Get More Local Customers Using AI Without Wasting Money

Why Your Google Ranking Is About to Change (And How to Profit)

If you run a business in Brisbane—whether you’re a sparky in Coorparoo or a lawyer in the CBD—you know that being the first person someone calls when they search Google is the difference between a record year and struggling to pay the rego.

For years, getting to the top of Google was a dark art. You paid an agency thousands of dollars a month, they sent you reports full of graphs you didn't understand, and you hoped the phone would ring.

Everything has changed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has blown the doors off the marketing industry. Tools that used to be reserved for big corporations with massive budgets are now available to small business owners.

But here is the blunt truth: most people are using these tools wrong. They are using AI to pump out rubbish content that no one wants to read, and Google is starting to punish them for it.

In this guide, I’m going to break down how you can use AI to actually get more customers, what these tools will cost you, and how to spot a waste of money from a mile away.

The Reality of AI Tools in 2024

I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane business owners get excited about ChatGPT, thinking they can just click a button and be #1 on Google by tomorrow. It doesn’t work like that.

Google doesn't hate AI, but it does hate "fluff." If your website looks like it was written by a robot that doesn't know the difference between the Story Bridge and the Gateway, your rankings will tank.

However, when used correctly, AI can do three things for your business right now: 1. Research: It can tell you exactly what your customers are searching for in your specific suburb. 2. Speed: It can help you update your website in minutes instead of weeks. 3. Intelligence: It can show you exactly why your competitor is beating you and what you need to do to leapfrog them.

Before you dive in, it’s worth understanding the basics of automation so you don't get overwhelmed by the tech side of things.

Prediction: The Death of the "General" Website

In the past, you could have a generic website that said "Plumber Brisbane" and do okay. Those days are over. AI-powered search engines (like the new version of Google and tools like Perplexity) are looking for expertise.

My prediction for the next 12–18 months is that Google will stop sending traffic to boring, generic pages. It will instead reward businesses that answer specific, local questions.

What this means for you: Instead of one page about "Electrical Services," you need pages that answer: "How much does it cost to install a ceiling fan in a Queenslander?" or "Why do my lights flicker when the AC turns on?"

AI tools can now identify these specific questions for you in seconds. This is how you see what competitors are doing and find the gaps they are missing.

The Tools: What’s Worth Your Money?

There are thousands of AI SEO tools out there. Most are rubbish. Here is the breakdown of what actually works for a small business owner who doesn't have 40 hours a week to spend on marketing.

1. Content Research Tools (The "Brain")

What they do: You type in "Landscaping North Lakes." The tool looks at the top 10 businesses currently winning on Google and tells you exactly which words you need on your page to beat them. The Cost: Roughly $30 - $80 AUD per month. The Result: You stop guessing. You write pages that Google actually wants to show to customers.

What they do: They show you a map of Brisbane with red and green dots. Green means you're in the top 3 (getting calls); red means you're invisible. The AI then tells you exactly what photos to upload or what info to add to turn those red dots green. The Cost: $20 - $50 AUD per month. The Result: More phone calls from people in your immediate area.

3. AI Writing Assistants (The "Hands")

The Strategy: Talk into your phone, record your thoughts on a job, and have the AI turn that into a professional blog post. This is a massive time-saver. If you're already using meeting notes to handle your admin, you're halfway there.

Here is a realistic timeline for a Brisbane small business: Month 1: You fix the glaring errors on your site and update your Google Map listing. You might see a small bump in visibility. Month 3: Google starts to recognise you as an authority in your suburbs. You’ll notice more "organic" enquiries coming through your website form. Month 6: This is the sweet spot. If you’ve been consistent, you should be consistently appearing in the top results for your main services.

What is a Waste of Money?

Don't get sucked into "AI Link Building Packages." There are plenty of dodgy operators offering to use AI to build thousands of links to your site for $99.

Do not do this.

Google’s AI is smarter than their AI. It will recognise these fake links, and it can get your website blacklisted. Once you're blacklisted, it's incredibly expensive and difficult to get back. Stick to making your website useful for real people in Brisbane.

Your 3-Step Action Plan

If you want to start using AI to grow your business this week, do these three things:

1. Check your phone speed: Use a free tool to see if your website works on phones. If it takes more than 3 seconds to load, people will leave, and Google will hide you. AI can help you identify what's slowing it down. 2. Claim your "Suburbs": Pick 5 suburbs you want more work in (e.g., Chermside, Aspley, Kedron). Use AI to find out what people in those specific areas are asking about your service. 3. Update your Map photos: AI can tell you which images perform best. Take 5 high-quality photos of your team or a finished job this week and upload them to your Google Business Profile.

Summary: Will This Make You Money?

Yes, but only if you focus on the customer, not the technology. AI is just a faster way to show Google that you are the best business for the job.

If you use these tools to provide better answers, faster quotes, and more helpful information than the guy down the road, you will win. You'll spend less on expensive ads because people will find you naturally.

At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses navigate this stuff every day. We don't care about "algorithms"; we care about your phone ringing.

If you want to grow your business without the headache of doing it all yourself, let's have a chat.

Contact us today at https://lmgroup.au/contact to see how we can put these tools to work for your business.