Localized SEO for LLMs

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are fundamentally changing how people search, find and discover local businesses. Today, when a user asks “Where is the best coffee in Sydney?” or “Kathmandu trekking guides?”, the answer may and often come as a concise AI-generated summary rather than a traditional map listing. LLMs don’t simply list choices – they generate an answer based on the strongest signals available. For your business and its online presence, you need to feed LLMs clearly with your data for local seo. Feeding local content data of your business means uploading and generating consistent data like updating Google Business Profile (GBP) details, structuring businesses content online and  adding a rich local context. 

For e.g. if a user asks ChatGPT recommendations for a plumber service in Melbourne, it will favour businesses which have a directly mentioned addresses and services in reviews, contents, and schema. Hence, local search is more important than ever. Nearly all Australians (93%) and a majority of Nepalis go online for local info, often phrasing queries conversationally. In Australia, businesses are investing heavily with estimated SEO spending projections of  $1.5 billion in 2025 alone. Similarly in Nepal, a rapidly growing online population of 16.5 million users is expected to grow further and these users are increasingly turning to search in both English and Nepali. 

The global AI search shows a similar scenario, the usage of AI is increasing every day. A study reports, AI-powered search traffic increased by a staggering 527% year-over-year. In addition the same study reports, Google’s AI Overviews already reach over 2 billion users in a single month. The trends are a clear sign that your business must optimize not only for targeted organic and map listings but AI driven answers.

How LLMs Are Changing Local Search

LLMs approach local queries differently from traditional Google Maps or SEO. They don’t use GPS at query time and they instead refer to location from your content and signals. In other words, explicitly cited local context is essential to drive ROI in real time and drive traffic online. When customers mention your service areas in their personal reviews of your service or your content describes neighborhood targeted issues, the AI “knows” where your business is and when to show your business to customers. LLMs often looks for the following cues: 

• Reviews directly referring to the neighborhood or your staff names:  For instance, a review by a user directly quoting “Great cafe in Thamel” or “Friendly Kathmandu guide” helps the model know and tag your business for the local suggestion.
• Structured data (Schema): Using Local Business schema with precise address, service Area, and opening hours tells AI exactly where you are and what you do.
• Citations and local mentions: Listings on local directories, news articles, or social media posts that mention your location reinforce your geography to AI.
• Local content and questions: Content that answers city- or neighborhood-specific queries (e.g. “best time to trek in Everest base camp” or “how to fix AC in Sydney’s summer”) provides strong local signals.

Unlike traditional Google search, an AI answer highlights one “best” option based on these signals. If your information is inconsistent or incomplete, AI may confidently pick another business. Industry experts note that mismatched details across platforms hurt your chances: “If your business description changes or your NAP (name/address/phone) doesn’t match, AI detects uncertainty. And uncertainty keeps you out of high-value generative answers”.

Despite the rise of AI, the fundamentals of local SEO still matter for LLMs. LLMs rely on the same data Google uses – your Google Business Profile (GBP), reviews, citations and on-site content – as a foundation. In fact, Google’s recent ranking factors show that core GBP elements (primary category, proximity, name keywords, etc.) are even more important today than in 2023. A BrightLocal study found that complete business listings get 7× more clicks, which increases the chances of your business being cited by AI. In short, AI offers new visibility but only if your traditional SEO basics are rock solid.

Best Practices for Localized LLM SEO

To thrive in this AI-driven landscape, your strategy must emphasize clarity and local relevance. Below are key tactics to help LLMs (and users) find and recommend your business:

1. Focus on the Communities You Serve

Generic city pages aren’t going to be enough anymore you need to be specific. In simple terms, tailor your content to local audiences and micro-markets. Write about problems and conditions specific to your region:

• Use neighborhood names, landmarks, and cultural details in your content and ad copy. (E.g. mention “Thamel market” in Kathmandu or “Bondi Beach” in Sydney instead of market in kathmandu or beach in sydney) to target the customer you intend to sell a travel or stay experience.
• Address local challenges or seasonal speciality about Kathmandu’s trekking season feasts and festivals or Brisbane’s summer storms and the perfect place to be safe during the season, if your are travel related business.
• Highlight regional regulations or processes e.g. vehicle registration requirements in Australia if you are a car wrecking business, or trekking permits for Everest in Nepal if you are operating a travel company.

In even simpler terms, the more your content “feels local,” the more easily AI models can match you to local intent. For example, if you run a tour company, create blog posts answering “What’s the best time to hike Annapurna in the dry season?” or if you’re a café, write about “Top brunch spots near Lake Burley Griffin.” These specifics not only help SEO but also give LLMs confidence in your local expertise. As a result, ChatGPT or Google’s AI is more likely to name your business when users ask for local services.

2. Structure Content for Conversational Queries

LLMs thrive on natural language and clear structure. You need to start thinking in terms of questions and answers rather than keywords to appear in AI search answers. Your business page needs to be organised with:

• Straightforward headers and FAQs: Use  simple clear questions or format headings For e.g. How do I fix an air conditioner in Kathmandu’s summer. Include an FAQ section which directly answers common local questions in full sentences.
• Short, concise paragraph: Break the information into small chunks which the algorithm of AI can easily use for ranking your business. Use bullet lists (like this) to highlight features or steps.
• Conversational tone: Write as if talking to a neighbor. Instead of listing services (“Kathmandu plumbing services”), answer a query: “What should I do when my AC stops working in Kathmandu’s monsoon?” If you optimize for how people naturally ask, LLMs will likely incorporate your content in their responses.

Optimizing for AI-driven search means using natural questions and answers rather than focusing on keywords, Intent of information provided has higher value than the traditional keyword search model especially for localised LLM search ranking. For instance, address full queries: rather than title a page “Sydney HVAC Services,” create content titled “What’s the fastest way to fix an AC in Sydney’s summer heat?”. By matching the conversational search patterns, your content stands out. In practice, we have helped Nepal Travel Adventure do this by adding rich local Q&A content, which drove significant traffic growth (30–40% year-over-year) and top rankings for their region-specific keywords.

3. Showcase Your Local Expertise (E-E-A-T)

Artificial intelligence also evaluates Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T) in a localized way. Your business needs to strengthen these signals or elements by:

• Highlighting case studies and examples tied to real neighborhoods. For example, “Completed a café project in Thamel” or “Gallery of homes we renovated in Pokhara.” gets you more chances of appearing in AI answers than the simple, “cafes we made in Kathmandu”.
• Including expert commentary or staff bios gets you EEAT. A local dentist’s blog post by the clinic’s doctor is a strong credibility signal.
• Showing community involvement or local partnerships, like sponsoring Kathmandu tourism events.
• Emphasizing specific outcomes in reviews. Encouraging customers to mention details: “They replaced my solar panels on the hills of Nagarkot” is more persuasive than a vague praise. Politely make them a request to write a review in a more detailed way than, “great service, excellent staff, or clean hotel”.

When the LLMs see consistent local success stories about your business and knowledgeable authorship, it trusts your business more. For example, Makura Creations aided Lambda Payments drive traffic in the fintech space by blending on-site resources and expert bios, raising the client’s profile as a key authority. This kind of detailed, local proof can sway both human readers and AI.

4. Use Entity Markup to Signal Your Business

Structured data is a clear handshake to search engines and LLMs. Implement LocalBusiness and related schema to define your entity explicitly:

• LocalBusiness schema: Include name, address, geo-coordinates, opening hours, and service area in JSON-LD.
• Category-specific schemas: If you’re a restaurant, use Restaurant schema; for a doctor, use MedicalBusiness.
• Service or product markup: List offerings with structured attributes.

A complete markup profile strengthens your “entity” in the AI’s eyes. In Expert words, “the more complete your markup, the stronger your entity becomes. And strong entities show up more often in AI answers.”. In very simple language it means if your schema is missing or sparse, AI might fill the gaps of SEO search with a competitor that has better markup of these audits. You need to audit these entity markup elements so that your business is unmistakably and easily understood by AI.

5. Spread and Standardize Your Brand Presence

An LLM will scout, crawl and analyse your entire digital footprint which means information on your business needs to be consistent, “Consistency is highly critical”. For ranking as popular or Top business you must make sure your business name, its address, phone or contact, and business profile descriptions match exactly everywhere on the web:

• You need to make sure Google Business Profile on the maps, Facebook page, listing on Yelp, and your website footer all use same, consistent and identical information on the web.
• Use the same primary category on all platforms, for e.g. if you list as a “Plumber” on Google business profile you should not list as “Water Repair Agency” on Facebook
• Keep your voice and value proposition consistent all across your business handles. If you describe yourself as a “family-owned Sydney bakery,” all channels should echo that branding, you cannot use home-baked Sydney bakery on other profile.

Inconsistencies signals and reports uncertainty to AI’s models drastically reducing your chances to be referenced on the AI answers. Your business needs to conduct a regular audit of directories and update any discrepancies across the web. The tools and services can help automate this process, or our team at Makura can assist in syncing your listings.

6. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (Maps Listing)

Your Google Business Profile is still a powerhouse because it now feeds the data your business to both AI and search. As a business you now need to claim and fill out your listings completely with clear photos, services lists, and regular post updates on social handles alongside websites. A simple method to achieve this is to use business posts and Q&A with relevant keywords and clearly answered FAQs. For example, mention new offerings or promotions in your GBP posts, as Google may surface them in local answers when customers search for offers.  A Comprehensive GBP builds trust and can directly influence AI output calibrating

Statistically, businesses with business profiles that are complete and active get 7× more actions (calls, direction requests, etc.) than incomplete ones. Especially, in Australia 51% of consumers use Google Maps to find businesses, so Australian businesses need to maintain it very carefully. (In Nepal, this figure is rapidly growing as mobile and Google adoption increase.) If you are advertising locally for your business, you need to consider using Google Maps Ad extensions or “Local Services Ads” to appear even more prominently on the map. However, it’s vital to know that all ads still rely on underlying SEO strength and the use of tactics mentioned need to be in alignment with your SEO.

7. Account for Voice and Conversational Search

With smart speakers and assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Nest Hub, Amazon Echo, Apple Home pod use increasing each passing day, voice search is significant. In Australia, about 33% of people use voice search daily. Similarly, in South Asian regions like Nepal and India, many queries now come via mobile voice in English, Nepali or local language. Your business search needs to optimize for this by using long-tail keywords and long-tail question-based keywords. For example, instead of using the keyword “Kathmandu weather,” rephrase it to “Is it safe to travel to Kathmandu in monsoon?” in your blog or FAQ to align for it voice searches.

The primary focus in your blogs and written copies now need to primarily focus on being the featured snippet or knowledge answer. LLMs often reply to these in the quick-answer boxes before PPC advert for most question-and-answer cases. The concise answer paragraphs inclusion near the top pages of your blogs highly increases the chance of AI pulling your content as an answer for feature. In addition the tools like Google’s “People Also Ask” reveal common question phrases to target customers from your blogs, if it meets the conversational answer customers are seeking

8. Monitor, Measure, and Adapt

Finally, keep an eye on the data – you specifically need to use your Business Profile Insights and analytics to track how people find you. It is essential to know if they are asking Google directly or ChatGPT? Some tools now track “AI search impressions.” You need to specifically note and follow the

• Watch for spikes in local keywords or phone clicks.
• Adjust your content and postings based on what resonates with the customers and AI searches. For instance, if a certain neighborhood query shows growth then create more content around that area
• Continuously monitor and test (try different phrases or images) and optimize.

Local SEO in Practice: Australia and Nepal

For consideration, let us take an example of Australian café targeting local customers. Alongside optimizing for “Sydney coffee shop,” it can increase localized SEO searches and AI search snippets traffic by publishing blog posts like “Coffee festival in Bondi: what to expect” or “Best gluten-free cafes near Melbourne CBD.” These help capture the neighborhood terms and local events driving real time shop footfalls. In Nepal, a trekking agency could target both Nepali and English queries to reach a broad audience.

In both markets, make sure to research long-tail keywords that actual people use. For example, tools show Australians search “near me now” 400% more for immediate needs. If you own a Kathmandu clinic, you might optimize for “near me” searches in Kathmandu or Thamel. The goal is to match the exact long conversational phrasing of inquiries used by the customers.

Partner with Makura Creations for Local SEO Success

Building a future-proof local SEO strategy requires a cross functional expertise across content, tech, and analytics and it’s the domain where Makura Creations excels. We are a full-service digital agency with 12 years of experience helping businesses in Nepal, Australia, and beyond that help businesses to get found online. Our team can help tailor your web content to local business audiences, implement detailed schema markups, and ensure your GBP is updated with realtime changes.