The Shift from Rankings to Recommendations: What AI Search Means for Your Local Strategy

As technology evolves, so will search, just as it always has, from phonebooks to asking Jeeves. Right now, we are at the dawn of the next evolution in search; instead of asking Jeeves, we are asking ChatGPT.

As this change happens, so will customer behavior. So, how do we keep showing up for those who are trying to find us?

Rankings still matter, but they've been demoted from destination to data point, and if your entire visibility strategy stops there, it's increasingly incomplete. What's changed is how the fundamentals need to work together and which new signals actually move the needle.

In this webinar, SEO expert Dane Saville breaks down how you can start laying the foundation so your business will show up in the next evolution of search. 

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Local Search in the Age of AI: What Multi-Location Brands Actually Need to Do

Search is moving fast right now. AI Overviews are showing up everywhere, results keep shifting, and there's always some new tool someone insists you need. If you're running a multi-location brand with real marketing budget behind it, that noise can feel relentless.

Here's the thing, though: success hasn't actually gotten more complicated. The margin for error has just gotten smaller. The brands pulling ahead aren't the ones chasing every new thing. They're the ones staying focused on what works while quietly cleaning up the gaps AI is starting to expose.

In the season premiere of More Than You Can Chew, Dane Saville breaks down the "Confidence Gap" and what signals AI search is truly looking for when providing customers with an answer.

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Google Review Guidelines 2026 Update

If your business relies on reviews to drive visibility and conversions, this update matters more than you think.

Google quietly updated its restricted and prohibited content guidelines, and many businesses are already feeling the impact. Reviews are at risk of being removed, and processes that used to “work” are now violations.

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Live Website Reviews: SEO Mistakes That Are Quietly Costing You Rankings

If you are investing in SEO but not seeing consistent results, this webinar is worth your time. It is especially relevant for dealership teams and multi-location businesses trying to improve visibility and lead flow.

In this live session, Dane Saville and Greg Gifford broke down real websites and called out the exact issues holding them back. From review strategy mistakes to technical SEO problems, this was a practical look at what actually impacts performance.

If you want to understand how local SEO works and how to ensure your website is optimized to maximize its reach, then check out the webinar in its entirety. 

Watch the full webinar replay below:

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SearchLab Is a 2026 Google Premier Partner

We have some very exciting news!

Only the top 3% of Google Partner agencies in the United States earn Premier Partner status. SearchLab just made that list for 2026.

Premier Partner status is earned through a combination of Google Ads expertise, client growth, and sustained performance across accounts. It is an honor and reflection of how our team shows up for our clients every single day.

What This Means (Beyond the Badge)

Google’s Partner program has tiers, and Premier Partner is the top one. To get there, an agency has to prove three things:

  1. They know Google Ads inside and out
  2. Their clients’ accounts are actually growing
  3. The performance holds up over time

Being listed in the Google Partners directory also makes it easier for businesses looking for qualified PPC help to find us directly. If that is you, you can find our profile here.

This Recognition Belongs to the Team

Paid search is not a set-it-and-forget-it discipline. The people running these campaigns are in the accounts every day, testing ad copy, adjusting bids, catching wasted spend, and finding opportunities that don’t show up in a dashboard summary. This recognition is a direct reflection of their expertise and the standards they hold themselves to.

Our PPC practice was built on the belief that performance comes from deep knowledge, not just budget. A lot of that foundation was laid by the late Mark Irvine, who shaped this department into what it is today.

His influence on how we think about Google Ads is still felt in the work our talented team does every day, and we are forever grateful for what he built here. Today, that work continues under Matt Keevan, who leads our PPC team with the same rigor and standards Mark helped establish.

And to Our Clients

Google doesn’t hand out Premier Partner status because an agency manages a lot of accounts. They look at whether those accounts are actually growing. Every local business that has trusted SearchLab with their paid search is part of this recognition. You held us to a high standard, and that standard is exactly what got us here.

Thank you for the trust and the partnership. We do not take it lightly.

Not Sure Your Google Ads Are Working the Way They Should?

If your paid search program is not delivering the results it should, or you are not sure whether it is, we are happy to take a look under the hood. SearchLab works primarily with multi-location brands that need their PPC to perform across every market they serve.

Seriously, just reach out. We clearly love to chat ads!

 

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SearchLab Digital Celebrates Nine Years in Business

SearchLab recently celebrated its ninth birthday at the beginning of March. In the early days, it was Mark Bealin, Tim Dini, and a small team crammed into a tiny office on Clark Street, working late into the night, reviewing every client they had on Friday evenings. Eventually those Friday reviews had to stop with too many clients to get through in one sitting. That was the first sign something was working.

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Mean Tweets NADA 2026

NADA Mean Tweets is back for another year, our favorite annual tradition where we take inspiration from the classic Jimmy Kimmel bit and let the tweets fly. It is a fan-favorite episode every year, and this year delivered it the hilarity once again. 

Watch the latest Local Search Tuesdays now and see your auto industry's favorites react to some of the wildest tweets about themselves. 

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PPC in 2026: What’s Working, What’s Risky, and How to Actually Control Performance Max

PPC is evolving fast. AI is baked into everything. Performance Max campaigns promise automation but can feel like a black box. Meanwhile, you’re trying to drive leads, not just clicks.

In this session, SearchLab PPC expert Susan Yen broke down what’s actually working in PPC right now, how to regain control, and what business owners should be paying attention to in their reporting.

If you’re investing in PPC and want clarity on where your budget is going (and whether it’s working), this is worth the watch.

Watch the Full Webinar Replay Below:

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Just Released: Cannabis Dispensary SEO Study 2026

Local Search Tuesdays is back, and this episode is a big one.

SearchLab just released the largest SEO study ever conducted for cannabis dispensaries. If you operate in a regulated industry, manage multiple locations, or rely on organic visibility because paid ads are limited or off the table, this data matters to you even if you are not in cannabis.

This study is not a theory. It is built on thousands of real businesses, real rankings, and real performance gaps. It shows what separates the dispensaries that dominate the map pack from the ones stuck fighting for scraps.

Let’s break down what we studied, what we found, and why the takeaways apply far beyond cannabis.

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Live Dental Website Audits: What Still Drives Local SEO Results (Even in the Age of AI)

If you’re a dentist, dental practice owner, or practice manager investing in SEO but unsure what actually moves the needle, this webinar was built for you. With AI, LLMs, and “SEO is dead” headlines everywhere, it’s harder than ever to know what still matters—and what’s just noise.

In this session, SearchLab’s Dane Seville walks through real dental practice websites, auditing them live to show what’s working, what’s hurting visibility, and where small, practical changes can lead to big gains in local search. If you want grounded, real-world guidance (not theory), this recap breaks it all down—and you can always watch the full replay for the full context.

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