Local search is moving fast. Staying visible and delivering value in a constant-changing landscape means more than keeping pace; it calls for a forward-thinking strategy designed to anticipate what’s next. With emerging technologies, constant algorithm updates, and evolving consumer expectations, local search has never been more dynamic or critical to your bottom line.
As we approach 2025, keeping your brand visible across all your locations means adapting to these changes. This post will unpack the top trends reshaping local search and what they mean for your strategy. From AI-driven search to enhanced structured data, we’ll cover the changes you can’t afford to ignore as you craft your marketing strategy for the next year and beyond.
Long-tail keyword phrases are winning
The way people search for local businesses is like never before—and it’s changing how search engines like Google, Apple, and Bing rank businesses. Consumers are moving toward more conversational, nuanced search queries, and this shift demands a new approach to local SEO. In short, search is becoming more personalized, and brands need to keep up.
Take Bing’s integration with ChatGPT as an example. This new AI partnership allows users to get real-time, conversational responses rather than static links. This means customers are increasingly searching with long-tail keyword phrases like, “Best vegan restaurants in Chicago for a weekend brunch” instead of just “vegan restaurants.” To stay relevant, brands need to optimize their websites for these longer, more conversational queries.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Ensure your website answers specific, long-tail questions customers are asking with content structured to meet nuanced search intent. Updating your website frequently to reflect real-time changes—like updated menu items or seasonal promotions—will help maintain your visibility.
Learn more: Explore our full guide on how ChatGPT impacts SEO to dig deeper into this shift and how to prepare for the future of AI-powered search.
People-first content is non-negotiable
Google’s March 2024 Core Update made one thing clear: creating content for search engines is out. The update heavily favors content that’s created for users, not just to game the algorithm. In other words, your content must match search intent and provide true value to the audience.
Gone are the days when you could stuff content with keywords just to rank. Instead, Google is prioritizing high-quality, helpful content that answers specific user questions.
For example, if you run a local coffee shop, your content should go beyond generic jargon like “Best coffee in the city.” Instead, provide detailed, click-worthy content like “How to brew the perfect cup of coffee at home” or “What makes our coffee beans special?” This type of content not only helps with ranking but also builds trust with potential customers.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Quality content will be more important than ever in 2025. It’s not just about ranking—it’s about providing your audience with something they truly value.
Stay ethical, stay visible
As Google tightens its focus on quality, spam is becoming less and less tolerable. With their updated spam policies, Google is cracking down on several deceptive practices that have historically boosted rankings—practices like expired domain abuse, scaled content creation abuse, and site reputation manipulation.
For marketers, this means one thing: Avoid shortcuts. Google is prioritizing authentic content and ethical SEO practices, and the days of trying to trick the system are over. If your strategy relies on spammy tactics like churning out low-quality, fully AI-generated content or misusing a domain’s reputation, you’re putting your rankings—and your brand’s credibility—at risk.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Focus on providing original, helpful content that doesn’t exist elsewhere on the web. Avoid the temptation of spammy practices, because search engines are getting better at spotting them.
Prioritize the mobile experience
With mobile devices accounting for the majority of search traffic, Google’s ongoing emphasis on mobile-first indexing remains critical. This means that Google predominantly uses the mobile version of your site for ranking and indexing.
Further solidifying its mobile importance, Google Search and Google Maps are the fourth and fifth topped ranked mobile app in the United States. For enterprise brands managing multiple locations, mobile optimization isn’t just a technical SEO requirement—it’s an essential part of delivering exceptional customer experiences.
What does this mean for your strategy?
- Ensure fast-loading, mobile-friendly pages with intuitive navigation.
- Simplify key actions like finding a store, checking inventory, or completing a purchase on mobile.
- Audit all local pages to ensure they display properly and include accurate, updated business information like hours, contact details, and location-specific services.
Mobile-first optimization isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a baseline expectation. By prioritizing a seamless mobile experience, you meet customers where they already are, ensuring your brand stays competitive.
Don’t overlook your Apple listing
In 2024, Apple Maps made a big move—expanding to the web. This gives users the ability to access Apple Maps on desktop browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Edge. As a result, Apple is poised to capture more local search market share, and businesses need to ensure they’re visible on the platform.
Yet, 58% of businesses still haven’t claimed their Apple Maps listing. That’s a missed opportunity to get in front of a huge, growing audience of desktop and mobile users.
Claim your listing and keep it up to date with photos, descriptions, and accurate business details. Don’t let your competitors take the lead here.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Apple Maps is now a serious player in local search. Make sure your business is represented on the platform. For more information, check out our Guide to leveraging Apple Business Connect for local discoverability.
Enhance visibility and build trust with structured data
Structured data is changing the game for local and e-commerce SEO, giving businesses the tools to surface rich, actionable information right in the search results. Whether it’s showcasing product details, hours of operation, or return policies, structured data makes life easier for your customers—and boosts your visibility at the same time.
For e-commerce brands, product variants are a standout feature. Imagine a shopper searching for a sweater and seeing all the available colors and sizes in the search results—no extra clicks needed. This simple addition makes your products easier to find, shortens the customer journey, and drives more conversions. When choices are clear and quick, customers are more likely to click—and buy.
But it’s not just about products. Google’s return policy structured data, introduced in 2024, adds another layer of transparency. By displaying return details—like “Free Returns Within 30 Days”—directly in search results, you can build trust and reduce decision friction. For shoppers, this kind of clarity can tip the scales between your brand and a competitor.
Local businesses can also leverage structured data to stand out. Details like your hours, location, and customer reviews can show up front and center, helping people decide to visit before they even click. It’s an easy way to meet customers where they are and give them the confidence to choose you.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Looking ahead, structured data will play an even bigger role in creating seamless customer experiences. Google is doubling down on data-rich features, and brands that adopt early will win more clicks, more customers, and more trust.
Add structured data to your site to make your business impossible to ignore. Whether you’re highlighting return policies, product details, or your local storefront, it’s a simple, powerful way to remove barriers and help customers say “yes” faster.
Don’t forget about Bing
Bing’s May 2024 algorithm update caught many brands by surprise with significant ranking volatility. While Google often takes the spotlight, Bing is making moves, too. For businesses that rely on Bing for search visibility, this update reinforces the need to consistently optimize your content for its algorithm.
Bing is becoming an increasingly important platform, especially as search behaviors continue to evolve and more users turn to Microsoft’s search engine. Make sure you’re not neglecting Bing in favor of Google alone.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Keep optimizing for Bing. It may not be Google, but it’s an important piece of your search strategy, especially with growing search traffic.
E-E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness—and Experience
Google’s E-E-A-T framework has been around for a while, but in 2024, the emphasis on experience became even more pronounced. Google now looks at whether the content is authored by someone with real-world experience in the subject matter.
This is crucial for local businesses. If you run a law firm, for example, you want content written by certified attorneys, not general writers. In doing this, you signal to both Google and your customers that your business is trustworthy and knowledgeable.
What does this mean for your strategy?
Make sure your content is backed by experts who have real-world experience in your industry. This is critical for building credibility with both search engines and customers.
Search Console remains a critical tool for marketers
Google Search Console (GSC) continues to evolve, offering new tools and reports that help marketers gain deeper insights into their websites’ performance. In 2024, Google introduced several enhancements that make managing website ownership and permissions easier—an essential development for enterprise brands with large, distributed teams.
For instance, team members leaving the organization can now have their token ownership removed directly, simplifying access management and reducing the risk of outdated permissions lingering in your system.
GSC has also refined its reporting capabilities, providing more granular insights into page performance and indexing issues. This means marketers can better understand how localized pages—like product listings or service area landing pages—are performing in search results.
While GSC offers a strong foundation for visibility, it’s not designed to address the unique challenges of managing search performance across multiple locations. That’s where technology like Rio SEO’s Local Reporting come into play.
With Rio SEO, you can gain a deeper understanding of performance across hundreds or thousands of locations, consolidating metrics like local pack rankings, organic search traffic, and review sentiment into a single, actionable dashboard.
Rio SEO’s reporting tools complement GSC by providing hyper-localized insights tailored to enterprise-scale needs. This is especially critical for identifying trends at the location level, catching emerging issues, and making data-driven decisions to boost visibility and engagement.
For example, if a location is underperforming in organic traffic, Rio SEO’s reporting can pinpoint whether it’s due to missing reviews, incomplete profiles, or unoptimized content.
What does this mean for your strategy?
As GSC and complementary tools like Rio SEO continue to evolve, enterprise marketers should focus on integrating these platforms to gain a holistic view of their search performance.
Combining GSC’s technical insights with Rio SEO’s local analytics enables smarter, faster optimization decisions, ensuring your locations stay competitive in an ever-changing search landscape.
Learn more about how local reporting can transform your strategy by exploring Rio SEO’s Local Reporting platform.
Visual search: a new frontier in Local SEO
As visual search technology continues to grow, businesses have a new way to stand out. Platforms like Google Lens allow users to search using images instead of text, and this trend is changing how people discover local businesses.
Imagine a customer snapping a photo of a storefront or product and instantly accessing reviews, hours, or purchase options—all without typing a single word.
What does this mean for your strategy?
For enterprise marketers, visual search opens up exciting possibilities:
- Optimize images with descriptive alt text, schema markup, and high-quality visuals to ensure they’re discoverable in visual searches.
- Use unique, location-specific imagery for local pages, showcasing the personality and offerings of each location.
- Leverage AI-powered image recognition tools to ensure your visual content is aligned with search intent and optimized for ranking.
This trend is especially impactful for retail, dining, and hospitality brands where visuals play a significant role in decision-making.
What does this mean for brands in 2025?
To stay ahead, you need to think beyond algorithms and trends. The future of local search is about more than visibility—it means creating seamless, impactful experiences that win loyalty. To succeed in 2025, you need tools that do more than adapt to change. You need tools that help you lead.
Rio SEO’s Local Experience (LX) Platform gives you the power to manage your entire local presence at scale. From accurate location data and optimized local pages to review management and actionable insights, it’s your all-in-one solution for driving search visibility and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
With the LX Platform, you can ensure every location performs its best, every detail is accurate, and every customer touchpoint builds trust and engagement. Its local search simplified, and elevated.
Ready to take control of your strategy? Download our free eBook, Top local search updates to future-proof your 2025 strategy, to dive even deeper into actionable strategies to start your next year of local marketing efforts off right.
