The Local Word
State of Local & AI Search
AI search is reshaping local discovery, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. See why managed brands win and the six inputs to focus on for AI visibility.
Tech Update: Introducing the AI Insights Hub
The AI Insights Hub replaces static monthly PDFs with an interactive, slide-deck-style report that pulls live data across all Social Places product modules, surfaces AI-generated summaries tailored to each stakeholder, and investigates performance issues deeper than any manual report could.
The AI Visibility Gap: 98.8% of Franchise Locations Are Invisible to ChatGPT and Gemini
According to 2026 Local Visibility Index, which analyzed more than 350,000 locations across 2,751 multi-location brands, the gap between traditional local search visibility and AI-generated recommendations is not a gap. It is a cliff and most franchise brands do not know they have already fallen off it.
Your Rankings Haven’t Changed. So Why Is Your Traffic Disappearing?
Your Rankings Haven't Changed. So Why Is Your Traffic Disappearing? You open Google Search Console on a Monday morning. Your rankings look fine, stable top-five positions on your most important...
Apple Maps Is About to Open a Paid Advertising Channel: What Multi-Location Brands Need to Prepare For
Apple Maps is becoming a paid advertising channel, and most multi-location brands are not ready. Apple launched Apple Business on April 14, 2026, and confirmed that paid placements will arrive in...
The Openness Signal: Trading Hours Are Now a Top-5 Local Ranking Factor
Why Your Trading Hours Are a Top Ranking Factor (and where Multi-Location Brands Are Leaking Visibility) Two identical coffee shops, two blocks apart. Same menu, same 4.6-star rating, same...
Tech Update: A Smarter Social Comments Experience
Tech Update: Social Comments UI Update Great news for multi-location ops teams. We have rolled out a fresh, rebuilt Social Comments experience inside the Social Places dashboard, and it is...
Google Maps is changing how people discover businesses. What Multi-Location Brands need to do now
Google Maps is Changing How People Discover Businesses. Here's What Multi-Location Brands Need To Do Now. Google Maps launched Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation on 12 March 2026, both powered...
Google Review Removals in 2025: What happened to your stars? Guide on Reputation Management
Imagine waking up, opening your Google Business Profile, and seeing your hard-earned 4.8-star rating has suddenly dipped. Even worse, dozens of your most recent reviews have simply… vanished. If...
Google Maps Gemini: New Era for Real-Time Discovery
Google has officially reimagined Maps with its new Gemini-powered experience, transforming it from a turn-by-turn tool into a real-time, discovery-driven navigation engine. This shift moves...