Tom

Being found: Google, reviews, local search and the AI assistants people now ask instead

Guides by Tom

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AI Overviews: why your website gets fewer clicks

Most Google searches now end without a click, and Google's own AI Overviews are a big part of why. What that actually means for a local business website, and what still counts.

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does ChatGPT know your business?

ChatGPT doesn't search the web the way Google does, and a site that ranks well on Google can still be invisible to it. What actually decides whether ChatGPT can find and mention a business.

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A row of five outlined sage-grey stars on a near-black green-tinted ground, the last star replaced by a tilted acid-green speech bubble.

Google review replies: should AI write them?

A crop of new apps now offer to draft your Google review replies for you. What Google's own guidance actually says about replying, how long an approved reply takes to appear, and where a generated one starts to show.

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AI search optimisation: worth paying for?

Agencies are now pitching 'AI search optimisation' as a paid extra. Google's own documentation says no special markup is required. What actually helps a business show up in an AI answer, according to Google itself.

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Google Business Profile: the free fix for being found

The free listing that decides whether you show up on Google Maps: how to claim it, pass video verification, and make it earn its keep.

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News by Tom

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Google's August spam update

Google started rolling one out on 18 August and it is still running. What a spam update actually targets, and why most local businesses can carry on as normal.

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