The State of AI Search in 2026
AI-powered search experiences like Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode, and ChatGPT Search are changing how customers discover businesses online. As AI increasingly summarizes, filters, and answers questions directly, traditional signals like rankings and clicks are becoming less reliable.
For business leaders, this creates a new challenge. Visibility is harder to diagnose, organic surfaces are shrinking, and it’s less clear which signals actually influence discovery and conversion.
In this webinar, Ben Fisher, a leading authority on local search and Google Business Profiles, and Greg Sterling, a long-time search industry analyst, break down how AI search works today, what has already changed, and how businesses should think about visibility and performance in 2026.
In this webinar, you’ll learn:
- How AI-driven search differs from traditional search and what that means for business visibility
- How local search behavior and decision-making are changing as AI reduces browsing and comparison
- Which signals still matter most in 2026, including Google Business Profile accuracy, reviews, and reputation data
- How to think about success and measurement when clicks and attribution no longer tell the full story
Who you’ll hear from
Adam Dorfman
AVP of Product Management & PartnershipsBirdeye Inc.
Ben Fisher
Founder & Lead ConsultantSteady Demand
Greg Sterling
Co-founderDialog
Justin Meredith
Digital Marketing ManagerBirdeyeBirdeye gets you real results that help you be found
- +400%
- +440%
- +450%
Data is from over 100,000 Birdeye business customers
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