Guides to local SEO and AI search
Practical, no-jargon guides on how local search and AI search actually work in 2026. Start with our AI Search Optimization pillar, then dig into the topics that move calls and form fills for Southwest Florida businesses.
We wrote these guides because most "SEO advice" online is either ten years out of date or written to sell a tool. This library is different. It reflects how search actually behaves right now, after AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity changed how people find a roofer, a dentist, or a seawall contractor in Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, and across Collier and Lee County.
Read these whether you do your own marketing or hire someone. Knowing how the pieces fit together makes you a sharper buyer and a better partner. If you'd rather we just handle it, that's what our services are for, and you can see plans on the pricing page.
Start here: the AI Search Optimization pillar
If you read one thing, read our complete guide to AI Search Optimization. It's the pillar this whole library hangs off of, and it covers the shift that matters most this year: people are increasingly asking an AI assistant for a recommendation instead of scrolling a page of blue links.
AI Search Optimization goes by a few names. You'll see GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and AIO (AI Optimization) used almost interchangeably. They all point at the same goal: getting your business named and cited when an AI engine answers a question like "who's a good roofer in Naples" or "best HVAC company near Bonita Springs." The pillar guide breaks down how these engines pick sources, why citations and consistent business data matter more than keyword stuffing, and how it connects to the local SEO you already know. This is the differentiator we build everything around, so it's the right place to start.
GEO, AEO, AIO, AI Overviews, what's the difference?
Short version: they're overlapping names for optimizing so AI engines cite you. Our pillar guide untangles the terms and shows where each fits, so you don't get lost in acronyms. The work underneath is what counts.
The guide library
Here's what's in the library and what each guide helps you do. We add to this over time, so check back.
AI Search Optimization (the pillar)
How GEO/AEO/AIO works and how to get cited in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Google Business Profile
The single highest-leverage local asset most SWFL businesses underuse. Setup, categories, posts, and the Map Pack.
Local SEO fundamentals
NAP consistency, citations, on-page basics, and how Google decides who ranks for "near me" searches.
Reviews & reputation
How to earn reviews the right way, respond to them, and why they now feed both Google and AI engines.
Content that gets cited
Why answer-first, locally specific content wins in 2026, and how to structure it for both Google and AI.
SEO-friendly web design
Speed, structure, schema, and mobile basics that let your pages rank instead of fighting you.
How to use these guides
You don't need to read them in order, but there's a logical path:
- Understand the new landscape. Start with the AI Search Optimization guide so you know how AI engines decide who to recommend.
- Fix the foundation. Get your Google Business Profile and core local SEO right, since AI engines lean heavily on the same trust signals Google uses.
- Feed the engines. Build reviews and answer-first content that gives both Google and AI a clear reason to name you.
- Keep the site healthy. Make sure your web design isn't quietly holding back everything above.
Who these guides are for
We work with Southwest Florida service businesses and practices, so the examples speak their language. If you run a roofing, HVAC, marine and seawall, plumbing, pool, or landscaping company, or a law firm, dental office, med spa, real estate team, or restaurant in Collier or Lee County, these guides map to how your customers actually search. For trade-specific playbooks, see our industry pages, which apply the same principles to one business at a time.
Want us to do it instead of reading about it?
Plenty of owners read a few guides, decide they'd rather run their business, and hand the SEO to us. Either way works. Grab a free SEO and AI-visibility audit and we'll show you exactly where you stand in both Google and the AI engines.
Why we keep these current
Search changes fast, and AI search changes faster. Advice that was right in 2023 can quietly hurt you now. We update this library as Google's AI Overviews evolve and as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity change how they cite local businesses. When you read a guide here, you're reading how things work today in Naples and across SWFL, not a recycled blog post from years ago.
All guides
- GEO vs AEO vs SEO: what is the difference
- How AI decides which local business to recommend
- How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT
- How to show up in Google AI Overviews
- How to show up in Perplexity and Gemini
- How to track your AI search visibility
- How to write service pages AI engines will quote
- How your Google Business Profile shapes AI recommendations
- Schema markup for AI search
- What AI search optimization costs in Southwest Florida
- llms.txt explained: what it is and whether you need one
- How to check if AI can read your website
- How to unblock AI crawlers, and when you should
Frequently asked questions
See where you stand in Google and AI search
We will run a free audit of your local rankings and your visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, then show you the fastest path to more booked jobs.