{"id":44461,"date":"2026-06-04T16:19:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T06:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/?page_id=44461"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T04:52:18","slug":"local-search","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/state-of-ai-search\/local-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Search"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n \n \n Local SEO in the AI Search Era (Australia, 2026) | DNHQ Research<\/title>\n <meta name=\"description\" content=\"Local-intent searches trigger Google's AI Overview 38% less often than general queries \u2014 the strongest insulation in our 116,918-SERP study. And the classic 3-pack map widget? It appeared zero times.\">\n <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\">\n <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_AU\">\n <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local SEO in the AI Search Era (Australia, 2026)\">\n <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Add a suburb and Google's AI backs off. Local intent suppresses AI Overviews in 16 of 18 industries by an average of 38%. Meanwhile the traditional 3-pack has vanished \u2014 local presentation fragmented across five entity surfaces. 2026 data from 116,918 Australian SERPs.\">\n <meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\">\n\n <link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\">\n <link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\" crossorigin>\n <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Barlow+Condensed:wght@400;500;600;700;800&family=Inter+Tight:wght@400;500;600;700&display=swap\">\n\n <style>\n\/* ============================================================\n * LOCAL SEO IN THE AI SEARCH ERA, CROSS-INDUSTRY DEEP-DIVE\n * All styles scoped under `.dn-scope`. Self-contained file.\n * Design mirrors the main State of AI Search report for\n * consistency: same tokens, typography scales, and TOC pattern.\n * ============================================================ *\/\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Brand tokens \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n:root {\n --dn-ink: #002A45;\n --dn-paper: #F7F5F0;\n --dn-paper-warm: #E5E0D5;\n --dn-muted: #6B7785;\n --dn-rule: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.12);\n --dn-rule-soft: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.06);\n --dn-blue: #86A4EF;\n --dn-blue-dark: #6985BA;\n --dn-yellow: #FDE39C;\n --dn-yellow-dark: #F5C238;\n --dn-green: #CDFFB6;\n --dn-green-dark: #87D259;\n --dn-purple: #B89DFF;\n --dn-purple-dark: #8169D2;\n --dn-display: \"Barlow Condensed\", \"Oswald\", \"Arial Narrow\", sans-serif;\n --dn-ui: \"Inter Tight\", \"Inter\", system-ui, -apple-system, \"Segoe UI\", sans-serif;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Reset (scoped) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope, .dn-scope * { box-sizing: border-box; }\n.dn-scope {\n -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;\n -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;\n overflow-x: clip;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n background: var(--dn-paper);\n min-height: 100vh;\n font-size: 16px;\n line-height: 1.5;\n}\n.dn-scope p, .dn-scope li { overflow-wrap: break-word; word-wrap: break-word; }\n.dn-scope ul, .dn-scope ol { margin: 0; padding: 0; }\n.dn-scope li { list-style: none; }\n.dn-scope a { color: var(--dn-ink); text-decoration: underline; }\n\n\/* Host-page table reset *\/\n.dn-scope table, .dn-scope thead, .dn-scope tbody, .dn-scope tr,\n.dn-scope th, .dn-scope td {\n background: transparent !important;\n border: none !important;\n margin: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope table { border-collapse: collapse !important; border-spacing: 0 !important; }\n.dn-scope tr:nth-child(even), .dn-scope tr:nth-child(odd) { background: transparent !important; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Container \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .container {\n max-width: 1180px;\n margin: 0 auto;\n padding-left: 20px;\n padding-right: 20px;\n}\n@media (min-width: 640px) {\n .dn-scope .container { padding-left: 32px; padding-right: 32px; }\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Descriptor (eyebrow) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n\/* Descriptors use element-prefix selector so they win against\n * .dn-section p (which would otherwise bump them to 16px body size). *\/\n.dn-scope p.dn-descriptor,\n.dn-scope .dn-section p.dn-descriptor {\n display: inline-flex;\n align-items: center;\n gap: 8px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 11px;\n font-weight: 700;\n letter-spacing: 0.18em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n margin: 0;\n line-height: 1.4;\n max-width: none;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-descriptor .dot { display: none; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Breadcrumb \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb {\n padding-top: 80px;\n padding-bottom: 24px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 13px;\n letter-spacing: 0.04em;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n gap: 8px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb a {\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n text-decoration: none;\n transition: color 0.15s;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb a:hover { color: var(--dn-ink); }\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb-sep { color: var(--dn-muted); opacity: 0.5; }\n.dn-scope .dn-breadcrumb-current { color: var(--dn-ink); font-weight: 600; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Hero (full-width above TOC layout) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-page-hero {\n padding-top: 32px;\n padding-bottom: 48px;\n max-width: 880px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-page-title {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(36px, 5vw, 60px);\n font-weight: 700;\n line-height: 1.02;\n letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n margin: 20px 0 0;\n text-wrap: balance;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-page-lede {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: clamp(17px, 1.6vw, 20px);\n line-height: 1.5;\n font-weight: 400;\n color: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.8);\n margin: 24px 0 0;\n max-width: 720px;\n text-wrap: balance;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Page body layout, TOC sidebar + content \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-body-grid {\n display: grid;\n gap: 32px;\n grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n padding-bottom: 64px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-body-grid > * { min-width: 0; }\n@media (min-width: 1024px) {\n .dn-scope .dn-body-grid {\n grid-template-columns: 220px 1fr;\n gap: 48px;\n }\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 TOC sidebar (desktop sticky) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-toc {\n display: none;\n}\n@media (min-width: 1024px) {\n .dn-scope .dn-toc {\n display: block;\n position: sticky;\n top: 24px;\n align-self: start;\n max-height: calc(100vh - 48px);\n overflow-y: auto;\n padding-right: 8px;\n padding-top: 100px;\n }\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-label {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 12px;\n font-weight: 600;\n letter-spacing: 0.22em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n margin: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-list {\n margin-top: 16px;\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n gap: 4px;\n border-left: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n padding-left: 14px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item {\n display: flex;\n align-items: baseline;\n gap: 8px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 14px;\n line-height: 1.35;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n font-weight: 500;\n text-decoration: none;\n padding: 8px 0;\n transition: color 0.15s, opacity 0.15s;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item-n {\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n font-weight: 600;\n font-size: 11px;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n letter-spacing: 0.04em;\n flex-shrink: 0;\n width: 18px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item:hover { color: var(--dn-ink); }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item.active,\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-item.active .dn-toc-item-n {\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n font-weight: 700;\n}\n\n\/* TOC mobile button + overlay *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-mobile-btn {\n display: flex;\n align-items: center;\n justify-content: space-between;\n width: 100%;\n padding: 14px 18px;\n background: #FFFFFF;\n border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n border-radius: 12px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 14px;\n font-weight: 600;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n cursor: pointer;\n margin-bottom: 24px;\n}\n@media (min-width: 1024px) { .dn-scope .dn-toc-mobile-btn { display: none; } }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-mobile-btn:hover { background: var(--dn-paper); }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay {\n display: none;\n position: fixed;\n inset: 0;\n z-index: 999;\n background: rgba(0, 42, 69, 0.94);\n padding: 24px 20px;\n overflow-y: auto;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay[data-open] { display: block; }\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay-close {\n background: transparent;\n border: 1px solid rgba(247,245,240,0.4);\n color: var(--dn-paper);\n padding: 8px 14px;\n border-radius: 999px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 13px;\n font-weight: 600;\n cursor: pointer;\n margin-bottom: 24px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay a {\n display: flex;\n align-items: baseline;\n gap: 10px;\n padding: 12px 0;\n border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(247,245,240,0.12);\n color: var(--dn-paper);\n text-decoration: none;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 15px;\n font-weight: 500;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-toc-overlay a .dn-toc-item-n { color: rgba(247,245,240,0.5); }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Main content column \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-content {\n max-width: 760px;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Generic section \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-section {\n padding-top: 56px;\n padding-bottom: 16px;\n scroll-margin-top: 24px;\n border-top: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section:first-of-type { border-top: none; padding-top: 8px; }\n@media (min-width: 1024px) {\n .dn-scope .dn-section:first-of-type { padding-top: 80px; }\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section-h {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(26px, 3.2vw, 38px);\n font-weight: 700;\n line-height: 1.05;\n letter-spacing: -0.015em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n margin: 14px 0 24px;\n text-wrap: balance;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 16px;\n line-height: 1.65;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n margin: 16px 0 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p strong { color: var(--dn-ink); font-weight: 700; }\n.dn-scope .dn-section ul { margin: 16px 0 0; }\n.dn-scope .dn-section ul li {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 16px;\n line-height: 1.6;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n padding-left: 18px;\n position: relative;\n margin-top: 10px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section ul li::before {\n content: \"\";\n position: absolute;\n left: 0;\n top: 0.65em;\n width: 6px;\n height: 6px;\n background: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n border-radius: 1px;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 1: HERO STAT CARD \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card {\n margin-top: 28px;\n background: linear-gradient(180deg, #FFFFFF 0%, var(--dn-paper) 100%);\n border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n border-radius: 24px 0 24px 0;\n padding: 32px 28px;\n position: relative;\n overflow: hidden;\n}\n@media (min-width: 640px) {\n .dn-scope .dn-stat-card { padding: 44px 36px; }\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card::before {\n content: \"\";\n position: absolute;\n inset: 0;\n background: radial-gradient(circle at 100% 0%, rgba(245,194,56,0.10), transparent 55%);\n pointer-events: none;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card-main {\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n align-items: flex-start;\n gap: 4px;\n position: relative;\n}\n\/* Stat-card value\/label use higher-specificity selectors so the generic\n * .dn-section p rule (0,2,1) doesn't override their styling. Both <p>\n * elements sit inside a .dn-section so without this scoping the hero\n * number was inheriting body-paragraph styling. *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-section p.dn-stat-card-value,\n.dn-scope p.dn-stat-card-value {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(88px, 14vw, 156px);\n font-weight: 800;\n line-height: 0.9;\n letter-spacing: -0.04em;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n margin: 0;\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.02);\n max-width: none;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-section p.dn-stat-card-label,\n.dn-scope p.dn-stat-card-label {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: clamp(15px, 1.4vw, 18px);\n font-weight: 600;\n line-height: 1.35;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n margin: 12px 0 0;\n max-width: 32ch;\n}\n\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card-meta {\n margin-top: 32px;\n padding-top: 24px;\n border-top: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n display: grid;\n grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));\n gap: 18px 24px;\n position: relative;\n}\n@media (min-width: 640px) {\n .dn-scope .dn-stat-card-meta { grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr)); }\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-stat-card-meta > div {\n display: flex;\n flex-direction: column;\n gap: 4px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-meta-label {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 10px;\n font-weight: 700;\n letter-spacing: 0.16em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-meta-value {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(20px, 2vw, 26px);\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n letter-spacing: -0.01em;\n line-height: 1;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Shared data-widget container \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-data-block {\n margin-top: 24px;\n padding: 24px;\n background: #FFFFFF;\n border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft);\n border-radius: 16px;\n}\n@media (min-width: 640px) {\n .dn-scope .dn-data-block { padding: 28px; }\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 2: intent breakdown \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-block { margin-top: 24px; padding: 24px; background: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft); border-radius: 16px; }\n@media (min-width: 640px) { .dn-scope .dn-intent-block { padding: 28px; } }\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-legend {\n display: flex;\n flex-wrap: wrap;\n gap: 10px 18px;\n margin-bottom: 20px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-legend-item {\n display: inline-flex;\n align-items: center;\n gap: 6px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 12px;\n font-weight: 600;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-swatch {\n display: inline-block;\n width: 11px;\n height: 11px;\n border-radius: 2px;\n flex-shrink: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-rows {\n display: grid;\n gap: 16px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-row {\n display: grid;\n grid-template-columns: minmax(80px, auto) 1fr minmax(56px, auto);\n align-items: center;\n gap: 14px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 13px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-name {\n font-weight: 600;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n font-size: 13px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-bar-wrap {\n height: 12px;\n background: var(--dn-rule-soft);\n border-radius: 6px;\n overflow: hidden;\n min-width: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-bar-fill {\n display: block;\n height: 100%;\n border-radius: 6px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-pct {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(20px, 2.4vw, 26px);\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n text-align: right;\n letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n line-height: 1;\n white-space: nowrap;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-intent-n {\n display: none;\n font-size: 11px;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n letter-spacing: 0.02em;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 3: Mobile vs Desktop \/ two-row compare \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-md-block { margin-top: 24px; padding: 24px; background: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft); border-radius: 16px; display: grid; gap: 18px; }\n@media (min-width: 640px) { .dn-scope .dn-md-block { padding: 28px; } }\n.dn-scope .dn-md-row {\n display: grid;\n grid-template-columns: minmax(70px, auto) 1fr minmax(64px, auto);\n gap: 14px;\n align-items: center;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-md-label {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 13px;\n font-weight: 600;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n letter-spacing: 0.02em;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-md-bar-wrap {\n height: 14px;\n background: var(--dn-rule-soft);\n border-radius: 7px;\n overflow: hidden;\n min-width: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-md-bar-fill {\n display: block;\n height: 100%;\n border-radius: 7px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-md-pct {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(22px, 2.6vw, 28px);\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n text-align: right;\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n line-height: 1;\n white-space: nowrap;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 4: domain \/ data table \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table {\n margin-top: 24px;\n background: #FFFFFF;\n border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft);\n border-radius: 16px;\n overflow: hidden;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table table { width: 100%; }\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table thead th {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 10px;\n font-weight: 700;\n letter-spacing: 0.16em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n padding: 16px 16px 10px;\n text-align: left;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table thead th.num { text-align: right; }\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table tbody td {\n padding: 12px 16px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 14px;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n border-bottom: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft) !important;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table tbody tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none !important; }\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table tbody td.num {\n text-align: right;\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table tbody td.pos { color: var(--dn-green-dark); font-weight: 700; }\n.dn-scope .dn-domain-table tbody td.neg { color: var(--dn-blue-dark); font-weight: 700; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 5: local intent block \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-local-block { margin-top: 24px; padding: 24px; background: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft); border-radius: 16px; }\n@media (min-width: 640px) { .dn-scope .dn-local-block { padding: 28px; } }\n.dn-scope .dn-local-row {\n display: flex;\n justify-content: space-between;\n align-items: baseline;\n gap: 16px;\n padding: 14px 0;\n border-bottom: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-local-row:last-of-type { border-bottom: none; }\n.dn-scope .dn-local-label {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 14px;\n font-weight: 600;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-local-pct {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(28px, 3.5vw, 36px);\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n line-height: 1;\n white-space: nowrap;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-local-gap {\n margin-top: 18px;\n padding: 14px 18px;\n background: var(--dn-paper);\n border-radius: 8px;\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(18px, 2.2vw, 24px);\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n letter-spacing: -0.01em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n line-height: 1.15;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 6: page-type \/ proportional-bar block \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-pagetype-block { margin-top: 24px; padding: 24px; background: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft); border-radius: 16px; display: grid; gap: 14px; }\n@media (min-width: 640px) { .dn-scope .dn-pagetype-block { padding: 28px; gap: 16px; } }\n.dn-scope .dn-pagetype-row {\n display: grid;\n grid-template-columns: minmax(120px, auto) 1fr minmax(56px, auto);\n gap: 14px;\n align-items: center;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-pagetype-label {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 13px;\n font-weight: 600;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-pagetype-bar-wrap {\n height: 12px;\n background: var(--dn-rule-soft);\n border-radius: 6px;\n overflow: hidden;\n min-width: 0;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-pagetype-bar-fill {\n display: block;\n height: 100%;\n border-radius: 6px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-pagetype-pct {\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: clamp(20px, 2.2vw, 26px);\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n text-align: right;\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n line-height: 1;\n white-space: nowrap;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 7: actions list \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-actions {\n margin-top: 24px;\n counter-reset: action;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-actions li {\n counter-increment: action;\n position: relative;\n padding: 20px 22px 20px 64px;\n margin-top: 12px;\n background: #FFFFFF;\n border: 1px solid var(--dn-rule-soft);\n border-radius: 12px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 15px;\n line-height: 1.6;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-actions li::before {\n content: counter(action);\n position: absolute;\n left: 22px;\n top: 18px;\n font-family: var(--dn-display);\n font-size: 32px;\n font-weight: 800;\n color: var(--dn-yellow-dark);\n line-height: 1;\n width: 30px;\n text-align: center;\n background: none;\n border-radius: 0;\n letter-spacing: -0.02em;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Page CTA \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-page-cta {\n padding-top: 64px;\n padding-bottom: 64px;\n margin-top: 24px;\n border-top: 1px solid var(--dn-rule);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-page-cta-buttons {\n margin-top: 24px;\n display: flex;\n gap: 12px;\n flex-wrap: wrap;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-cta-btn {\n display: inline-flex;\n align-items: center;\n gap: 8px;\n padding: 14px 24px;\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 14px;\n font-weight: 700;\n letter-spacing: 0.04em;\n text-transform: uppercase;\n border-radius: 16px;\n text-decoration: none;\n transition: opacity 0.15s, transform 0.15s;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-cta-btn--primary {\n background: var(--dn-ink);\n color: var(--dn-paper);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-cta-btn--outline {\n background: transparent;\n color: var(--dn-ink);\n border: 1px solid var(--dn-ink);\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-cta-btn:hover { opacity: 0.9; }\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Arrow icon (CSS mask, inherits currentColor) \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-arrow-icon {\n display: inline-block;\n width: 1em;\n height: 0.7em;\n vertical-align: middle;\n margin: 0 0.1em;\n background-color: currentColor;\n -webkit-mask: url('https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/arrow.svg') no-repeat center \/ contain;\n mask: url('https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/arrow.svg') no-repeat center \/ contain;\n flex-shrink: 0;\n}\n\n\/* \u2500\u2500\u2500 Footer \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 *\/\n.dn-scope .dn-footer {\n background: var(--dn-paper-warm);\n padding: 32px 0;\n margin-top: 48px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-footer p {\n font-family: var(--dn-ui);\n font-size: 12px;\n line-height: 1.55;\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n margin: 0;\n max-width: 880px;\n}\n.dn-scope .dn-footer a {\n color: var(--dn-muted);\n text-decoration: underline;\n}\n\n<\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"dn-scope\">\n\n <nav class=\"container dn-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/state-of-ai-search\/\">The State of AI Search<\/a>\n <span class=\"dn-breadcrumb-sep\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-breadcrumb-current\">Local SEO<\/span>\n <\/nav>\n\n <header class=\"container dn-page-hero\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\">\n <span class=\"dot\"><\/span>\n DNHQ Research \u00b7 Cross-industry deep-dive \u00b7 May 2026\n <\/p>\n <h1 class=\"dn-page-title\">When buyers search local, Google's AI backs off<\/h1>\n <p class=\"dn-page-lede\">\n The single most reliable defence against an AI Overview isn't\n content quality or domain authority. It's location intent. Add a\n suburb, a city, or \"near me\" to a query and Google's AI steps\n aside 38% more often, the strongest insulation effect in our\n whole 18-industry study. Meanwhile the widget local SEO was built\n around, the three-business map pack, has quietly disappeared.\n Here's what 116,918 Australian SERPs say about local search in\n the AI era.\n <\/p>\n <\/header>\n\n <div class=\"container dn-body-grid\">\n\n <nav class=\"dn-toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\">\n <p class=\"dn-toc-label\">On this page<\/p>\n <ol class=\"dn-toc-list\">\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#headline\" data-toc=\"headline\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">01<\/span>The headline number<\/a><\/li>\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#industry\" data-toc=\"industry\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">02<\/span>The local penalty by industry<\/a><\/li>\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#mappack\" data-toc=\"mappack\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">03<\/span>AI vs the local pack<\/a><\/li>\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#threepack\" data-toc=\"threepack\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">04<\/span>The vanished 3-pack<\/a><\/li>\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#geography\" data-toc=\"geography\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">05<\/span>Geography barely matters<\/a><\/li>\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#actions\" data-toc=\"actions\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">06<\/span>What to do about it<\/a><\/li>\n <li><a class=\"dn-toc-item\" href=\"#cta\" data-toc=\"cta\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">07<\/span>Read the full study<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ol>\n <\/nav>\n\n <div>\n <button type=\"button\" class=\"dn-toc-mobile-btn\" id=\"toc-mobile-btn\">\n <span>Jump to section<\/span>\n <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u25be<\/span>\n <\/button>\n\n <div class=\"dn-content\">\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 1: Headline \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"headline\" class=\"dn-section\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>01 \u00b7 The headline number<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Local intent is the best AI Overview insulation there is<\/h2>\n\n <div class=\"dn-stat-card\">\n <div class=\"dn-stat-card-main\">\n <p class=\"dn-stat-card-value\">24.7%<\/p>\n <p class=\"dn-stat-card-label\">of local-intent searches return an AI Overview, against 40.1% for general queries<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-stat-card-meta\">\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Relative drop<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">\u221238%<\/span><\/div>\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Industries insulated<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">16 of 18<\/span><\/div>\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">National AIO rate<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">37.8%<\/span><\/div>\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Sample<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">116,918 SERPs<\/span><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n We split every query in the dataset into <strong>general\n intent<\/strong> (\"emergency plumber\", \"family lawyer\", \"best\n accounting software\") and <strong>local intent<\/strong>\n (anything carrying a suburb, a city, or \"near me\"). Then we\n measured the AI Overview trigger rate for each, separately,\n across all 18 industries.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n The result is one of the cleanest signals in the entire\n study. <strong>General queries trigger an AIO 40.1% of the\n time. Local queries trigger one just 24.7% of the\n time<\/strong>, a 15.4-point, or 38% relative, collapse. And\n it isn't an average hiding a messy split: local intent\n suppressed AIO in 16 of the 18 industries we measured. The\n moment a searcher signals \"I want a business near me\",\n Google's AI tends to get out of the way and hand the result\n back to the map, the reviews, and the organic listings.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n For local businesses this reframes the whole AI-search\n panic. The headlines about AI Overviews eating organic\n clicks are real, but they're describing the\n <em>informational<\/em> web, the \"how does\", \"what is\", \"best\n way to\" queries. The local-service web, the queries that\n actually end in a phone call or a booking, is the most\n insulated surface left. The trick is knowing exactly how\n insulated your category is, and what replaced the 3-pack\n while you weren't looking.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 2: By industry \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"industry\" class=\"dn-section\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>02 \u00b7 The local penalty by industry<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Every service vertical is insulated. Two e-commerce-shaped ones aren't.<\/h2>\n <p>\n The size of the local-intent discount varies enormously by\n category. Below is every industry in the study, ranked by\n how much AI Overviews retreat when location intent is added.\n A negative gap (blue) means local queries are\n <em>safer<\/em>, the AI fires less. A positive gap (green)\n means the opposite.\n <\/p>\n\n <div class=\"dn-domain-table\">\n <table>\n <thead>\n <tr>\n <th>Industry<\/th>\n <th class=\"num\">General<\/th>\n <th class=\"num\">Local<\/th>\n <th class=\"num\">Gap<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n <tbody>\n <tr><td>Real Estate<\/td><td class=\"num\">58.9%<\/td><td class=\"num\">21.4%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221237.5<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>IT & Tech Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">57.3%<\/td><td class=\"num\">21.3%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221236.0<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>B2B Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">56.6%<\/td><td class=\"num\">23.0%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221233.6<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Marketing & Creative<\/td><td class=\"num\">46.3%<\/td><td class=\"num\">16.4%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221229.9<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Trades<\/td><td class=\"num\">42.8%<\/td><td class=\"num\">19.6%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221223.2<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Automotive<\/td><td class=\"num\">29.5%<\/td><td class=\"num\">9.9%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221219.6<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Accounting<\/td><td class=\"num\">56.1%<\/td><td class=\"num\">38.3%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221217.7<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Home Services<\/td><td class=\"num\">37.9%<\/td><td class=\"num\">20.6%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221217.3<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Beauty & Personal Care<\/td><td class=\"num\">24.9%<\/td><td class=\"num\">8.1%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221216.8<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Education & Training<\/td><td class=\"num\">42.8%<\/td><td class=\"num\">26.9%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221215.9<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Veterinary & Pet<\/td><td class=\"num\">36.4%<\/td><td class=\"num\">26.1%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221210.2<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Legal<\/td><td class=\"num\">50.6%<\/td><td class=\"num\">40.5%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221210.1<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Healthcare<\/td><td class=\"num\">40.1%<\/td><td class=\"num\">30.0%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u221210.0<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Travel & Tourism<\/td><td class=\"num\">37.6%<\/td><td class=\"num\">28.8%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u22128.8<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Fitness & Wellness<\/td><td class=\"num\">30.1%<\/td><td class=\"num\">22.8%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u22127.3<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Events & Weddings<\/td><td class=\"num\">25.1%<\/td><td class=\"num\">23.6%<\/td><td class=\"num neg\">\u22121.5<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Hospitality<\/td><td class=\"num\">8.6%<\/td><td class=\"num\">9.9%<\/td><td class=\"num pos\">+1.3<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>E-commerce<\/td><td class=\"num\">39.9%<\/td><td class=\"num\">57.5%<\/td><td class=\"num pos\">+17.6<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n <strong>The high-consideration service categories are the\n most insulated.<\/strong> Real Estate (\u221237.5pp), IT &\n Tech Services (\u221236.0pp) and B2B Services (\u221233.6pp) see AI\n Overviews more than halve when a location is attached.\n Google appears to read \"buyer's agent Bondi\" or \"managed IT\n Parramatta\" as a find-a-provider decision, not a\n summarisable question, and defers to the local results.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n <strong>Even the categories with the smallest discount still\n move the right way.<\/strong> Legal (\u221210.1pp) and Healthcare\n (\u221210.0pp) retain high AIO rates even locally, because so\n much of their query mix is genuinely informational (\"is a\n will valid without a witness\", \"symptoms of\u2026\"). But the\n direction holds: adding a location never <em>increases<\/em>\n exposure for a service business.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n <strong>The two exceptions prove the rule.<\/strong>\n E-commerce is the only category that inverts hard (+17.6pp),\n because \"buy [product] online\" is a shopping query Google's\n AI loves to summarise, and there's no local provider to\n defer to. Hospitality (+1.3pp) is essentially flat, and\n unusual for a different reason, its <em>general<\/em> AIO\n rate is already so low (8.6%) that there's almost nothing\n left to suppress. If you sell a product or a meal, local\n intent won't save you. If you sell a local service, it's\n your strongest card.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 3: AI vs local pack \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"mappack\" class=\"dn-section\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>03 \u00b7 AI vs the local pack<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">AI Overviews and local widgets compete for the same slot<\/h2>\n <p>\n When Google does show a local-business widget, an AI\n Overview is markedly <em>less<\/em> likely to appear with it,\n and vice versa. Across all 116,918 SERPs, a local widget\n appeared on 17.4% of pages where there was no AIO, but only\n 10.3% of pages where an AIO fired. They're fighting over the\n same prime real estate above the organic results, and Google\n mostly picks one.\n <\/p>\n\n <div class=\"dn-local-block\">\n <div class=\"dn-local-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-local-label\">Local widget rate \u2014 when no AI Overview<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-local-pct\">17.4%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-local-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-local-label\">Local widget rate \u2014 when an AI Overview fires<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-local-pct\">10.3%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-local-gap\">\u221241% relative: the local widget steps back when the AI steps in<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n Split the whole dataset four ways by what actually shows up\n above the organic results, and the competition becomes\n obvious, the two surfaces almost never appear together:\n <\/p>\n\n <div class=\"dn-pagetype-block\">\n <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Neither AIO nor widget<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:100%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.35)\"><\/span><\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">51.4%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">AI Overview only<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:65.9%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">33.9%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Local widget only<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:21.0%;background:#87D259\"><\/span><\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">10.8%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-pagetype-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-label\">Both together<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-pagetype-bar-fill\" style=\"width:7.6%;background:var(--dn-yellow-dark)\"><\/span><\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-pagetype-pct\">3.9%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n <strong>Only 3.9% of Australian SERPs show an AI Overview\n and a local widget at the same time.<\/strong> More than half\n (51.4%) show neither, that's the clean organic battleground\n where classic SEO still wins the click outright. A third\n (33.9%) are AIO-dominated. And one in ten (10.8%) are\n local-widget territory with no AI in sight.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n <strong>The practical read:<\/strong> for a local-service\n business, the AIO is not usually your problem, the entity\n widget is. When Google decides a query is local, it tends to\n answer it with a reviews block or a knowledge panel rather\n than an AI summary. Winning local search in 2026 is less\n about out-writing the AI and more about owning the entity\n surfaces that show up in that 10.8%-plus-3.9% slice. Which\n raises the obvious question: what <em>are<\/em> those\n surfaces now?\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 4: The vanished 3-pack \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"threepack\" class=\"dn-section\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>04 \u00b7 The vanished 3-pack<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">The three-business map pack you optimised for appeared zero times<\/h2>\n\n <div class=\"dn-stat-card\">\n <div class=\"dn-stat-card-main\">\n <p class=\"dn-stat-card-value\">0<\/p>\n <p class=\"dn-stat-card-label\">times the classic 3-business \"Local Pack\" map widget appeared across 116,918 SERPs<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-stat-card-meta\">\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Any local surface<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">14.7%<\/span><\/div>\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Knowledge graph<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">15,181<\/span><\/div>\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Google Reviews<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">13,556<\/span><\/div>\n <div><span class=\"dn-meta-label\">Surface types<\/span><span class=\"dn-meta-value\">5<\/span><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n For fifteen years, the three-business map widget at the top\n of a local SERP was <em>the<\/em> object of local SEO. In our\n snapshot, the discrete \"Local Pack\" widget, as the data\n source labels it, <strong>appeared zero times. Not\n once.<\/strong>\n <\/p>\n <p>\n That's a labelling story, not an absence story, and the\n distinction matters. Widen the lens to every\n local-business surface Google now uses, knowledge-graph\n entity panels, Google Reviews widgets, hotel packs, local\n services blocks, top-sights carousels, and they appear on\n <strong>17,210 SERPs (14.7% of the dataset)<\/strong>. Local\n presentation hasn't disappeared. It has fragmented. Google\n Reviews blocks (13,556 SERPs) and knowledge-graph cards\n (15,181 SERPs) now carry most of the load the 3-pack used\n to.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n <strong>Why this matters more than it sounds:<\/strong> if\n your local SEO strategy is still framed as \"rank in the\n 3-pack\", you're optimising for a target that no longer\n reliably renders as a discrete widget. Searching \"plumber\n Sydney\" doesn't dependably surface a labelled\n three-business box any more, it surfaces a reviews block, an\n entity card, sometimes a services unit, and increasingly an\n AI Overview. The win condition expanded from <em>one\n widget<\/em> to <em>a portfolio of entity surfaces<\/em>:\n Google Business Profile completeness, review velocity, and\n knowledge-graph eligibility through structured data and\n consistent brand mentions across the web.\n <\/p>\n <p>\n <strong>The target moved; the goal didn't.<\/strong> Local\n visibility is still won above the organic results, it's\n just spread across at least five named feature types instead\n of converging on a single map box. The businesses that win\n local search now are the ones tracking, and feeding, all of\n them.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 5: Geography \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"geography\" class=\"dn-section\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>05 \u00b7 Geography barely matters<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">It doesn't matter which city your customers search from<\/h2>\n <p>\n We ran the dataset across six Australian markets, three\n metro capitals and three regional centres, to see whether AI\n exposure changes by location. It barely does. Averaged\n across all 18 industries, every city lands within 1.5\n percentage points of every other.\n <\/p>\n\n <div class=\"dn-domain-table\">\n <table>\n <thead>\n <tr><th>City<\/th><th>State<\/th><th>Type<\/th><th class=\"num\">AIO rate<\/th><\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n <tbody>\n <tr><td>Newcastle<\/td><td>NSW<\/td><td>Regional<\/td><td class=\"num\">38.4%<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Geelong<\/td><td>VIC<\/td><td>Regional<\/td><td class=\"num\">38.1%<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Sunshine Coast<\/td><td>QLD<\/td><td>Regional<\/td><td class=\"num\">37.8%<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Brisbane<\/td><td>QLD<\/td><td>Metro<\/td><td class=\"num\">37.8%<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Sydney<\/td><td>NSW<\/td><td>Metro<\/td><td class=\"num\">37.3%<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><td>Melbourne<\/td><td>VIC<\/td><td>Metro<\/td><td class=\"num\">36.9%<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n Group those six markets into metro versus regional and the\n two are statistically indistinguishable, regional Australia\n actually sees a hair <em>more<\/em> AI exposure than the\n capitals:\n <\/p>\n\n <div class=\"dn-md-block\">\n <div class=\"dn-md-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-md-label\">Regional<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-md-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-md-bar-fill\" style=\"width:100%;background:#6985BA\"><\/span><\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-md-pct\">38.1%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"dn-md-row\">\n <span class=\"dn-md-label\">Metro<\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-md-bar-wrap\"><span class=\"dn-md-bar-fill\" style=\"width:98.2%;background:rgba(105,133,186,0.45)\"><\/span><\/span>\n <span class=\"dn-md-pct\">37.4%<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>\n <strong>The practical implication:<\/strong> there's no\n \"regional discount\" on AI search. A trades business in\n Newcastle or a clinic on the Sunshine Coast faces the same\n AI exposure as one in Sydney, and the same fragmented\n local-widget landscape. You can't outrun AI Overviews by\n operating outside the capitals, and you don't need a\n different playbook for regional markets. The local-intent\n insulation from Section 1 is what protects you, and it\n works the same everywhere in the country.\n <\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 Section 6: Actions \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"actions\" class=\"dn-section\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>06 \u00b7 What to do about it<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Five moves for local businesses in the AI search era<\/h2>\n\n <ol class=\"dn-actions\">\n <li>\n <strong>Build a real page for every suburb and service you\n cover, and lean into location intent.<\/strong> Local\n queries trigger AI Overviews 38% less than general ones,\n the strongest insulation in the study. That makes\n \"[service] [suburb]\" pages your most defensible organic\n surface. Don't settle for one thin paragraph per area:\n build genuinely useful pages with local pricing, recent\n jobs, service-area maps and FAQs for every postcode you\n actually work in. This is the half of search the AI mostly\n leaves alone.\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <strong>Stop optimising for \"the 3-pack\", it doesn't\n render any more.<\/strong> The discrete three-business map\n widget appeared zero times in 116,918 SERPs. Local\n presentation has fragmented across knowledge-graph cards,\n Google Reviews blocks, local-services units and entity\n panels. Reframe the goal from \"rank in the pack\" to \"own\n the entity surfaces\": a complete, active Google Business\n Profile, structured data on every location page, and\n consistent NAP and brand mentions that make you\n knowledge-graph eligible.\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <strong>Treat reviews as a ranking surface, not a\n vanity metric.<\/strong> Google Reviews blocks were the\n single most common local widget in the dataset (13,556\n SERPs). When Google chooses to answer a local query, it\n reaches for reviews more than almost anything else. A\n steady velocity of recent, responded-to reviews now\n directly influences whether you appear in the surface\n that's replacing the 3-pack, not just your perceived\n trust.\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <strong>Win the clean organic SERP, it's bigger than you\n think.<\/strong> 51.4% of SERPs show neither an AI Overview\n nor a local widget. On more than half of all searches the\n old rules still apply: the business with the best page and\n the strongest signals takes the click outright. AI panic\n shouldn't pull your whole budget toward chasing the AI.\n The biggest single slice of local search is still won the\n traditional way.\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <strong>Run the same playbook everywhere, metro and\n regional alike.<\/strong> AI exposure varies by less than\n 1.5 points across six markets, and regional centres see\n marginally <em>more<\/em> of it, not less. There's no safe\n harbour outside the capitals and no need for a separate\n regional strategy. Audit your category's specific\n local-intent discount, build the location pages, own the\n entity surfaces, and apply it consistently across every\n area you serve.\n <\/li>\n <\/ol>\n <\/section>\n\n <!-- \u2500\u2500\u2500 CTA \u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500 -->\n <section id=\"cta\" class=\"dn-page-cta\">\n <p class=\"dn-descriptor\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>What's next<\/p>\n <h2 class=\"dn-section-h\">Want the full picture?<\/h2>\n <p>\n This page draws from the complete <em>State of AI Search for\n Australian SMEs, 2026<\/em>: 116,918 SERPs across 18 industries,\n 6 cities, and 19 numbered findings. Read the full study, or\n get a free 10-keyword AIO audit on your business's own search\n terms to see exactly where AI Overviews, local widgets and\n organic results fall for the queries that matter to you.\n <\/p>\n <div class=\"dn-page-cta-buttons\">\n <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/state-of-ai-search\/\" class=\"dn-cta-btn dn-cta-btn--primary\">\n Read the full study <span class=\"dn-arrow-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/aio-audit\/\" class=\"dn-cta-btn dn-cta-btn--outline\">\n Get a free AIO audit <span class=\"dn-arrow-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"dn-toc-overlay\" id=\"toc-overlay\" role=\"dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\">\n <button type=\"button\" class=\"dn-toc-overlay-close\" id=\"toc-overlay-close\">Close \u2715<\/button>\n <a href=\"#headline\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">01<\/span>The headline number<\/a>\n <a href=\"#industry\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">02<\/span>The local penalty by industry<\/a>\n <a href=\"#mappack\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">03<\/span>AI vs the local pack<\/a>\n <a href=\"#threepack\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">04<\/span>The vanished 3-pack<\/a>\n <a href=\"#geography\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">05<\/span>Geography barely matters<\/a>\n <a href=\"#actions\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">06<\/span>What to do about it<\/a>\n <a href=\"#cta\"><span class=\"dn-toc-item-n\">07<\/span>Read the full study<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <footer class=\"dn-footer\">\n <div class=\"container\">\n <p>\n \u00a9 2026 DNHQ. All rights reserved.\n <em>The State of AI Search for Australian SMEs, 2026<\/em>\n and its underlying dataset are the proprietary intellectual property\n of DNHQ Pty Ltd. Brief quotation permitted with attribution;\n reproduction or redistribution without prior written consent\n prohibited. Press & licensing:\n <a href=\"mailto:research@dnhq.com.au\">research@dnhq.com.au<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/footer>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<script>\n(function(){\n var btn = document.getElementById('toc-mobile-btn');\n var overlay = document.getElementById('toc-overlay');\n var close = document.getElementById('toc-overlay-close');\n if (btn && overlay) {\n btn.addEventListener('click', function(){ overlay.setAttribute('data-open',''); document.body.style.overflow = 'hidden'; });\n }\n if (close && overlay) {\n close.addEventListener('click', function(){ overlay.removeAttribute('data-open'); document.body.style.overflow = ''; });\n }\n if (overlay) {\n overlay.querySelectorAll('a').forEach(function(a){\n a.addEventListener('click', function(){ overlay.removeAttribute('data-open'); document.body.style.overflow = ''; });\n });\n }\n var sections = document.querySelectorAll('section[id]');\n if (sections.length && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) {\n var obs = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries){\n var visible = entries.filter(function(e){ return e.isIntersecting; });\n if (!visible.length) return;\n visible.sort(function(a,b){ return a.boundingClientRect.top - b.boundingClientRect.top; });\n var id = visible[0].target.getAttribute('id');\n document.querySelectorAll('.dn-toc-item.active').forEach(function(el){ el.classList.remove('active'); });\n var link = document.querySelector('[data-toc=\"' + id + '\"]');\n if (link) link.classList.add('active');\n }, { rootMargin: '-20% 0px -60% 0px', threshold: 0 });\n sections.forEach(function(s){ obs.observe(s); });\n }\n})();\n<\/script>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Local SEO in the AI Search Era (Australia, 2026) | DNHQ Research The State of AI Search \u203a Local SEO DNHQ Research \u00b7 Cross-industry deep-dive \u00b7 May 2026 When buyers search local, Google’s AI backs off The single most reliable defence against an AI Overview isn’t content quality or domain authority. It’s location intent. Add […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44010,"parent":43979,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-44461","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44461"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44471,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44461\/revisions\/44471"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalnomadshq.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}