Running a business on Long Island is no joke.

You’re juggling customers, managing staff, and trying to stand out in a sea of competitors, not to mention making sure people can actually find your business online.

That’s where SEO comes in. But not the old-school kind.

2025 is bringing big changes in how people search—and more importantly, how Google shows results. If you want more local customers to find your business, you’ve got to stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s break down the 10 most important SEO strategies for local Long Island businesses this year.

1. Be Featured in Google’s AI Search

Search is evolving. Google’s new AI Overviews summarize answers before showing websites.

If someone in Babylon searches “best pizza near me,” they might get an AI-generated answer first, before ever seeing a list of links.

You want to be in that answer.

How to show up:

Use clear, simple answers on your site
Include town names and service-specific phrases
Add structured data (schema) to help AI understand your content

Local Pro Tip: Write a short Q&A section at the bottom of your service pages. Answer questions like “How much does tree removal cost in Sayville?” or “Do you offer emergency service in East Islip?”

2. Be Visible on ChatGPT and Other AI Platforms

People aren’t just Googling anymore—they’re asking AI tools like ChatGPT for recommendations. And those tools are getting smarter at pulling from websites and directories.

That means your business can be referenced, even if someone never opens Google.

Focus on clarity. Create content that directly answers common questions your customers ask. Clear headings and straightforward writing matter more than ever.

For example: A home inspector in Patchogue might write:

“Here’s what to expect during a home inspection in Suffolk County.”

That’s the kind of direct, specific content AI can cite.

3. Get More Local Brand Mentions

The more your business is mentioned online, the more trustworthy you appear to search engines (and humans).

You don’t need a PR team—just a consistent, helpful presence in the local scene:

Ideas:

Answer questions in Long Island Facebook groups
Leave helpful comments on relevant Reddit threads
Submit your business to local directories
Get featured on community blogs

One place to start? Love Local Long Island, a free directory we run to highlight businesses doing great work locally.

4. Know Where Your Customers Are Searching

Google is still huge, but it’s not the only game in town.

Today’s customers search on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, and even voice assistants.

Ask real customers:

How did you find us?”
“What did you search for?”
“Did you check reviews or videos?”

Understanding their journey lets you meet them where they are, not just where you hope they’ll look.

5. Optimize for More Than Google

This is where most businesses fall short: they rank well on Google, but their Yelp page is outdated. Their website loads slowly. Or their Instagram hasn’t been touched in months.

Don’t try to be everywhere, but do make sure the places you show up are clean, fast, and consistent.

For example, if someone Googles your business name and sees your Facebook page hasn’t posted since 2022, it leaves a weird impression, even if your website is solid.

6. Focus on Bottom-of-Funnel Content

There’s a lot of buzz around content marketing, but not all content brings customers.

If you’re a roofer in East Islip, ranking for “how to choose shingles” is nice, but ranking for “roof repair East Islip” is what brings in the call.

That’s bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content. It speaks to people who are ready to hire.

Write pages and blog posts that match high-intent searches:

“emergency electrician in Patchogue”
“affordable dog grooming in Bay Shore”
“best chiropractor for neck pain in Ronkonkoma”

These are the pages that convert visitors into customers.

7. Build a Recognizable Local Brand

Google rewards businesses that feel like real brands. That doesn’t mean having a fancy logo—it means being visible, consistent, and trusted.

How to build that kind of brand:

Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere online
Get customer reviews
Show up in more than one place: Google, Facebook, local blogs, and Long Island business directories
Post original content—even short videos or photo updates of your work

The goal is simple: when someone searches your name, it should feel like you’re a real, active business.

Because you are.

8. Improve the Whole Experience, Not Just the Rankings

Ranking well is only half the game. Once someone clicks, you’ve got maybe five seconds to make a good impression.

Does your site load quickly?
Can they find your phone number or request a quote in one click?
Does the design feel modern, or like it hasn’t been touched since 2011?

Google and AI platforms want to recommend businesses that offer a good experience. They track user behavior—how long people stay on your site, whether they bounce, and whether they take action.

So if your site looks great and loads fast, that helps your SEO more than most people realize.

9. Target Specific, High-Intent Search Phrases

People are getting more specific in how they search.

Not “chiropractor,” but “female chiropractor open Saturday Sayville.”
Not “fence company,” but “cedar fence installer with financing near Smithtown.”

These are called long-tail keywords, and they’re where the highest-quality traffic lives.

Instead of chasing broad terms, create content that answers these specific, detailed searches. The result? Fewer clicks—but way more customers.

10. Use Programmatic SEO (But Use It Wisely)

If your business serves multiple towns, you can create optimized location pages for each one.

But don’t just copy and paste the same page ten times. Google sees right through that.

Instead, personalize each one with:

Town-specific testimonials
Local project photos
Relevant FAQs
Neighborhood-specific services

Done right, these pages help you dominate multiple zip codes—without spreading yourself too thin.

Final Thoughts

The way people search is changing fast.

But the core principle hasn’t changed: be helpful, be clear, and be easy to find.

You don’t need to do all of this overnight. Start with one or two changes, and build from there.

If you want someone local who understands how Long Islanders search, I’m here to help. I work with small businesses across Suffolk and Nassau to build websites that look great, show up on Google, and bring in leads.

Want a quick snapshot of how your site’s doing?

Request a free SEO audit for your Long Island business—no strings attached, just real insight into what’s working and what’s not.

Let your competitors keep guessing. You’ll already be found.