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# Ep 158: New SAB Local Ranking Factor & Interpreting Google AI Tea leaves around Search
- URL: https://www.nearmedia.co/ep-158/
- Published: 2024-05-28T16:30:17.000Z
- Updated: 2024-05-28T16:30:17.000Z
- Author: Near Media

Is Service Area a new SAB ranking factor in Google local? What do Google’s comments around web traffic in the AI Overview era really mean and what can we learn about Google’s struggles in this new era

**Part 1 starts 00:13 -** [**New SAB Local Ranking Factor**](https://youtu.be/zgr3MqVdFso?ref=nearmedia.co)

Service area businesses have long been a problem on Google Maps. Spam, privacy, suspension AND ranking issues have plagued them since the beginning. Now it appears that there may be hope on the ranking issue. Historically they were ranked around the location from which they were claimed regardless of the service area. Darren Shaw of Whitespark has uncovered some indications that this is starting to change and the ranking signals are more around the service area chosen. Stay tuned. 

Segment Reference Articles:

[New Local Ranking Factor Just Dropped - here's what we know so far](https://insider.whitespark.ca/p/new-local-ranking-factor-just-dropped?ref=nearmedia.co)

**Part 2 starts 12:25 -** [**Interpreting Google AI Tea leaves & What it Says About Google’s Product Development**](https://youtu.be/itSGZB9ywzo?ref=nearmedia.co)

Lots of questions swirled around Google’s AI Overviews: Would their effect be apocalyptic on publishers? What did Pichai mean when he talked about an increase in web visits? Was Google going to surface the data in Search Console? 

  
Segment Reference Articles: 

[The formula for Google’s claim that AI Overviews generate more clicks](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7198342646518423552/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7198342646518423552%2C7198455345738833921%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd%5Fcomment%3A%287198455345738833921%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7198342646518423552%29&ref=nearmedia.co)

[Google AI Overviews Backlash?](https://www.nearmedia.co/ai-overviews-backlash-siri-do-or-die-serp-cognitive-load/)

[SERP Clutter and 'Cognitive Load'](https://www.nearmedia.co/ai-overviews-backlash-siri-do-or-die-serp-cognitive-load/#serp-clutter-and-cognitive-load)

[Impact of AI overview on traffic ](https://x.com/bart%5Fgoralewicz/status/1790438632081240095?s=12&ref=nearmedia.co)

[Goog Enough - Weird & wacky AI overviews](https://x.com/goog%5Fenough?s=11&ref=nearmedia.co) 

[Google CEO Sundar Pichai says AI search will actually help the web](https://youtu.be/lqikP9X9-ws?si=1VgVYqJDEBNZMFeb&ref=nearmedia.co) (YouTube)