When someone Googles your business, what does Google—and now AI—tell them? As AI Overviews become more common in branded searches, local SEO is no longer just about getting found. It’s also about making sure Google understands your business correctly. Here’s what Charleston businesses should be checking now.

Your business might be getting mentioned in ChatGPT and AI search results right now — and you'd never know it. Here's the catch: being recommended isn't the same as being chosen. 97% of people check AI recommendations against real reviews before they call. If your website, listings, and reviews don't back up what the AI said, that lead goes cold fast. Here's how to fix that.

Most small business owners spend under five hours a week on marketing — yet call it a top driver of growth. New 2025–2026 research shows the real problem isn't spend, it's strategy: budgets are rising, AI adoption is accelerating, but measurement and follow-through lag behind. See what 15 fresh stats reveal about the gap between busy and profitable, and what actually closes it for a Charleston-area business.