Local SEO with AI

ai local seo

Practical, step‑by‑step tactics that use AI tools to get your business found by nearby customers in 2025.

This guide walks you through an audit, quick wins for Google Business Profile, on‑page and schema improvements, review generation, local link strategies, and the exact AI prompts you can copy and use today.

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What you'll learn

Local SEO audit (quick checklist) Google Business Profile optimisation Local keyword research with AI On‑page content & schema Reviews & reputation prompts Local link building tactics Measuring results & AI reports Ready-to-use AI prompts

1. Quick Local SEO Audit — 30 minutes

Start here: a fast audit reveals the low-hanging fruit. Use AI (ChatGPT, Bard) to summarise findings and prioritise fixes.

Checklist

NAP consistency: Name, Address, Phone — identical across site, Google, directories.
Google Business Profile: Verified, correct category, 5+ photos, business hours, services listed.
On‑page basics: Title tags, meta descriptions, H1, address on contact page.
Schema: LocalBusiness + Service schema present.
Reviews: Number, recency and replies checked.
Citations: Top directories (Yellow Pages, TrueLocal, local chamber) present and consistent.
Mobile & speed: PageSpeed mobile < 3s.

Tools to run now

Free: Google Business Profile, Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Google Maps
AI & SEO: ChatGPT (for content drafts), SurferSEO / Semrush (local keyword data), BrightLocal / Whitespark (citations)
Local checks: Local Falcon (visibility heatmaps), Moz Local

30-minute audit flow

Open Google and search "yourbusiness + suburb" — note where you appear and for which keywords.
Open your Google Business Profile and check completeness (hours, services, photos).
Check homepage title, meta and H1 — do they contain your main local keyword? (e.g., "Plumber Sydney CBD").
Run PageSpeed mobile and note the biggest issues.
List 3 immediate fixes and 3 medium-term tasks (content, citations, schema).

2. Optimise Google Business Profile (GBP) with AI

GBP is often the single biggest driver of local customers. Use AI to write concise, keyword‑rich descriptions, weekly posts, and Q&A answers.

GBP essentials

Primary category: Pick the most specific category (e.g., Emergency Plumber, not just Plumber).
Description: 200–300 characters with main local keyword and top service.
Services: Add each service with short descriptions and prices where possible.
Photos: 10+ good quality images (team, van, before/after).
Posts: Weekly posts about specials, jobs, events—use AI to generate them quickly.

AI prompts for GBP

Write a 250‑character Google Business Profile description for a small locksmith in Melbourne CBD that mentions emergency service, 24/7 availability, and the suburb. Tone: professional, local.

Example output (edit as needed):

Fast, reliable locksmith in Melbourne CBD. 24/7 emergency service for homes and businesses — lock changes, key cutting and urgent entry. Local, insured technicians ready now.

Manage GBP Q&A & Reviews

Use AI to draft friendly replies to reviews and to seed your Q&A with common questions and answers.

Generate 3 short replies to a positive 5-star review from a customer who mentioned "quick, friendly service" for a local electrician in Brisbane.

3. Local Keyword Research — AI + Data

Combine human intent with AI suggestions. AI can expand keyword lists rapidly; use data tools to prioritise by search volume and local intent.

Practical workflow

Start with seed keywords: service + suburb (e.g., "roof leak repair Hobart").
Use Semrush/Surfer/Google Keyword Planner to get volumes and related phrases.
Ask ChatGPT to expand to long-tail phrases with local intent (e.g., "cheap roof leak repair near me").
Filter for buyer intent and local modifiers (near me, local, suburb, postcode).
Prioritise 1 primary keyword per page + 6–10 related phrases.

AI prompt to expand keywords

Provide 12 local keyword variations for "kitchen plumber Adelaide" with intent tags (informational, commercial, transactional). Include long-tail phrases and 'near me' variants.

Use the output to populate meta tags, service pages and FAQ sections.

4. On‑page Content and Local Schema

AI accelerates writing: drafts, localised headlines, FAQ sections, service descriptions. Always human-edit for accuracy and local voice.

Page structure checklist

Title tag: Primary keyword + suburb (60 chars).
Meta description: 120–155 chars with call to action.
H1: Clear, includes local modifier.
Top paragraph: 40–80 words describing what you do locally.
Services list: Each with 70–120 words, local examples.
FAQ block: 6–10 Q&A using local keywords.

LocalBusiness JSON‑LD (example)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Smith Plumbing Adelaide",
  "image": "https://your-site.com/images/team.jpg",
  "telephone": "+61-412-345-678",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "12 High St",
    "addressLocality": "Adelaide",
    "addressRegion": "SA",
    "postalCode": "5000",
    "addressCountry": "AU"
  },
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "openingHours": "Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr 07:00-17:00",
  "url": "https://your-site.com",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/yourpage"]
}

Place schema on the relevant service or homepage. Use AI to generate variations for multiple services.

AI prompt for page content

Write a 120-word homepage intro for "Eastside Locksmiths, Hobart" that mentions 24/7 emergency service, residential and commercial work, and the suburb. Tone: trustworthy, local.

5. Reviews & Reputation: Ask, Respond, Leverage

Reviews influence rankings and click‑through rates. Use AI to create polite, on-brand review requests and to reply quickly to every review.

How to request reviews

Ask within 24–72 hours of service while the experience is fresh.
Make it easy: direct GBP link + short message.
Offer multiple options: Google, Facebook, product page.
Use AI to generate short SMS/WhatsApp templates personalised by customer name and service.

Replying to reviews (AI templates)

Generate a polite reply to this 4-star review: "Fast and friendly, arrived on time but the invoice was a bit higher than expected." Tone: professional, empathetic, offer next-step.

Use reviews as content

Turn positive reviews into short testimonials for GBP posts, social posts, and service pages. AI can rephrase them into 1‑2 sentence snippets while preserving customer voice (always ask permission).

6. Local Link Building & Partnerships

Local links signal relevance. Focus on partnerships, sponsorships, suppliers, and local news — AI helps write outreach emails and follow-ups.

Low-effort links

Chamber of Commerce directory
Local business associations
Supplier / manufacturer listings
Community sponsorship pages

Content-driven links

Local case studies and job spotlights
How-to blog posts that attract local shares
Resource pages for local homeowners (e.g., storm preparedness)

AI for outreach

Write a short email to a local real estate agent asking to cross-promote a checklist for new homeowners (offer to create a co‑branded PDF).

7. Track Results & Use AI to Report

Measure what matters: GBP views/calls/directions, organic local keywords, phone leads, and conversion rate. Use AI to summarise weekly or monthly performance into clear actions.

Essential metrics

GBP metrics: Searches, views, clicks, phone calls, direction requests.
Website: Local organic sessions, landing page conversions, phone click tracking.
Reviews: Number and average rating change over time.
Links & citations: New high-quality mentions.

AI prompt for monthly summary

You are an SEO analyst. Summarise this month's local SEO data (GBP searches +25%, website local sessions +12%, calls +40%, 3 new reviews, PageSpeed mobile score 68). Provide 5 action items with priorities.

8. Ready-to-Use AI Prompts (Copy & Paste)

Below are practical prompts you can paste into ChatGPT or your preferred AI assistant and customise for your business.

GBP Description

Write a 200‑250 character Google Business Profile description for [Business Name] in [Suburb] that includes the main service, "near me" phrasing, and a trust signal (insured, licensed).

Service Page Intro

Write a 120‑word intro for a service page: "[Service] in [Suburb]". Include 1 sentence about why locals choose you and 1 sentence with a local example of past work.

Review Request SMS

Generate a 120 character SMS asking a satisfied customer (first name) to leave a Google review. Include a short link placeholder and friendly tone.

Local FAQ Generation

List 8 FAQ questions and short answers for "[service] in [Suburb]" that people search for locally. Prioritise questions with transactional intent.

How to use prompts effectively

Always provide location details (suburb, suburb+postcode) and business nuances.
Ask the AI for multiple tone options (friendly, professional, urgent) and pick the one that fits your brand.
Human edit: check facts, remove hallucinations and ensure phone numbers/pricing are correct.
Keep a prompt library so team members can reuse effective templates.

Local SEO Checklist — Your First 30 Days

Week 1 — Audit & Fixes

Run the 30‑minute audit (section above).
Fix NAP inconsistencies and publish GBP updates.
Update homepage title and H1 with main local keyword.

Week 2 — Content & Schema

Create or update a key service page using AI prompts.
Add LocalBusiness JSON‑LD and FAQ schema.
Publish 1 GBP post and 1 social post with local images.

Week 3 — Reviews & Links

Send review requests to last 10 happy customers.
Outreach to 5 local partners for cross-promotions.
List business on 3 high-value local directories.

Week 4 — Measure & Iterate

Collect GBP and analytics data, ask AI for a one-page summary.
Prioritise 3 improvements for next month (content, speed, citations).
Repeat monthly reporting and optimise with AI-suggested tasks.

Want faster results?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can AI replace manual local SEO work?

AI speeds research, content creation and reporting, but human checks remain essential: verifying facts, local nuance, and outreach relationships.

How quickly will I see results?

Small visibility gains can appear in weeks (GBP updates, new reviews). Significant ranking improvements typically take 6–12 weeks with ongoing work.

Which AI tool should I start with?

Start with ChatGPT (drafting copy), Google Business Profile for listings, and a local SEO tool like BrightLocal for citation tracking. Add Surfer/SEMrush for keyword data.

Will using AI hurt my SEO?

Not if the output is edited for accuracy, uniqueness and local relevance. Avoid generic, thin content — use AI to draft and then enrich with local details and photos.

Turn AI Prompts into Local Customers

Use the steps and prompts above to boost your local visibility this month. If you'd rather have experts handle it, Congero builds, optimises and maintains local sites for a flat monthly fee with unlimited updates.

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