Why showing up in search isn’t just about ranking anymore
At Beehive Local, we talk a lot about visibility—and for good reason. When your business shows up on Google, it drives real traffic, real engagement, and real growth.
But after Google’s recent March 2025 core update, things are shifting in a way that actually creates more opportunity for local businesses. Here’s what’s going on—and why your content still matters, even if it’s not on page one.
AI Overviews Are Changing the Game
Google has rolled out “AI Overviews”—those helpful summaries you might’ve seen at the top of some search results. They use artificial intelligence to generate answers pulled from across the web.
Before, those answers mostly came from the top 10 ranked websites. Now? Not so much. New data shows that content in the top 10 is less likely to be cited than before—dropping from 16% to 15%
That may sound small, but for local businesses, it’s a big opportunity.
Why This Is Actually Great News
If your blog post, service page, or local business page hasn’t cracked the first page yet, it still has a shot at being featured in an AI Overview—as long as it answers the right questions in the right way.
This means:
- Helpful content matters more than high rankings.
- You don’t need to out-rank the biggest names in your industry to show up.
- Fresh, relevant content is your best asset.
What This Means for You
Let’s say you run a restaurant in the area. Someone searches, “best restaurants based on reviews near me”.
Even if don’t have content on your website about how amazing your restaurant is, Google’s AI might still feature it in the answer box—if it offers a clear, trustworthy explanation that speaks to what the searcher wants to know.
That’s huge…. the search “best restaurants based on reviews near me” pulled in a couple of things here. #1 it pulled in Sammie’s Bar & Grill as the top choice most likely because the title says “Local Favorite Restaurant” and then to back that claim up, Google cited Yelp and Uber Eatz that have reviews for the best restaurants in my city.
So… Should You Still Focus on SEO?
Absolutely. But the focus is evolving.
It’s no longer just about chasing rankings—it’s about creating content that connects with real people and answers real questions.
At Beehive Local, we help businesses do exactly that—with custom strategies for SEO, content marketing, and more.