Local SEO in 10

What if ChatGPT or Gemini is giving potential customers reasons not to hire your business?

Most business owners ask AI positive questions like, “Why should someone choose us?” But you may actually learn a lot more by asking the opposite!

In this episode we show you how to run an AI reputation audit using both ChatGPT and Gemini. You’ll learn how to uncover weak reviews, confusing services, missing trust signals, outdated information, and areas where competitors may look stronger.

We also explain how to verify whether the criticism is actually true, how to compare answers across both platforms, and how to turn what you find into a practical improvement list.

Try asking:

• Why shouldn’t someone hire [Business Name]?

• What complaints do customers have about [Business Name]?

• Is [Business Name] trustworthy?

• What are the biggest weaknesses of [Business Name]?

• What problems have customers reported with [Business Name]?

• What would make you hesitate to recommend [Business Name]?

• Compare [Business Name] with its top local competitors. Where does it fall short?

• What evidence supports that conclusion?

• What sources are you using?

• Which concerns are based on actual customer feedback and which are your own inference?

• What would this business need to improve online for you to recommend it more confidently?

The goal is not to manipulate AI into saying nicer things about your business.

The goal is to find the weaknesses before your customers do, fix the underlying issues, and give ChatGPT and Gemini fewer reasons to recommend someone else.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What if Google could answer your customers before you ever saw the message?

Google is rolling out AI-powered messaging for eligible Google Business Profiles, giving customers a new way to ask questions directly from Search and Maps. The AI can answer common questions using information from your Business Profile and website, then hand the conversation over to you when a human response is needed.

In this episode we explain how Google AI Messaging works, which types of businesses can currently use it, how to turn it on, and what information you should review before letting Google start answering customers on your behalf.

We also cover how to create useful conversation starters, why fast handoffs still matter, and how customer questions can reveal gaps in your website and local SEO.

The big opportunity is simple: give potential customers the answers they need faster, reduce friction, and turn more searches into real conversations.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

Would you rather get more leads, or better leads?

Google Ads now lets businesses use qualifying questions inside lead forms to help identify which prospects are actually a good fit. That means you can start separating raw form submissions from the people who are more likely to become real customers.

In this episode we explain how qualifying responses work, how Google can use those signals to improve Smart Bidding, and why this can make your ad spend more efficient over time.

We also cover what kinds of questions to ask, how to avoid creating too much friction, when to use Google’s “More qualified” setting, and why your team still needs to respond quickly once a good lead comes in.

The goal is simple: stop optimizing for the cheapest lead and start optimizing for the leads most likely to become revenue.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

A new wave of AI companies is promising much more than a fast website.

They want to build your site, capture your leads, manage your customer database, schedule appointments, send emails, handle payments, and become the digital back office for your business.

That can be incredibly convenient, especially for a new or growing company. But the more of your business that lives inside one platform, the more important it becomes to ask the right questions before signing up.

In this episode we break down the real advantages, the potential risks, and the questions business owners should ask before letting one AI platform control both their website and their business operations.

We also look at the long-term SEO question: what happens when you want to add a new service page, publish articles, expand into new locations, bring in an SEO company, or move the website somewhere else?

The goal is not to avoid AI. It is to make sure the convenience you gain today does not become a limitation tomorrow.

Questions to Ask Before Signing Up:

• Who owns my domain, website, content, and customer data?
• Can I export everything if I leave?
• What stops working if I cancel?
• Can I add new service pages, location pages, and articles whenever I want?
• Can I fully control the SEO on those pages?
• Can I edit URLs, title tags, meta descriptions, headings, internal links, redirects, and schema?
• Can my SEO company, marketing agency, or web developer access the site?
• Can they work on the website without getting access to my customer records or payments?
• Can I install Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, ad tracking, and call tracking?
• Can I tell which campaign generated each lead?
• Does the platform integrate with the tools I already use?
• What happens if the platform goes down or suspends my account?
• Where is my customer data stored, and who can access it?
• Can I take that customer data with me if I leave?
• Will this platform still work if my business doubles or triples in size?

The big question is not whether AI can build you a website today. It is whether that website and platform will still support your marketing and your business three years from now.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What if Gemini could look at your actual Google Business Profile data and help you figure out what to improve first?

In this episode we show you how to connect Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, to your Google Business Profile and use it to uncover opportunities that could lead to more calls, clicks, bookings, and visits.

We also share the exact question we would start with:

“What are the top three changes most likely to increase calls, clicks, bookings, or visits, and which should I do first?”

Then try these additional prompts:

• “Show me my Google Business Profile performance for the last 30 days.”
• “What are the top search terms people use to find my business?”
• “Which important services appear to be missing from those search terms?”
• “Which search terms suggest demand for a service I may not be featuring strongly enough?”
• “Where am I getting visibility but not enough customer actions?”
• “What do my recent reviews say customers value most?”
• “What complaints or concerns come up repeatedly in my reviews?”
• “What might make someone hesitate before contacting my business?”
• “What important information appears to be missing or incomplete on my Google Business Profile?”
• “Based on my reviews, what should I emphasize more on my website or Google Business Profile?”

The goal is simple: stop staring at data and start using it to make changes that can generate more customers.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

Someone can suggest a change to your Google Business Profile, and for some edits, Google may give you just four daysto approve or reject it before deciding whether to publish the change.

In this episode we explain where these suggested edits come from, which business details deserve the most attention, why your website can influence what Google believes, and what to do if incorrect information is already showing.

A wrong category, phone number, website, address, or set of hours can cost you customers before you even realize something changed. We’ll also show you a simple monthly check that can help catch problems early.

If your business depends on Google for calls, visits, or leads, this is one notification you don’t want sitting unread in your inbox.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What does Google’s AI actually think your business does, who it serves, and why someone should choose it?

In this episode we show business owners a simple way to use Google’s AI as a mirror for their online presence. You may discover missing services, unclear locations, weak differentiators, outdated information, or even that Google is confusing your company with another business that has the same name.

We’ll also cover what to do when the information is wrong, how to uncover the sources AI is using, and how to test whether Google simply understands your business or would actually consider recommending it to a potential customer.

Before worrying about whether AI recommends your business, make sure it knows exactly who you are.

Try asking Google’s AI these questions about your own business:

• What problems does [Business Name] in [City, State], [Website], solve for its customers?
• What services does this business appear to specialize in?
• Who appears to be the ideal customer for this business?
• What makes this business different from its competitors?
• What cities or areas does this business appear to serve?
• What information about this business is unclear or difficult to verify?
• What questions would a potential customer still have before contacting this business?
• What could this business explain better on its website?
• What might make someone hesitate to recommend this business?
• What sources are you using to understand this business?

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What if ChatGPT recommends your business, but Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity all choose someone else?

A new Yext study analyzed 491,972 shared local query-market tests across four major AI platforms and found that all four chose the same #1 local business only 4% of the time. In 48% of cases, every platform picked a different winner. The study also found that when all four did agree, the winning business’s own website appeared among the cited sources 91% of the time. 

In this episode of Local SEO in 10, we explain why there is no single “AI ranking,” how different AI platforms rely on different mixes of websites, directories, reviews, and other sources, and why a business can look strong in one AI system but barely appear in another.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

What if ChatGPT could look at your website and tell you what is missing before you spend money rebuilding it?

In this episode of Local SEO in 10, we show local business owners how to use ChatGPT to evaluate their homepage and most important service pages, uncover weak spots, strengthen trust, improve local relevance, and make each page more useful to both customers and search engines.

Before you rewrite your website, use ChatGPT to figure out what actually needs fixing.

Try These Prompts:

Homepage Audit
“What information is missing that would help a potential customer understand what this business does, who it serves, where it operates, and why they should choose it?”

Trust Signals
“What proof or trust signals are missing from this homepage?”

Homepage Headline
“Give me five clearer homepage headlines that explain the main service, customer, and location without sounding keyword stuffed.”

Service Page Audit
“After reading this page, what questions would a potential customer still have before deciding whether to contact this business?”

Local Relevance
“How can this service page demonstrate real experience in the cities we serve without simply repeating city names?”

Final Review
“Review this page as a potential customer, an SEO strategist, and an AI search system. What is still unclear, missing, repetitive, or unconvincing?”

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.

Starting October 1, 2026 Google can charge you for certain missed Local Services Ads calls, even when no one at your business answers.

That can be devastating for a local business because you could pay for the lead, lose the customer to a competitor, and still see your ad budget disappear without a single conversation.

In this episode we explain exactly what is changing, why missed calls are about to get much more expensive, and what you need to check before October 1. If you run LSAs, this is one episode you should hear before the new rule goes live.

Get More Local SEO Tips

Have a question about local SEO? Explore more episodes of Local SEO in 10 and ⁠⁠⁠subscribe to our newsletter⁠⁠⁠ for practical marketing tips, useful checklists, and additional episode resources.

About the Hosts

Adam Duran⁠⁠⁠ is a local SEO specialist and director of Magnified Media⁠⁠⁠, a California digital marketing agency with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Walnut Creek. Magnified Media helps businesses improve their visibility through local SEO, national SEO, website design, content marketing, marketing strategy, and lead generation.

Outside of work, Adam volunteers with CoCoSAR and enjoys hiking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jamie Duran⁠⁠⁠ is the owner of Solar Harmonics⁠⁠⁠, a Northern California solar company helping homeowners, businesses, and farms take greater control of their energy through solar energy systems.