This interview is with Jitender Ahlaawat, Local SEO Specialist | GEO & AEO Practitioner at Search Visibility Masters.

Jitender Ahlaawat, Local SEO Specialist | GEO & AEO Practitioner, Search Visibility Masters

Can you introduce yourself and explain your expertise in Local SEO, AEO, and GEO? What makes your approach unique in helping brands stay visible across various search platforms?

I'm Jitender Ahlaawat, a digital strategist with more than eight years of experience helping businesses strengthen their online visibility through data-driven SEO. My core expertise lies in Local SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), which together form the foundation for modern search visibility.

In Local SEO, I focus on building local authority through optimized Google Business Profiles, precise keyword targeting, and content that connects businesses with customers in their specific service areas.

In AEO, my goal is to make brands more "answerable" by structuring content so that search engines and AI systems can easily interpret and feature it in direct answers, snippets, and voice results.

With GEO, I help businesses stay relevant in the new era of AI search. My approach includes optimizing for generative models by combining schema, contextual depth, and conversational frameworks that ensure brands remain visible even as search becomes more AI-driven.

What makes my approach unique is that I focus on search intent evolution, not just algorithms. I study how users search, how AI interprets those queries, and how businesses can maintain visibility across every discovery channel, from local maps to AI-generated results.

How did you develop your specialization in these areas? Can you share a pivotal moment or project that shaped your career path in search engine optimization?

My specialization in Local SEO, AEO, and GEO developed naturally over years of working with businesses that needed more than just rankings. They needed visibility where their customers were actually searching.

Early in my career, I focused heavily on Local SEO, helping small and mid-sized businesses dominate local search and map results. The turning point came when I realized that Google was no longer the only search engine. People were getting answers directly from voice assistants, AI tools, and knowledge panels without ever clicking a link. That shift pushed me to explore AEO and later GEO, where visibility depends on how well a brand communicates meaning, not just keywords.

One pivotal project that shaped my approach involved helping a multi-location service business regain visibility after a major algorithm update. Instead of chasing backlinks and traditional SEO signals, I rebuilt their digital presence around entity-based optimization, structured data, and local relevance signals. Within months, they not only recovered rankings but started appearing in featured snippets and voice results.

That experience made me realize that the future of SEO is about training search systems to understand a brand's expertise. Since then, I have focused on aligning every strategy in Local SEO, AEO, and GEO toward that single goal: making brands both discoverable and trusted across every search and AI platform.

You've mentioned using a 'commuter keyword strategy' for local SEO. Can you walk us through a specific case where this strategy significantly improved a client's local search visibility?

The "commuter keyword" strategy came from observing how people search while moving between locations. Many users search for services during their daily routes, such as "coffee near me," "dentist near office," or "best gym on my way to work." Instead of optimizing only for a fixed location, I started creating SEO frameworks that target transit-based intent, keywords people use while commuting through an area.

One strong example is a local service business that wanted to expand visibility beyond its immediate neighborhood. After analyzing search behavior and map routes, I identified nearby high-traffic areas where people often passed through on their way to work. We optimized their Google Business Profile and landing pages for those commuter-centric terms, such as "plumber near [major highway]" and "emergency plumber [city A to city B route]."

Within a few months, the business started ranking in multiple nearby areas along major routes, even in searches from users who were just passing through. Their map visibility expanded, call volume increased by more than 40 percent, and they began getting customers from areas they had never directly targeted before.

This experience proved that local SEO is not just about optimizing for where a business is located. It is about understanding how and where people move and making sure the brand shows up at the exact moment they need it.

In your experience, how has the rise of AI and generative search engines changed the landscape of SEO? Can you provide an example of how you've adapted your strategies to stay ahead of these changes?

The rise of AI and generative search engines has completely redefined what visibility means in SEO. Traditional SEO was about ranking on a page. Today, visibility is about being part of the answer that AI systems generate. Search is no longer limited to blue links. It is now driven by entities, structured understanding, and trust signals that help AI decide which brand deserves to be mentioned.

To stay ahead of these changes, I shifted my focus from keywords to context and meaning. Instead of optimizing pages around search phrases, I now build entity-based ecosystems where every piece of content strengthens the brand's topical authority. This includes schema markup, content clustering, and consistent data across platforms to help AI systems clearly identify a brand's expertise and relevance.

A good example is a client in the home services industry who was struggling to appear in AI-powered summaries and answer boxes. I restructured their content using a conversational layout, clarified service intent, and implemented detailed schema for services, reviews, and FAQs. Within weeks, they started appearing in AI-generated overviews and local answer panels.

This shift has proven that modern SEO is no longer about gaming algorithms. It is about training AI to understand, trust, and recommend your brand. The key is to create content that serves both humans and machines with equal clarity.

You've worked on creating authoritative personal websites for entrepreneurs. Can you share a success story where this approach dramatically improved a client's online presence and business opportunities?

One memorable success story comes from working with an entrepreneur who offered premium consulting services but lacked an authoritative online presence. Despite having years of expertise, his digital footprint was scattered across social media and third-party platforms, which made it hard for potential clients to trust his credibility or understand the depth of his experience.

I helped him create a personal website that positioned him as a trusted authority in his niche. The project began with a complete brand audit and keyword strategy focused on his name, core expertise, and the problems his audience was searching for. We structured the site to include thought-leadership articles, case studies, media features, and a clear personal story that built emotional connection and authority at the same time.

Within a few months, his name began ranking at the top of Google for multiple branded and service-related searches. Journalists and podcast hosts started reaching out for interviews, and his client inquiries increased by more than 60 percent. More importantly, the website became his digital identity—an online hub that reflected his expertise, reputation, and trustworthiness.

That experience proved that a well-optimized personal brand site is one of the most powerful SEO assets an entrepreneur can own. It builds credibility, controls first impressions, and opens new business opportunities without relying entirely on external platforms.

Your approach to content creation sometimes involves addressing industry issues head-on, as with the plumbing company example. How do you balance this potentially controversial strategy with maintaining a positive brand image?

Addressing industry issues directly can be risky if not done thoughtfully, but it is also one of the most powerful ways to build trust and authority. I believe that transparency builds credibility, especially in competitive local markets where most brands sound identical. The key is not to attack competitors but to educate the audience by explaining what to watch out for, how to identify quality work, and what ethical practices look like in that industry.

For example, with the plumbing company campaign, instead of criticizing competitors, we created a content series that exposed common industry shortcuts like unnecessary upselling and poor-quality installations. Each piece highlighted the problem, then clearly showed how the company handled things differently, using data, certifications, and customer testimonials as proof.

This approach not only positioned the brand as an educator but also built consumer confidence. People started trusting the business because it was honest about industry flaws while confidently presenting better solutions.

The balance comes from focusing on education over accusation. When the tone remains factual, respectful, and backed by expertise, addressing real problems becomes a brand-strengthening move instead of a controversial one.

When optimizing for both user experience and SEO, you've mentioned focusing on user intent. Can you provide a specific example of how you've implemented this approach for a local business, and what were the results?

One of the best examples of optimizing for user intent while improving SEO comes from a project with a local healthcare clinic. Their website had good traffic but very few appointment bookings, which signaled a mismatch between what users were searching for and what the site was offering.

I began by mapping out three levels of user intent: informational (looking for symptoms or guidance), transactional (ready to book), and navigational (searching for a specific clinic or doctor). Instead of optimizing every page with the same type of keywords, we redesigned the site structure to match these intent layers.

For example, informational blog posts targeted "symptom-based" searches like "chronic back pain relief options," while service pages focused on high-intent keywords such as "physical therapy near me" and "book physiotherapy appointment in [city name]." Each service page included clear calls to action, trust elements like reviews and certifications, and structured FAQs optimized for featured snippets.

Within three months, the clinic saw a 38 percent increase in organic traffic and a 52 percent rise in appointment form submissions. More importantly, average session time increased while bounce rates dropped, proving that users were finding exactly what they needed.

This project reinforced a key principle I follow for all local SEO strategies: search engines follow users, not the other way around. When the content aligns perfectly with user intent, rankings, engagement, and conversions naturally improve.

Local SEO often involves managing a client's Google Business Profile. What's a creative tactic you've used to optimize a GBP listing that goes beyond the basics?

One creative tactic I've used with Google Business Profiles is creating "experience-driven updates" instead of basic promotional posts. Most businesses post about discounts or services, but I focus on storytelling updates that mirror real customer experiences and search intent.

For example, I worked with a local HVAC company that wanted to improve visibility in nearby towns. Instead of posting "We offer AC repair in [city]," we shared real mini-stories like, "Our team helped a family in [neighboring area] restore their cooling system just in time for the summer heat." Each post included before-and-after visuals, a service keyword, and a subtle call to action.

These posts served two purposes: they kept the GBP active with local relevance signals and created emotional engagement that traditional updates lacked. Over time, Google started associating the profile with more nearby locations due to consistent mentions of real service areas and customer interactions.

The result was a significant increase in impressions and local map calls, particularly from surrounding suburbs the business had never ranked in before. By treating Google Business Profile updates as micro-content rather than standard announcements, we turned it into a storytelling tool that built both reach and trust.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the next big challenge or opportunity in Local SEO, AEO, and GEO? How are you preparing your clients for these future developments?

The next big shift in Local SEO, AEO, and GEO will revolve around AI-driven discovery and brand validation. Search is moving from keyword-based results to context-based recommendations, where AI tools and search engines act more like advisors than directories. This means businesses will no longer compete only for rankings but for trust signals that help AI choose them as the best answer.

In Local SEO, the challenge will be integrating consistent, structured, and verifiable local data across multiple ecosystems - Google, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and emerging AI platforms. Businesses that manage their digital footprint across all of these sources will stand out.

For AEO, the opportunity lies in creating content that directly supports AI comprehension. That includes answering questions clearly, using schema markup, and maintaining topical consistency. The brands that feed AI the right data will dominate voice search, featured snippets, and generative summaries.

In GEO, the focus will shift toward building semantic trust with AI systems. I'm already preparing clients by creating entity-based content architectures, optimizing for conversational search patterns, and training content to be machine-readable without losing its human touch.

Ultimately, the biggest opportunity is for brands that learn to speak the language of both people and algorithms. The future of visibility will belong to those who combine authenticity with structured intelligence.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

What I'd add is that SEO today is less about chasing rankings and more about building digital ecosystems that earn trust. Whether it's Local SEO, AEO, or GEO, the goal is to create visibility that lasts even as search platforms evolve.

I believe the future of search belongs to brands that communicate clearly, provide genuine value, and stay adaptable. Algorithms will keep changing, but user intent and trust will always remain constant.

For me, SEO is not just a marketing strategy. It's a long-term process of helping businesses be understood, found, and chosen - not only by search engines but by real people who are looking for what they truly offer.