generates a summarised answer based on the strongest available signals.
An LLM assesses your business based on:
- Structured data or the code telling AI exactly what services you offer
- Review content, not just star rating
- Specific mentions in customer feedback across the web
- Consistency of your Name, Address, Phone(NAP) business details
- Context about service areas
- Consistent mentions on citation pages
If your information is unclear or inconsistent, AI systems may avoid referencing your business even if your rankings look stable.
Why Local SEO Still Matters
You might be wondering now if your old local seo services are now redundant. Our answer is no, but they have now changed.
Traditional local seo is now the data feed for the AI. Think of your Google Business Profile, your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency, and your on-site content as the raw ingredients. The LLM is the chef that puts them together. If the ingredients are missing or spoiled, the final dish (the AI’s recommendation) won’t include you.
What Are the Best Practices for the Local Business
Start With Strong Local SEO Foundation
Before thinking about AI, you need to ensure your local SEO basics are solid.
Your Google business profile should be:
- Accurate and up to date
- Using correct categories
- Clear about service areas
- Detailed in service descriptions
- Regularly maintained
An incomplete or inconsistent business profile weakens trust signals. If your trading hours differ across directories or your address appears in multiple formats, AI systems detect uncertainty.
That uncertainty can exclude your local business from AI-generated answers.
Write Content That Mirrors Real Search Behaviour
Australians increasingly search using full questions such as; Who’s a reliable local seo company in Perth?
And to optimise for AI search:
- Use question-based headings
- Provide direct, clear answers
- Avoid vague service descriptions
- Include suburb and regional references naturally
An LLM extracts information more easily from structured, conversational content than from generic keyword-heavy pages.
This approach improves both user experience and local SEO services performance.
Strengthen EEAT Signals Across Your Website
Google’s EEAT framework — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness is central to AI interpretation.
If you want an AI to trust your data, you must speak its language. This means implementing localised seo effectively by showing:
Experience
- Real project examples tied to specific suburbs
- Before-and-after case studies
- Practical insights relevant to Australian conditions
Expertise
- Trade licences or certifications
- Author bios with qualifications
- Industry memberships (for example, Australian trade associations)
Authority
- Mentions in local publications
- Community partnerships
- Consistent branding across directories
Trustworthiness
- Transparent pricing ranges
- Clear contact information
- Genuine, detailed reviews
Use Structured Data to Define Your Entity
Structured data (schema markup) helps AI systems understand:
- Business type
- Service areas but don’t just say “Australia.” List the specific LGAs (Local Government Areas) you cover
- Contact details
- Departments or service categories
- Price range
This strengthens your entity in the eyes of search engines and AI systems.
Without schema, AI may fill in gaps based on limited or inconsistent information. With proper structure, your local LLM visibility improves because your business identity is clearly defined.
Standardise Your Digital Footprint
Consistency across the web is critical.
Your business details and messaging must reflect the same on:
- Website
- Google business profile
- Industry directories
- Social platforms
- Mapping services
Even small inconsistencies can reduce AI confidence. Effective localised SEO depends on alignment across all platforms.
Professional local SEO services now include entity audits to ensure this consistency is maintained over time.
Optimise Review Language for AI
For a local business, credibility is reinforced through detailed online reviews.
Encourage your customers to leave detailed reviews and include specific suburbs, detailed service descriptions, and outcomes.
Because a review that says “Great job!” is okay.
But a review that says “Rankaholics team initiated the website redevelopment before I even had the chance to ask, turning a total disaster into a brand-new, high-performing site for my Perth business” is gold for localised seo. It provides the AI with proof of experience and geographic relevance.
Improve Internal Linking for Context
Internal linking helps AI understand topic relationships.
For example:
- Link suburb pages to relevant service pages
- Connect FAQs to in-depth service explanations
- Tie blog articles to core offerings
Clear linking builds context, which helps both search engines and AI tools evaluate authority.
Track the Right Performance Indicators
Tracking your success is not just about rankings.
In the old days, you’d check if you were #1 for your services and target local area. Today, the metrics are more nuanced. To see if your local seo services are actually working in the age of the LLM, you need to keep an eye on:
- Branded search growth
- Google Search Console impressions
- Increase in detailed reviews
- Unlinked brand mentions
- Referral traffic from AI tools
- Growth in direct enquiries
How Long Does Local SEO Take?
Our honest answer is it depends on competition, industry, and starting position.
- Technical fixes and business profile clean-ups may show movement within 3 months
- Early ranking movement in Google Maps and traditional search may take 3-6 months
- Strong competitive gains often take 6–9 months
- LLM starts to recognise your business as a trusted entity and begins citing you in conversational answers over time
Do You Need Local SEO Agency Support?
Optimising your local business for AI search isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about strengthening the signals that define who you are, where you operate, and why customers trust you.
AI search is raising the standard for accuracy and credibility. Businesses that invest in structured, consistent and trustworthy signals will be the ones that remain visible.
Is your business invisible to AI? At Rankaholics, we help Australian businesses with practical local SEO solutions designed for both traditional search and AI visibility.
Contact us today and let’s map out your next steps.
