If you’re a local business owner in Massachusetts, there’s a new kind of visibility you need to pay attention to, and it’s not traditional SEO.

Even if your website ranks on page one of Google, it might be pushed down by something called an AI Overview. These new search results appear at the very top of the page and answer users’ questions instantly, often citing only a handful of sources. In many cases, they’re replacing the need to click through to a website at all.

This is a major shift in how people search and how businesses are discovered.

At Joyce Voice, I work with local service providers across Massachusetts to help them navigate this change. From law firms in Worcester to med spas on the South Shore, more business owners are asking how to show up in these AI-generated answers. The truth is, you can. But not with outdated SEO tactics.

This guide breaks down how AI Overviews work, why they matter for your business, and what it actually takes to earn one of those coveted mentions, especially if you serve clients in Boston, Cambridge, Cape Cod, or anywhere in between.

What Are Google’s AI Overviews?

Google’s AI Overviews are summaries generated by artificial intelligence that appear at the top of the search results page. Instead of a list of blue links, users see a synthesized answer that draws from multiple online sources.

For example, if someone types “best personal injury lawyer in Boston,” Google may generate a paragraph summarizing top-rated firms, along with a few source links. This overview appears before any organic results, ads, or map packs, and that means your business could be seen or skipped before users even consider traditional rankings.

Google pulls this content from websites it sees as authoritative, well-structured, and trustworthy. Businesses that consistently publish relevant content, use clear formatting, and maintain strong local signals are far more likely to be cited.

And the competition is not as fierce as you think. Most local businesses, especially in Massachusetts, haven’t optimized for AI visibility yet. That gives you a window to move ahead while everyone else is still focused on standard SEO.

Why Local Businesses in MA Should Pay Attention

Google’s AI Overviews are more than just a tech update. They’re changing the way people find and choose businesses in Massachusetts. Whether someone is searching for a roofer in Quincy, a chiropractor in Waltham, or a CPA in the Berkshires, these AI-generated summaries now show up at the very top of the page, often before any ads, map results, or organic listings.

If your business is not part of that summary, you might never make it onto the customer’s radar.

This matters even more in a state like Massachusetts, where competition is tight and local reputation carries weight. In places like Boston, Cambridge, and the North Shore, people are not just typing in keywords. They’re asking full questions like:

Who is the best estate lawyer near Brookline?
What are the top-rated HVAC companies on the South Shore?
Where can I get Botox in western Massachusetts?

These kinds of questions are not just about finding options. They’re about getting trusted answers. And Google is now providing those answers directly through AI-generated content.

If your business earns a spot in one of these summaries, you’re not just showing up, you’re being recommended.

Let’s take a look at how to make that happen.

5 Ways Local Massachusetts Businesses Can Show Up in AI Overviews

If you want to be included in Google’s AI-generated responses, you need more than a decent website. You need a digital presence that clearly signals authority, relevance, and trust, especially in your local area. Here’s how we help Massachusetts businesses earn that kind of visibility:

1. Build Focused Content Around Your Services and Location

Google’s AI systems look for clear, consistent topical authority. That means you need more than just a home page and a list of services. You need blog posts, FAQs, and landing pages that go deep into what you do and where you do it.

For example, instead of a generic page on estate planning, a law firm in Worcester might publish content like:

What to Know About Estate Planning in Worcester County
The Difference Between a Will and a Trust in Massachusetts
How to Prepare for Probate in Central MA

This kind of content helps Google connect your business with specific topics and local intent.

2. Use Schema Markup and Structured Data

Behind the scenes, schema markup helps Google understand your content. Adding local business schema, FAQs, and review markup can increase your chances of being cited in AI summaries.

We make sure your site uses the right structured data and aligns with your Google Business Profile to reinforce location accuracy and trust.

3. Format Your Content for AI Readability

AI Overviews don’t just look at what you say. They look at how you say it. Clear headers, short paragraphs, and direct answers help Google pull the right information from your site.

We optimize your content to match the way Google’s AI reads and summarizes. That includes writing with natural language, formatting for clarity, and making sure the page structure supports quick scanning.

4. Strengthen Your Off-Site Signals

It’s not just your website that matters. Google looks at where else your business is mentioned online.

We help our clients earn local citations and backlinks from trusted Massachusetts directories, industry publications, and regional media. This builds your overall authority and makes it more likely that Google will trust your content enough to include it in an overview.

5. Show Real-World Trust Factors

Google’s AI favors businesses that demonstrate experience and trustworthiness. This includes things like:

A complete About page with real names and credentials
Customer testimonials from your local area
Photos, case studies, or community involvement that show you’re active and real

We make sure your site reflects the people behind your business and the value you provide to your local clients.

Why AI Visibility Requires More Than Traditional SEO

Many businesses believe that if their SEO is in decent shape, they’ll automatically show up in AI-generated search results. But visibility in Google’s AI Overviews doesn’t come from ticking off basic SEO boxes. It requires a more strategic and layered approach.

Google’s AI looks for more than just keywords and backlinks. It favors content that’s structured clearly, supported by credible sources, and backed by a business that demonstrates authority in both its industry and its region.

This means your site needs to do more than rank. It needs to explain, clarify, and earn trust. That includes how your content is formatted, how your brand appears across the web, and how often your business is mentioned in other reputable sources.

At Joyce Voice, we combine local SEO, generative engine optimization, and content architecture to help Massachusetts-based businesses show up where others don’t. If you’re serious about being seen in the future of search, you need more than SEO. You need a strategy designed for AI visibility.

Ready to See Your Business in Google’s AI Overviews?

Search is evolving, and most businesses aren’t ready for what’s next. If you want to be seen, trusted, and chosen, especially in a competitive market like Massachusetts, you need a digital presence that earns your spot in AI-generated recommendations.

At Joyce Voice, we help local businesses build the kind of content, structure, and authority that Google’s AI actually looks for. From service pages and content clusters to off-site credibility and formatting that makes sense to machines, we handle every part of the process for you.

If you’re based in Massachusetts and want to know whether your website is AI-ready, we’d love to take a look.

Fill out the form below to request a personalized visibility audit. We’ll let you know where you stand, what’s possible, and how Joyce Voice can help you get there.