buffy.blog
Series · 5 articles

Local AI Visibility

AI engines recommend different businesses in different cities. Quietly, from your IP. For any brand with a place or a service area, this series covers how location shapes AI answers, how to win your city, and how to benchmark it.

  1. 01Do AI engines know where you are? How location shapes AI answersAsk an AI for the 'best fertility clinic' with no city named, and most engines quietly answer for your city. Using your IP, through the search layer, not the model. Here's exactly how location works across ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI, Perplexity, and Claude.5 min read
  2. 02Local AEO: how to get recommended in AI answers for your cityAI localizes through the retrieval layer, so you win your city the same place local search is won. In listings, reviews, schema, and the 'best [X] in [city]' lists engines cite. Here's the brand playbook for getting recommended in AI answers locally.4 min read
  3. 03How to benchmark local AEO across citiesA repeatable method for measuring whether AI engines recommend you city by city: an explicit-city prompt matrix sampled repeatedly, the API location parameter for deterministic testing, and the pitfalls that make hand-testing unreliable.4 min read
  4. 04Local AEO vs local SEO: how Google Business Profile, reviews & the map pack feed AI answersAI answers are assembled from the same local ecosystem local SEO competes in. Google Business Profile, reviews, directories, but AI Mode is a separate ranking system from the map pack. Here's what transfers, what's new, and why winning the 3-pack doesn't guarantee the AI answer.3 min read
  5. 05AI visibility for multi-location & local-service brandsClinics, home services, multi-location retail, legal and real estate all live or die by 'best [service] near me' AI answers. Built per city from listings, reviews, and directories. Here's the per-location playbook, with the higher trust bar for healthcare and other YMYL categories.3 min read