Have you claimed your Google business profile yet? What about your company website, is it easy to navigate using mobile phones? If your answer to these questions are in the negative, then you aren’t doing your business any favors. If you want to stay profitable in today’s world in 2025, where you have to compete with both physical stores and online platforms, then you need to get out of your comfort zone and re-package your Local SEO marketing strategy in order to attract actual customers and actual sales for your business.
Some industry experts around the world were asked what the year will hold for the location-based marketing, advertising and commerce space. 24 interesting predictions were received from a variety of experts representing different companies. These predictions are curated from the opinions of Local SEO Marketing experts and are backed by reliable data culled from studies carried by reliable sources. It covers everything from AI to Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization, UGC, and more
Local SEO Predictions for 2025 and Beyond
Local SEO & Google Business Profiles
-
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Building a top-notch website and maintaining multiple accounts on social media is all well and good but don’t forget to claim your GBP.
- GBP gives you the opportunity to provide up-to-date details about your business such as your phone number, hours of operation etc.
- You can also share pictures about what your business is all about.
- What’s more, customers can leave reviews which can influence more customers to come your way.
What The Experts Say
“In conclusion, a well-optimized Google Business Profile is a powerful tool for local businesses looking to enhance their online presence, improve customer engagement, and boost local SEO.” (Laurie McCullagh – digital marketing professional).
-
More AI-generated content in local listings.
When you provide useful information on your website, there is a good chance that generative AI will pick it up and project it when people use their search engines to make their queries.
- This means that your page will rank high on Google search and will be seen by more eyeballs.
- More people are also likely to follow the trail of information provided on the search page and visit your website.
What Data Can Tell Us
- A 2023 study carried out by Mckinsey found that businesses that invest in generative AI are experiencing an income increase of between 3% to 15% with ROI going up by 10-20%.
- Deloitte’s 2023 study discovered that 41% of marketing, sales, and customer service organizations had already adopted generative AI.
-
Increasing Importance of local reviews
These days, you often find different brands and retailers offering coupons or loyalty points to customers who leave reviews.
- Reviews, especially the positive ones, easily attract new customers.
- It also signals to search engines that the business in question is a genuine one.
What the Experts Say
“Reviews are the new marketing. They’re the key to building trust and credibility with potential customers.” (Andrew Davis – marketing innovator and keynote speaker)
How AI and Personalization Will Shape Local Marketing
-
Personalized content per ZIP code or neighborhood
If you really want to connect with your customers, both old and new, then you can’t just rely on releasing generic content from time to time. You have to make sure that the content is personalized.
- Use slangs that are peculiar to your locality so that when people search for those terms, your business website will be among the first to appear.
- Including the name of your town or city on your web content is also another good tactic.
What the Experts Say
“Personalization is crucial, and generative AI in marketing makes it easier than ever to achieve. AI systems examine customer data platforms to produce hyper-targeted advertising that appeals to particular demographics.” (Serhiy Lavrynenko)
-
AI-generated ads for local markets
Artificial Intelligence features prominently in our local marketing predictions for 2025 and the reason is not far-fetched.
- AI tools such as Writesonic, Jasper AI etc. can generate personalized content that suits the needs of your locality.
- Tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, etc. can also segment your customer base properly and target them with the most effective of messages.
What the Experts Say
“AI analytics offer businesses transformative insights by analyzing vast amounts of data quickly and accurately. This technology enables companies to make data-driven decisions, predict trends, and optimize operations.” (Volkan Yolci – Business developer)
-
Local Keywords
In order to ensure that content remains personalized and localized, businesses should deploy terms that are popular in their locale to increase their chances of ranking high with search engines.
- Ranking high increases the chances of more visitors
- More visitors means potential patronage.
What the Experts Say
“Local SEO keyword research is essential for businesses targeting specific geographic areas, enabling them to improve online visibility and attract more local customers by optimizing their website content with relevant search terms.” (Adrian Iganski – Copywriter at Senuto).
Voice and Mobile Search Predictions for Local Marketing
-
Increased importance of voice search
Voice searches heavily influence our 2025 predictions for local SEO. With Siri and Alexa at the beck and call of many, texting seems to be taking a back seat with more and more people relying on voice commands.
- For local SEO success, local businesses should make sure that their content is available in a conversational tone so that they can rank highly when people voice out their queries.
- Over one billion voice searches are conducted every month.
What Data Can Tell Us
A 2023 study by Meticulous Market Research found that as much as 96% of respondents thought voice searches to be more convenient and faster than text search.
-
Smart watches
Many people use smart watches and from time to time, issue verbal commands to them.
- Virtual assistants aren’t the only reason why a local business owner should make sure that their content is conversational in tone.
What the Experts Say
“Although wearables are typically associated with other facets of technology, they also present opportunities for marketers and search engine optimization (SEO) specialists. Folks are accessing the web in new, unique ways through their wearables and changing the fabric of the algorithms that drive visibility and search rankings.” (Indiana Lee – Expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle)
-
Mobile-friendly websites
While it is all well and good to have a sophisticated website, make sure that it can be easily accessed by those using mobile phones.
- This ensures that you get a large number of visitors.
- Your website will also rank high on search engines which is the whole point of Local SEO and SEO Marketing.
What Data Can Tell Us
63% of searches are conducted on a mobile device in the U.S. while globally, the figure is 58% (Statista).
57% of all local searches are made on mobile devices and tablets (reviewtrackers).
Social Media’s Growing Role in Local Marketing
-
Use geo-targeted reels to enhance local discovery
It isn’t enough for a local business outfit to just create generic content and dump it on their social media. There should be geo-targeting i.e. beaming the message to people within the target radius.
- Location targeting improves the chances of the locals coming across it as they are scrolling by.
- The content should be one that resonates with the local community (read: potential customers).
What the Experts Say
“By using geo-targeting, businesses can ensure that their marketing efforts are not only seen but are also relevant to the local audience.” (Amol Ghemud – growth marketing consultant).
-
Local social proof
Want to turn your small business into a global corporation? That is all well and good but you must excel locally before any talk of world domination.
- Make sure to partner with local events and well-known figures in your towns and neighborhoods.
- Publicize these partnerships. It will build up your business’ reputation and will help to reel the customers in.
What the Experts Say
“Positive social proof can significantly improve how your brand is perceived in the market. When customers see glowing reviews, impressive usage statistics, or endorsements from respected figures, it elevates your brand’s status and reputation.” (Prateek Keshari – full-stack digital marketing specialist).
-
Short-form video content
This can catch the attention of customers and can be shared not only on social media but also on the company website.
- ·Existing long format content can be cut down into short-form ones.
- Businesses however need to maintain authenticity.
What the Experts Say
“The continued dominance of short-form video content platforms underscores the critical importance of adapting to the fast-paced digital environment. For brands looking to thrive in this era, embracing short-form video content is not just an option; it’s a necessity.” (Don Dodds – leading marketing technologist)
Why Reviews Will Make or Break Local Businesses
-
Reviews strategy for local businesses
The importance of reviews for businesses, both small and big alike, cannot be overemphasized but reviews are a tricky thing. What if customers mostly leave negative reviews? That is a risk that can’t be ignored but small businesses can use AI to enhance their review strategy.
- AI-sentiment tracking tools can be used to quickly decipher how users feel about a business.
- AI can also placate angry persons by providing automated responses to negative reviews until a customer care staff can take over and handle the issue involved.
- Small businesses should not give in to the temptation of review-gating to ensure that they don’t fall under the hammer of Google.
What the Experts Say
“AI tools enable faster, more accurate sentiment analysis for marketers to act decisively on customer insights.” (Pierre DeBois – Analytics and business intelligence writer)
-
Emphasize User Generated Content
So many AI-powered creativity tools encourage their users to post the results of their work on official social media accounts.
- Such content can attract new customers.
- It also ensures that things feel authentic and not generic.
What the Experts Say
“In today’s digital landscape, user-generated content (UGC) is more than just a buzzword—it is a vital component of effective marketing strategies. As consumers increasingly seek authenticity and connection, UGC offers brands a unique opportunity to engage with their audience in a genuine and impactful way.” (Anthony Clinton – product design executive)
Will Websites Still Matter in Local Marketing?
-
Website content optimized for zero-click SERPs:
Direct, succinct and useful information is key in our expert predictions for local marketing and local SEO in 2025 and we see the impact here once more. It is important to provide direct succinct information on one’s website so that when a potential customer searches for information on search engines, that content will be shown on the search engine results page.
- While the customer will find what they want without even clicking on the website, there is also a good chance that they may choose to visit nonetheless.
- Schema markup/structured data should be implemented to help achieve this.
What the Experts Say
“Optimizing zero-click is critical to being competitive today, especially as search engines refine their ability to answer user queries directly.” (Winston Burton – thought leader and digital marketer strategist)
16. Review websites
There are all sorts of review websites online. You can rate how great the meal and service at a restaurant was. You can even rate your college professor. Local businesses should not overlook these websites if they want to boost patronage using local SEO.
- Small businesses can create a page for themselves on review websites or claim the already existing ones.
- Data shows that as much as 88% of customers rank online reviews on the same level as personal recommendation.
What the Experts Say
“Customer reviews help search engines assess the trustworthiness and authority of a business.” (Josh Kaufman – bestselling author)
-
Customer Experience (CX)
Remember what we said about making your website mobile friendly and easy to navigate? Well, this benefits both your customers and local SEO strategy leading to more (you guessed it!) customers.
When people stay long on a website, Google will take this into account and this increases the ranking chances of the website.
What the Experts Say
“In a modern competitive digital landscape, the synergy between SEO and CX is indispensable for sustainable business growth. Companies seeking to expand their customer base by winning newcomers, retaining existing clients, and standing out from the crowd of competitors should embrace and maintain the symbiotic SEO-to-CX relationship.” (Cassandra Rosas – Author)
How Paid Ads Will Evolve in Local Markets
-
Smarter geo-fencing and radius targeting:
It isn’t just enough to advertise but it is important for small businesses to advertise in a smart manner, limiting the reach of their advert within the areas that really matter.
- Services such as Google Local Services Ads and Meta Ads can be used for geo-fencing and targeting.
- Don’t forget to sprinkle in content that will resonate with the people being targeted.
What the Experts Say
“With the right approach to your campaigns, marketing geofencing can do wonders for your brand, helping you build an instant connection with potential customers in target locations and keep them engaged more consistently.” (Briana Miller – VP of Paid Media)
-
More affordable local ad placements with AI bidding
To place ads where they will have the most impact, businesses can use AI to evaluate potential impact and make bids in real time.
- This ensures efficient expenditure of funds.
- This will also save the business money in the long run.
What the Experts Say
“The move from manual bidding to automated bidding was a huge shift in the day to day work of the average paid media account manager. Over the years, we’ve seen AI continue to learn and improve upon itself to the point where automated, conversion-based bidding methods are the best choice in almost every situation.” (Morgan Jarvis – digital marketing strategist)
20. In-app ads
Businesses can also place ads in well-known apps such as Google Maps or Uber in order to find customers.
- The great thing about such apps is that they heavily utilize GPS meaning that the ad is localized and thus more likely to be useful.
- There is also a good chance of the users of such apps clicking on links that will take them to the company website.
What the Experts Say
“I think some product teams are a bit scared of tapping into the potential of in-app messaging because they are so kind of intrusive, basically. You need to deploy them with care and make sure you’re not overusing them because you’re overriding the user’s normal interaction with the app. Now, that can be very powerful as well. You can direct them to features they’ve never seen before.” (Andy Carvell – Innovator and marketer)
The Rise of Purpose-Driven Local Marketing
-
Sustainability
Businesses can benefit a lot when they factor in the issues that matter to the people in making their decisions.
- Eco-conscious practices such as reducing the company’s carbon print can win brownie points with the buying public.
- Engaging with the local community on protecting the environment is also good PR.
Data Can Tell Us
A survey by Sustainable Brands found that:
75% of US consumers care about products’ environmental impacts.
92% of customers are more likely to trust a brand that is environmentally or socially conscious.
55% of consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly brands.
-
Ethical Practices
When you source your products ethically, when you don’t taste your products on animals, this can resonate with the public and send some business your way.
- Ethical practices and pursuits should be genuine and not stage-managed.
- There should also be cooperation with local non-profits in that regard.
What the Experts Say
“Today’s consumers are redefining their purchasing patterns, opting for products and brands that align with their values, and driving a demand for eco-conscious practices and ethical sourcing.” (Dania Fayyaz – Business process senior consultant).
Creation of Immersive Experiences
-
Augmented reality
Immersive experiences using augmented reality will feature heavily in local SEO and local marketing strategy for 2025.
- A local furniture seller can use AR to show people how one of their sofa sets can look in their sitting room.
- The settings should be easy for people to navigate so as to enhance overall user experience.
Hear What the Experts Say
“Augmented reality has the potential to change the way people interact with products and make purchase decisions. It is a technology that can also enable businesses to better understand their audiences and provide better user experiences. If you are looking to level up your SEO strategy, think AR. It’s still a new and fairly unexplored territory, so you can get the early mover advantage, too!” (Shane Barker – Digital marketing consultant)
-
Virtual reality
A bed and breakfast can offer a virtual tour of their property. This can attract visitors from both far and near.
- With continuous advances in technology, businesses needn’t break the bank to be able to use VR.
- It can also improve the overall efficiency of the organization as it can be used for other purposes such as staffing and recruitment.
Hear What the Experts Say
“Companies like Google have already made it easy to create 360-degree VR-powered tours, and this technology will only continue to advance in the future. A car salesman — human or AI — could get into a digital car with you and talk you through some of the features. There might even be stylists who could talk to you about the best look for you, help you try on different clothes or haircuts, without needing to be in the same room.” (Scott Kirsner – CEO and co-founder of Innovation Leader)