Darren Shaw Breaks Down the 2026 Ranking Factors - AI Search, Reviews, and the Future of Local SEO

Darren Shaw of Whitespark joins Mike, David, and Greg to unpack the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors report. They dive into how AI-driven interfaces like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Web Guide are reshaping discovery — and why reviews and behavioral signals are still the heartbeat of local visibility. Hear about Google’s hidden-address quirks, the decline of link signals, and how to prepare your content for both robots and humans. Topics: • AI-driven local search visibility • The rise (and plateau) of behavioral signals • Why reviews remain the #1 ranking factor • Google Business Profiles, Web Guide, and the new AI landscape • Darren’s Reddit AMA and what it teaches about SEO + Reddit strategy Watch to stay ahead of the next wave in local search. 00:00 – Intro & Darren Shaw joins the show 01:15 – Methodology: How the Local Search Ranking Factors survey works 07:24 – Key findings: What’s new in 2026 09:03 – AI mode and AI overview results replace local packs 11:16 – Web Guide vs Gemini: Google’s evolving interfaces 16:04 – Reviews as engagement and behavioral signals 17:42 – Review fraud & the limits of enforcement 21:00 – Hidden addresses and ranking quirks 25:00 – The decline of link signals 28:15 – Behavioral signals flatline 33:00 – Expert-curated “Best Of” lists and Yelp data 37:48 – What really matters for local visibility 40:35 – New content optimization strategies for LLMs 42:09 – Darren’s Reddit AMA & closing thoughts