What changed
Google now puts an AI-written summary above many results, and some searchers stop there. Rankings can hold while clicks fall.
More people also ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity directly. In one year, consumer use of AI for local-business recommendations jumped 7.5× — from 6% to 45%. (Source: BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey, 2026 — 1,002 U.S. adults.)
What didn't
The assistants still have to read something, and mostly that's websites, business listings and reviews. For a local business the Google Business Profile still does a lot of the work, in Maps and in the answers built from the same details.
What to do about it
- Measure calls, bookings and direction requests, not only rankings.
- Put your core facts where they're easy to read, and make them agree everywhere.
- Check what the assistants say. Rankings won't tell you.
Questions
Is SEO still worth it for a small business?
Yes, when it's aimed at what brings customers: an accurate Google listing, a site that answers what people search, and reviews.
Is SEO turning into GEO?
Partly. GEO is the part aimed at AI-written answers, and the groundwork underneath is the same.
Should I stop blogging?
Not if the posts answer real questions. Thin posts written for keywords were already weak before AI.