1. The “Overnight Expert” vs. The Reality of Search
It is natural to feel anxious when the tools we rely on change. Google’s shift toward AI Overviews (SGE or search generated experience) represents a significant change in how information is displayed. However, many in the industry understand that massive changes to search infrastructure take time to sort out.
Google, in particular, is not one to give out its secrets, especially while the product is still in beta testing. The “experts” claiming to know exactly how the algorithm works are often guessing.
At Ziplocal, our stance is simple: We don’t chase the algorithm of the day; we follow the principles of the decade.
2. Verifiable Facts: What Actually Feeds AI Results
While the specific mechanics are still “cooking,” there are verifiable facts about how Large Language Models (LLMs) interact with search. Here is what we know works right now.
Fact-Density vs. Word Count
- The Context: For a long time, the advice was “longer is better.” You would see 2,000-word articles that said very little.
- The Reality: AI models look for “Information Gain.” They prefer concise, fact-rich sentences over fluff. If you can answer a question in two sentences, do it. The AI is more likely to cite a direct answer than a rambling one.
Passage-Level Optimization
- The Context: We used to think about ranking a whole page.
- The Reality: Google now ranks passages. It can pull a specific paragraph from the middle of your page to answer a user’s question. This means using clear Headings (H2s and H3s) followed immediately by direct answers is critical.
The “Zero-Click” Reality
- The Context: The goal of AI is often to answer the user on the results page, without them needing to click a link.
- The Reality: While this sounds scary for traffic, the goal is to be the cited source. Being the brand mentioned in the AI answer builds massive authority and trust, which drives higher-quality (intentional) traffic to your site.
3. The Connective Tissue: How “Old” SEO Powers New AI
There is a misconception that AI Search wipes the slate clean. In reality, the opposite is true. The websites that have spent the last few years following clean, technical SEO best practices are the very sources these AI models are now citing.
Here is how the “tried and true” concepts of SEO are directly powering the future of AI results.
At Ziplocal, our stance is simple: We don’t chase the algorithm of the day; we follow the principles of the decade.
The “Zero-Click” Reality
For years, we have focused on those “People Also Ask” boxes—the expandable questions you see halfway down a Google search page.- The Context: These boxes were effectively Google’s training wheels for AI. They taught the search engine how to connect a specific user question (e.g., “How often should I clean my drains?”) with a specific, direct answer extracted from a paragraph of text.
- Why It Matters Now: If your website content is structured to answer these simple questions clearly, you have a much higher probability of being picked up by the AI Overview.
Featured Snippets: The Blueprint for AI
If you have ever searched for a definition and saw a highlighted box at the very top of the results (often called “Position Zero”), you have seen a Featured Snippet.- The Context: Featured Snippets force us to format content logically—using bullet points for lists, clear headers for new topics, and bold text for key terms.
- Why It Matters Now: The new AI Overviews look suspiciously like Featured Snippets because the technology is related. By continuing to optimize for Snippets, we are essentially handing the AI the data on a silver platter.
Schema Markup: The Translator
Schema is one of those invisible technical elements that customers rarely see, but it is vital for search engines. Think of Schema as a “digital name tag” we attach to your data.- The Context: Without Schema, Google has to guess if the number “4.5” on your page is a price, a rating, or a shoe size. With Schema, we explicitly tell the code: “This is a 4.5 Star Rating.”
- Why It Matters Now: AI models want to avoid mistakes (hallucinations). They prefer data that is clearly labeled. We are speaking its native language, which builds the trust required for the AI to display your business details confidently.
Reputation & E-E-A-T: The Safety Net
Google judges content based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).- The Context: This is why we nag you about getting fresh reviews and replying to them! It’s also why we ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are identical across the web.
- Why It Matters Now: AI is risk-averse. When an AI generates an answer, it wants to cite a source that is verified and trusted. A business with a steady stream of reviews is viewed as a “safe” citation.
4. Verified “Don’ts”: Practices to Avoid Moving Forward
Just as important as knowing what to do is knowing what to stop doing immediately. The rise of AI search has made Google’s algorithms significantly smarter at detecting manipulation.
The “Wall of Text”
- The Context: Dumping as much information as possible into a single, dense paragraph.
- The Risk: AI models process information in “passages.” If the answer is buried in a wall of text, the AI struggles to extract it. Furthermore, human users scan content; if they see a text wall, they bounce, signaling to Google that your content isn’t helpful.
Unchecked AI Content (The “Set It and Forget It” Trap)
- The Context: Dumping as much information as possible into a single, dense paragraph.
- The Risk: AI models process information in “passages.” If the answer is buried in a wall of text, the AI struggles to extract it. Furthermore, human users scan content; if they see a text wall, they bounce, signaling to Google that your content isn’t helpful.
Unchecked AI Content (The “Set It and Forget It” Trap)
- The Context: Using tools like ChatGPT to generate blog posts instantly and publishing them without review.
- The Risk: This leads to “hallucinations”—confidently stated falsehoods. Google is looking for Expertise. If you publish unchecked AI gibberish, you signal that your site lacks human oversight, which can severely hurt your domain authority.
Keyword Stuffing (The Zombie Tactic)
- The Context: Repeating a specific phrase multiple times to “trick” the ranking system.
- The Risk: Google’s AI is built on Natural Language Processing (NLP). It reads content like a human being does and detects “unnatural phrasing” instantly. “Stuffing” keywords now makes your content look low-quality and spammy.
“Search Engine First” Content
- The Context: Content written solely to capture traffic (like clickbait titles) without actually solving a user intent.
- The Risk: Google’s recent updates are specifically targeting “unhelpful content.” The goal of AI Search is to satisfy the user quickly. We focus on being the solution, not the obstacle.
5. Conclusion: Anchored in Quality, Ready to Pivot
It is easy to get swept up in the headlines. When you read that “Search is changing forever,” it can feel like the rug is being pulled out from under your business. But if you look past the hype, you will see that the core mission of Google hasn’t changed in twenty years: connect a user with a problem to a business with a solution.
The delivery method is evolving. The “blue links” (traditional organic results) are turning into dynamic answers. But the ingredients required to be that answer—trust, authority, clarity, and reputation—are more valuable today than they were yesterday.
Let Us Handle the Noise
As a business owner, you have enough on your plate without trying to decode the latest patent filings from Google or figuring out the nuances of Large Language Models. That is our job.
At Ziplocal, we are constantly monitoring the “cooking” phase of AI search. We distinguish the temporary glitches from the permanent shifts, so you don’t have to. We are here to do the heavy lifting, ensuring your digital presence stays optimized, visible, and ready for whatever the future of search looks like.
You focus on running your business. We’ll make sure the world finds it.
