AI Is Coming for Local SEO, But Not How You Think. Greg Gifford

Welcome to Market Movers: Building Brands & Links with Linkifi! Your go-to podcast for transforming your business into an unforgettable brand, where branding meets SEO and link-building. I’m Chris Panteli, Co-Founder and CEO of Linkifi, and I’m joined by my co-host and Co-Founder, Nick Biggs.

In this episode, we’re joined by Greg Gifford, COO at SearchLab and one of the most recognizable voices in local SEO. Greg breaks down why local search has been more insulated from recent AI chaos than most other SEO disciplines, what AI-packed local results could change, why reviews across multiple platforms matter more than ever, and how businesses should think about discoverability as search shifts toward personalization, proximity, and agent-driven decisions.

 

Key Talking Points

✅ AI Has Not Fully Solved Local Yet. Greg’s view is that large language models and AI interfaces have not really “figured out” local search because local is fundamentally deterministic. Businesses exist in fixed places, and the systems still need trusted map-layer data rather than pure probabilistic outputs.

✅ The Rise of AI Packs. Search is starting to change, though. Greg points to research showing that AI packs are now appearing in around 13% of local searches, replacing traditional map packs in some cases.

✅ Why AI Platforms Won’t “Remap the World.” Greg makes the point that tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are not going to send out camera cars to recreate Google Maps. They will rely on existing local data sources such as Google Business Profiles, reviews, and citation ecosystems.

✅ Search Behavior Is Different in the US vs Europe. Greg initially assumed most people only use the Maps app for directions, but conversations with European SEOs changed his view. In many parts of Europe, users actively use Maps to find restaurants, pubs, and businesses, which makes AI integration in Maps more significant.

✅ The General Public Is Less Excited About AI Than Marketers Think. Greg points out that marketers are obsessed with AI search because they work in digital. Most consumers are not. In fact, some of the most popular Chrome extensions right now are tools that block AI overviews.

✅ Why GEO Hype Is Overblown. Greg is highly skeptical of the current wave of “SEO is dead, GEO is the future” advice. He argues that most of the tactics being sold as GEO are just long-standing SEO best practices repackaged with a new label.

✅ Traffic Is a Vanity Metric. One of Greg’s strongest points is that SEO has trained businesses to obsess over traffic, when what really matters is conversions, leads, and sales. In a world where AI may absorb more upper-funnel informational intent, traffic may decline while conversions remain flat or even rise.

✅ Privacy Changes Are Already Distorting Analytics. Greg shares that many local businesses are seeing apparent traffic drops partly because privacy tools and consent management platforms prevent analytics from recording a large chunk of sessions. That does not necessarily mean demand is down.

✅ Businesses Still Need Mid- and Upper-Funnel Content. Greg warns against the mistake of abandoning educational content just because AI may summarize it. If your business is not contributing information at those earlier research stages, you lose the chance to influence the eventual recommendation.

✅ Local SEO Has Always Been Off-Site. Local SEO professionals are already used to working across off-site platforms because citations, directories, and external business listings have always been fundamental to local visibility.

✅ Reviews Across Multiple Platforms Matter More Now. It is no longer enough to only focus on Google reviews. AI systems may look at Yelp, TripAdvisor, Glassdoor, and other sources. That broad review footprint can materially shape what a business is or is not recommended for.

✅ Freshness Matters. Greg points to research showing that AI systems heavily favor fresh content and recent sources. That means businesses need to continuously update profiles, reviews, and supporting content to help shape the narrative.

 

Notable Quotes & Moments

📌 “A lot of the chaos out there from AI hasn’t really hit local yet.”
📌 “AI hasn’t really figured out local yet.”
📌 “Local is so based off of real world location and proximity.”
📌 “The AI models are not gonna go remap the world.”
📌 “Traffic is a vanity metric.”
📌 “Everybody wants the one quick hack that’s gonna get them visibility.”
📌 “The thing that works the best is just doing marketing.”
📌 “I don’t think we all aren’t going to have a job by the end of this year.”
📌 “It becomes more about preference than proximity.”
📌 “When customers see what you did to show up in AI, they no longer want to buy from you.”

 

About Greg Gifford

Greg Gifford is the COO of SearchLab, a boutique local SEO and PPC agency based in Chicago with a remote team across the US. He has been working in local SEO for nearly two decades and is one of the industry’s most recognizable conference speakers, known for his practical insights, sharp humor, and movie-themed presentations. Greg specializes in helping local businesses improve visibility through smarter Google Business Profile optimization, reviews, content, and local search strategy.

🔗 SearchLab: https://searchlabdigital.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggifford/ 

 

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👋 Connect with your hosts:
👉 Chris Panteli on LinkedIn
👉 Nick Biggs on LinkedIn

 

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