Local Marketing Beat: AI Search, GEO & Multi-Location Marketing

How to Boost Share of Voice in 90 Days - Christian Hustle Live at SMX 2026

How do you get your brand recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity instead of simply ranking on Google?In this live SMX 2026 session, Christian Hustle shares the results of a 90-day Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) experiment designed to answer one question:Can YouTube transcripts and structured content increase AI Search Share of Voice?The answer surprised us.You’ll see the exact framework we used to improve AI visibility, increase brand mentions, and grow citations across AI-powered search engines by combining YouTube videos, transcripts, and website content into a repeatable GEO strategy.In this session you’ll learn:* What AI Share of Voice (AI SOV) is and why it matters* How ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity decide which brands to recommend* Why YouTube transcripts became one of our highest-performing GEO assets* The difference between ranking in search and getting selected by AI* How embedding videos and transcripts boosted visibility across an entire prompt library* The role of citations, consistency, and corroboration in AI-generated answers* A practical 90-day GEO framework that marketers can apply todayWhether you’re an SEO professional, content strategist, local marketer, SaaS company, or multi-location brand, this presentation will help you understand how AI search is changing discovery and what you can do to stay visible.Topics Covered* Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)* AI Search Optimization* AI Share of Voice* ChatGPT SEO* Gemini SEO* Perplexity SEO* Local SEO* Multi-Location Marketing* YouTube SEO* AI Citations* Entity Optimization* Content Strategy* GEO Framework* AI VisibilityIf you’re still measuring success by rankings alone, you’re already behind.The future of SEO isn’t just ranking pages—it’s becoming the answer AI chooses to recommend.#SMX #SEO #GEO #AISearch #ChatGPT #Perplexity #Gemini #LocalSEO #DigitalMarketing #YouTubeSEO #ContentStrategy

How to Manage Search, Sentiment, and Scale for Restaurant Brands and Franchises

In this episode, Christian Hustle and Ari Nahmani, CEO and founder of Kahena, explore how large restaurant brands and franchise operators can win at local search in an AI-driven world. They break down how the customer discovery journey has shifted away from brand websites toward third-party platforms like DoorDash, Yelp, and OpenTable — and what that means for search strategy. They also cover why review velocity and sentiment have become outsized signals for both Google's diversity update and LLM training, how to build location pages that convert rather than just inform, and why A/B testing at the location level is one of the most underused tools available to multi-location brands. They wrap up with a frank assessment of what breaks first at scale — and why reviews, not data hygiene, are now the hardest thing to manage across hundreds or thousands of locations.👤 Guest InfoAri Nahmani – CEO and founder of Kahenahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/arinahmani/🧭 Key Concepts Covered- How the customer discovery journey has fragmented across delivery and review aggregators- Branded vs. non-branded search: what the balance looks like for large restaurant chains- Why AI search query fan-out creates new non-brand ranking opportunities- Local landing pages V2: what best-in-class location pages include beyond address and hours- A/B testing at scale: how to test category changes, descriptions, and page layouts across location subsets- Google's diversity update and why it's making reviews more critical than ever for big chains- NFC tap cards and post-purchase triggers: practical tactics to increase review velocity- How review responses train LLMs — and why your USP language needs to be consistent everywhere- What breaks first at scale: reviews, technical errors, and the risk of rolling out changes too fast🕒 Chapters00:00 Introduction to Kahena and Ari's Background01:22 How the Customer Discovery Journey Has Changed04:35 Branded vs. Non-Branded Search for Restaurant Chains07:10 The Opportunity in Near Me and Long-Tail Local Search09:28 Local Landing Pages: What V2 Looks Like13:46 A/B Testing Strategies Across Locations17:00 Optimising Location Pages for Conversion21:16 Sentiment, Reviews and the Diversity Update24:00 How Reviews Feed AI Search and LLM Training28:06 What Breaks First at Scale🔗 Resources- Discover Kahena: https://kahena.com- Discover Location Performance Optimization: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/location-performance-optimization- Meet UB-I: https://get.uberall.com/ub-i/- Get GEO & LPO Certified at Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com/- Follow Kahena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kahena-digital-marketing/

How to Scale Social Media Content Across Hundreds of Franchise Locations

In this episode, Christian Hustle and Melissa Telsrow, President and co-founder of Hiper, explore how multi-location brands can scale authentic social media content that drives real-world discovery. They explain why top franchise systems are winning by moving away from "waterfall" corporate content and instead empowering local operators to share original, unpolished stories that build consumer trust. They also cover the rise of "interest media" on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, the growing importance of Employee-Generated Content (EGC), and why technical SEO must be paired with hyper-local storytelling to create a true multiplier effect. They wrap up with practical strategies for building a content framework that balances automated scale with local autonomy to stay competitive in an AI-driven search landscape.👤 Guest InfoMelissa Telsrow – President and co-founder of Hiper🧭 Key Concepts CoveredHow AI is reshaping "near me" searches and local discoveryThe shift from keywords to interest-based discovery on TikTok and ShortsWhy "unpolished" native content outperforms professional photography by 55%The Rise of EGC: Using employee-generated content to build brand humanizationCollaborator Strategy: Using Instagram Reels and geotagging for local proximity searchHow to build a three-pronged scaling system: Baseline, Templates, and Managed ServiceThe "Waterfall" Trap: Why cascading national content to local pages hurts engagementLeveraging Facebook as a secondary local SEO powerhouseEstablishing brand guardrails to empower local operator creativity🕒 Chapters00:00 Introduction to Hiper Multi-Location Marketing01:19 Understanding Consumer Behavior in the Age of AI03:39 The Role of Social Media in Search and Discovery06:46 Leveraging User-Generated and Employee-Generated Content09:45 Building Trust with Authentic Content12:00 Strategies for Scaling Content Across Multiple Locations16:06 Common Mistakes in Franchise Marketing19:46 The Importance of Authenticity in Content Creation🔗 ResourcesDiscover Hiper: https://hiperlocalmarketing.comDiscover Location Performance Optimization: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/location-performance-optimizationMeet UB-I: https://get.uberall.com/ub-i/Get GEO & LPO Certified at Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com/ Follow Hiper on Social: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiperlocalmarketing/

How CMOs should reallocate budget in 2026

David breaks down 3 moves every marketing leader should make right now:1. Align your content, comms, and PR strategy around a North Star that reflects where the market actually is today2. Build your prompt universe. The questions and topics that drive real elasticity and scalable growth3. The third one? Best to hear this one from David himself 👀Watch the full episode on YouTube

Why Some Brands Show Up in AI Answers (And Others Don’t) - AthenaHQ State of AI Search Report

In this episode, Christian Hustle and Athena HQ’s David Zeledon explore how AI search is rapidly reshaping customer discovery, with predictions that up to 60–70% of traditional search traffic could shift to AI in the near future. They explain why top brands are winning by focusing on answer-driven, intent-based content and building strong signals across websites, social media, PR, and third-party sources, helping AI systems understand and recommend them more often.They also cover new performance metrics like Share of Voice and ROI per prompt, the growing importance of blogs and YouTube for AI visibility, and why brands must rethink success beyond clicks. They wrap up with practical strategies for adapting content, aligning teams, and investing in AI search optimization (AEO/GEO) to stay competitive.👤 Guest InfoDavid Zeledon – Head of Growth at Athena HQ🧭 Key Concepts CoveredThe shift from keywords to answers in AI searchWhy top brands dominate through content ecosystems and multi-channel presenceHow AI evaluates trust using off-site signals, mentions, and citationsThe growing importance of YouTube and video in training AI modelsWhy blogs outperform product pages as AI entry pointsHow zero-click behavior is evolving into answer-first journeysNew AI-era KPIs: share of voice, mentions per prompt, and ROI per promptHow to map prompts to revenue using real customer insightsWhy industries like travel and hospitality face the biggest disruption riskHow CMOs should restructure teams and budgets for GEO and AEO🕒 Chapters00:00 The Rise of AI Search and Traffic Decline Predictions00:58 What Top Brands Do Differently in AI Search03:08 From Clicks to Influence: The New Funnel05:55 New KPIs for AI Search Success08:45 YouTube, Context, and AI Training Data12:24 Why Blogs Are the #1 AI Entry Point14:02 Industries Most at Risk in AI Search15:09 GEO Strategy for CMOs in 202617:06 Final Takeaways and Where to Follow🔗 ResourcesDiscover GEO Studio: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/geo-studioDiscover Location Performance Optimization: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/lo...Meet UB-I: https://get.uberall.com/ub-i/Get GEO & LPO Certified at Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com/Learn more about Athena HQ: https://athenahq.ai/David Zeledon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-zeledon/State of AI Seach 2026 Athena HQ Report: https://athenahq.ai/athena-state-of-ai-full-report

How Brands Optimize for AI Shopping Agents in 2026

This episode explores how AI agents are reshaping online shopping, SEO, and the digital customer journey. Host Christian Hustle sits down with Jes Scholz, Growth Marketing Consultant, Keynote Speaker, and SEO Writer, to unpack how agentic search is redefining what it means for brands to be optimized in 2026.From AI agents that can shop for users to the new standards like Web MCP, this episode reveals why site design, schema, and measurement frameworks must evolve and how brands can stay discoverable when clicks disappear and agents do the buying.👤 Guest InfoJes Scholz – Growth Marketing Consultant, Keynote Speaker & SEO Writer🧭 Key Concepts Covered- How AI agents are transforming the shopping experience- Why pretty design can break usability for both humans and AI- The role of site speed, simplicity, and UI in agentic discoverability- Understanding Web MCP and the new “API-first” website standard- How to measure success in a world without clicks or impressions- The rebirth of share of voice as the true marketing KPI- Why agentic search may favor market leaders — and how challengers can compete- The future of AI SEO and why metrics must give way to meaningful KPIs🕒 Chapters00:00 AI Agents and the Future of Shopping01:27 Why Websites Are Failing Both Users and Agents03:35 The Hidden Cost of "Pretty" Design05:34 Introducing Web MCP: APIs for the Agentic Web07:21 Will Brand Loyalty Survive AI Shopping?09:38 How to Compete with Market Leaders in AI Search13:09 GEO, AI SEO, and What We Should Call It14:48 Tracking Success Beyond Clicks and Sessions18:41 Why Data Silos Kill True Insight21:23 How CMOs Should Set AI SEO Priorities23:40 Tracking the Correlation Between AI Visibility and Market Share🔗 ResourcesGet GEO & LPO Certified at Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com/Discover Location Performance Optimization: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/lo...Meet UB-I: https://get.uberall.com/ub-i/Follow Jes Scholz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesscholz/Read SEO Brief on Substack: https://seobrief.substack.com/

Boosting AI Search Visibility: Why Video Matters for Your Brand

Not every brand needs to go viral. But every brand needs to be visible.In our latest Local Marketing Beat episode, Cindy Krum breaks down how video is your brand’s “proof of life” online and builds trust across AI search.

How Brands Should Use Video Content to Build Trust and Stand Out in AI Search

This episode dives into how brands can build trust and visibility beyond their websites in the era of AI-powered search. Host Christian Hustle sits down with Cindy Krum, CEO of MobileMoxie, to unpack how AI overviews, video content, and authentic engagement are rewriting the rules of SEO and brand discovery.Explore how video (both long-form and short-form) can help brands appear in AI results, how Google and social platforms rank multimedia content, and why “proof of life” across the web now matters more than backlinks.👤 Guest InfoCindy Krum – CEO & Founder of MobileMoxiePioneer in mobile-first SEO, AI discoverability, and video-driven brand strategy.🧭 Key Concepts Covered - Why AI search is the next frontier of SEO- How video content increases brand trust and AI visibility- The shift from websites to brand ecosystems- “Proof of life” signals: real humans, real engagement- How TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are influencing search behavior- What AI overviews mean for brand mentions and authenticity- The importance of transcripts, engagement, and context in ranking- How to repurpose long-form video into shorts using AI tools- Why low production value content can perform better than polished ads🕒 Chapters 00:00 Building Brand Trust in the Age of AI Search02:54 The Evolution of Mobile SEO and AI05:08 Leveraging Video for Brand Authenticity08:14 The Impact of TikTok on Brand Discovery10:37 Creating Trust Across Digital Platforms12:44 The Role of Video in Modern Marketing14:59 Navigating AI and Content Creation18:00 Putting Authentic Video Into Practice🔗 ResourcesGet GEO & LPO Certified at Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com/Discover Location Performance Optimization: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/lo...Meet UB-I: https://get.uberall.com/ub-i/Cindy Krum on Twitter/X: https://x.com/SuzzicksMobileMoxie: https://mobilemoxie.com

From Blue Links to LLMs: The End of SEO as We Know It

In this episode, Christian Hustle sat down with James Hocking from Hocking Digital to unpack how structured data, attribution, and adaptive local SEO can keep your brand ahead in AI-driven discovery.📍Chapters:00:00 The rise of AI in Local SEO02:32 Understanding LLMs and Their Impact on SEO05:05 The Importance of Schema and Data Structure08:03 Device and Location Influence on Search Behaviour 10:40 Content Strategy for AI and LLMs 12:54 Internal Linking and Discoverability15:34 Key Takeaways for Brands in the AI Era 🔑 Key Takeaways:1. AI models prioritize content quality, freshness, and context over traditional SEO tactics like internal linking.2. Search results now shift based on where and how users search, making localized and mobile-first strategies essential.3. Evergreen pieces still build authority, but brand pages need regular updates to stay relevant to AI-driven algorithms.4. The new SEO is dynamic and data-driven, blending structured content, local insights, and AI-ready optimization.💡 Learn more:Get LPO Certified at Uberall Academy: https://academy.uberall.com/Discover Location Performance Optimization: https://uberall.com/en-us/products/location-performance-optimizationMeet UB-I: https://get.uberall.com/ub-i/Learn more about Get Heard: https://getheard.online/

What Restaurant Brands Get Wrong About Marketing (and How to Fix It)

In this episode of Local Marketing Beat, host Christian Hustle sits down with restaurant marketing expert and official "Expert Burger Taster", Rev Ciancio, to unpack the biggest mistakes restaurant brands make, and the simple fixes that actually work.From listings management and consistency to the role of AI in restaurant discovery, Rev shares two decades of real-world experience helping restaurants grow visibility, engagement, and loyalty in a crowded digital landscape.If you’re in restaurant marketing, this episode is packed with lessons on how to stay discoverable, build trust, and keep your marketing engine running without overcomplicating it.🧠 Key TakeawaysWhy mastering restaurant marketing is an ongoing challengeHow AI is changing restaurant discovery and consumer behaviorWhy listings management is the foundation of visibilityThe real reason consistency matters more than perfectionHow to make reputation and reviews work for youSimple frameworks for building engagement and trust onlineWhy social media is retention — not acquisitionHow to turn weekly newsletters into powerful marketing assets⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing02:51 The Journey of an Expert Burger Taster05:45 The Evolution of Restaurant Discovery08:22 Consumer Behavior in Restaurant Selection11:34 The Importance of Listings Management14:18 Challenges in Restaurant Marketing17:10 Strategies for Visibility and Engagement20:05 Consistency in Marketing Efforts24:09 Conclusion and Resources🔗 ResourcesRead Uberall's report about the restaurant industry: https://get.uberall.com/lpo-report/Get free LPO Certification at academy.uberall.comSubscribe to Rev’s weekly LinkedIn newsletter: restaurantsgrow.tv