For two decades, getting found locally meant ranking on Google. A solid Google Business Profile, a few reviews, and some basic SEO would put you on the map. That playbook still works, but it's no longer enough.
The shift in buyer behaviour
Roughly two billion questions a month flow through ChatGPT alone. A meaningful percentage of those questions are some variation of "best [service] near me" or "what should I look for in a [service provider]." When the AI gives an answer, it picks specific businesses by name. If your business is not in that answer, you do not exist for that buyer.
Why traditional SEO is necessary but not sufficient
AI tools draw heavily from the open web. They cite Google search results, but they also cite Reddit threads, niche industry publications, your own website's structured data, and authoritative backlinks. A business that ranks on Google but has nothing on Reddit, no schema markup, and no llms.txt is a business AI cannot easily verify.
Three moves that pay off in 2026
First, publish content that explicitly answers the questions your buyers are asking. Second, earn citations on Reddit, industry publications, and directories AI tools trust. Third, structure your site with schema and llms.txt so the AI can understand who you are, where you operate, and what you do.
This is the loop Stellor automates: 30 articles a month, 4, 000 site backlink network, weekly audits, and daily Reddit opportunities all working together to make sure AI cites you when buyers ask.