AI Search Is Changing Local SEO: Is Your Website Ready? | Adam Dorfman

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Website Growth Show, host Rana Shahbaz speaks with Adam Dorfman, an experienced SEO professional and product manager at Birdeye, about how AI is changing local SEO and what businesses can do to become more visible in AI-powered search.

Adam explains how search is shifting from showing lists of websites and local businesses to giving users direct recommendations based on their needs. He discusses why businesses must focus not only on rankings but also on becoming the most trusted and relevant choice for potential customers.

The conversation covers practical ways to improve local SEO and AI visibility, including making websites easier for AI tools to understand, updating existing content with clear answers to customer questions, creating useful location pages, and building a strong review presence. Adam also shares why fresh reviews, customer sentiment, and responding to feedback are becoming increasingly important.

You’ll also learn how to prioritize Google reviews, use industry-specific review platforms, improve review request strategies, and measure whether your SEO and AI visibility efforts are working. If you’re a local business owner, marketer, or agency leader looking to improve local visibility and earn more AI recommendations, this episode offers practical guidance.

Show Notes

  1. How AI is changing local search and the way customers choose businesses
  2. Why businesses need to focus on AI recommendations instead of just search rankings
  3. How traditional SEO overlaps with AEO and GEO
  4. Why trust and customer experience influence AI recommendations
  5. How to make websites easier for AI tools and LLMs to understand
  6. Why businesses should rewrite website content to answer real customer questions
  7. When to update existing website pages instead of creating new content
  8. Why useful, concise content matters more than publishing large amounts of content
  9. How often businesses should publish website content
  10. Why fresh customer reviews are important for local SEO and AI visibility
  11. When businesses should create individual location pages
  12. Why Google reviews should be the first priority, followed by Yelp and industry-specific platforms
  13. Best practices for responding to reviews and requesting customer feedback
  14. How review content can improve customer sentiment and business visibility
  15. How Birdeye helps businesses manage reviews and automate customer experience workflows
  16. How to measure local SEO rankings and visibility across AI search prompts

Connect With the Guest

Connect with Adam Dorfman on LinkedIn to learn more about local SEO, customer experience, reputation management, and AI-powered search.