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Local SEO & Marketing Glossary

20 terms explained — from listings management to AI search visibility

A

AI Overviews

AI Overviews are Google's AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results, synthesizing information from multiple sources into a concise answer with attribution links.

Apple Business

Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect) is Apple's platform that lets businesses manage how they appear across Apple Maps, Siri, Wallet, Safari, and other Apple services, reaching over 1 billion active Apple device users.

C

Citation Building

Citation building is the process of getting your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) listed on authoritative online directories, maps, and platforms to strengthen local search visibility and trust.

G

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing your content and business information so that AI systems like Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity recognize, cite, and recommend your business.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a location-based technology that creates virtual boundaries around a physical area — when a customer's device enters or exits that boundary, it can trigger targeted ads, notifications, or data collection.

Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (GBP) is Google's free tool that lets businesses manage how they appear across Google Search and Google Maps, including business name, address, hours, photos, reviews, and posts.

L

Local Listing Management

Local listing management is the practice of creating, updating, and maintaining your business information across online directories, maps, and search engines to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency.

Local Pack

The Local Pack (also called the Map Pack or 3-Pack) is the section of Google Search results that displays a map with three local business listings — the most visible and clicked-on area for local search queries.

Local SEO

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence so that customers searching for your type of business 'near me' or in a specific geographic area find you by combining website optimization, directory management, review strategy, and location-specific content.

Location Marketing

Location marketing is the practice of using a customer's physical location to deliver targeted messages, offers, and experiences designed to drive foot traffic and sales at your physical locations.

Location Pages

Location pages are dedicated website pages for each physical business location, containing unique, location-specific information like address, hours, services, team, and local content — designed to rank in local search.

M

Markdown for Agents

Markdown for agents is the practice of serving clean, structured markdown versions of your web pages to AI systems through content negotiation, llms.txt files, or dedicated .md URLs, so AI crawlers and LLMs can efficiently read and cite your content.

MCP Servers

MCP servers are lightweight programs that expose business tools, data, and capabilities to AI agents through the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and others connect to external systems.

Multi-Location Marketing

Multi-location marketing is the practice of coordinating marketing strategies across multiple physical business locations — balancing brand consistency with local relevance to maximize visibility and customer engagement in each market.

N

NAP Consistency

NAP consistency means keeping your business Name, Address, and Phone number identical across every online platform where your business appears — the foundation that search engines use to recognize and trust your business.

R

Reputation Management

Reputation management is the practice of building, monitoring, and protecting your online image by encouraging positive reviews, responding to feedback professionally, and addressing issues that could harm your brand perception.

Review Management

Review management is the practice of monitoring, responding to, and generating customer reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp, and Trustpilot to build trust, improve rankings, and drive business growth.

S

Store Locator

A store locator is a tool on your website that helps customers find your physical locations using maps, search functionality, and filters to locate the nearest store or browse locations by area.

Structured Data & Schema Markup

Structured data is code added to your website (typically JSON-LD format) that helps search engines and AI systems understand your business information — location, hours, services, reviews, and more — in a machine-readable format.

Z

Zero-Click Searches

Zero-click searches are search queries where the user gets their answer directly on the search results page, whether from featured snippets, knowledge panels, Local Pack listings, or AI Overviews, without clicking through to any website.

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