On May 19, 2026, Google announced what it calls the biggest upgrade to its Search box in over 25 years. The new box takes longer questions, photos and files, and you can ask follow-ups that carry on in AI Mode. Google says you’ll still get a range of regular results.

For businesses in Peru, LaSalle and Ottawa, that may mean fewer clicks from Google. It also means Google needs your hours, services and phone number right.

Why this matters locally

Searches like “HVAC repair near me” or “dentist Peru IL” can now get an AI summary at the top of the page.

Google’s own guidance says a Google Business Profile can help a business show up in AI answers as well as regular search results. These are the places to check first:

Google Business Profiles
Reviews and local reputation signals
Well-structured websites with clear service and location context

Make sure Google reads the same name, hours and services everywhere you’re listed.

How to keep your site easy for Google and AI to read

1. Keep your Google Business Profile current

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is where Google gets your hours, services and location.

What to do each month:

Update photos of your team, location, work, and products
Keep services, service areas, and business hours accurate
Publish a short weekly post about offers, updates, or seasonal changes
Ask for reviews consistently, then respond to every review (good or bad)
Use the same business name, address, and phone number everywhere

If your Google profile and your website disagree, customers have to guess which one is right.

2. Answer the questions customers actually ask

Write for real customer questions in natural language, not for keyword stuffing.

Use this format for service pages and blog posts:

Start with the question a customer would actually ask
Give a direct answer in the first paragraph
Add local context (Peru, LaSalle, Ottawa, Illinois Valley)
Include proof: examples, outcomes, and testimonials
End with a clear next action (call, quote form, booking)

A page you update every few months beats a “perfect” page nobody touches.

3. Add structured data

Rich snippets are search results with extras like review stars, prices or business details. Structured data helps Google understand your page and makes it eligible for rich results. Google documentation says structured data isn’t required for its AI features, but it’s still good practice for SEO, and the more consistent your metadata is, the better your results can be in both classic search and AI search.

Start with these schema types:

LocalBusiness (or a more specific subtype like HVACBusiness)
Service for key offerings
FAQPage for common customer questions
Review only if you collect reviews of other businesses. Google doesn’t show stars for reviews a business posts about itself.

Simple example: LocalBusiness JSON-LD

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    "name": "Viridian Web Studio",
    "url": "https://viridianweb.com",
    "telephone": "+1-815-408-1975",
    "address": {
        "@type": "PostalAddress",
        "addressLocality": "Peru",
        "addressRegion": "IL",
        "addressCountry": "US"
    },
    "areaServed": ["Peru", "LaSalle", "Ottawa", "Illinois Valley"],
    "sameAs": [
        "https://www.facebook.com/viridianwebs"
    ]
}
</script>

Simple example: FAQPage JSON-LD

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "@type": "Question",
            "name": "How long does a small business website redesign take?",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "@type": "Answer",
                "text": "A typical build takes 2 to 6 weeks: less for a small brochure site, more for a larger site with more complexity or multiple locations."
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Question",
            "name": "Do you serve businesses in Ottawa and LaSalle?",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "@type": "Answer",
                "text": "Yes. We work with businesses across Peru, LaSalle, Ottawa, and the Illinois Valley."
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

Important: schema must match what users see on the page. Do not mark up content that is hidden, misleading, or nonexistent.

4. Keep your code clean

Google says you don’t need perfect code to show up, but clear headings and sections help people using screen readers and make the page easier to follow. A good builder or template can do this too.

Checklist:

One clear h1 per page
Logical heading order (h2, h3, etc.)
Use section, article, nav, footer where appropriate
Add descriptive alt text for meaningful images
Use accessible labels and ARIA only when needed

Simple semantic section example:

<section aria-labelledby="service-title">
    <h2 id="service-title">Website redesign in Peru, IL</h2>
    <p>We redesign outdated websites for Illinois Valley businesses.</p>
    <a href="/get-started/" aria-label="Get a website quote">
        Get a quote
    </a>
</section>

5. Show who you are and what you’ve done

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses it to describe content people can trust, and it says trust matters most of the four. E-E-A-T isn’t a ranking factor by itself.

How to strengthen each part:

Show real project photos and before-and-after work
Add an author bio with your credentials
Earn reviews and links from local sources
Keep your contact details and policies easy to find

Worth adding first:

Add an author box to educational posts
Publish at least 2 to 3 short case studies with measurable outcomes
Show consistent NAP (name, address, phone) in footer and contact page
Show your reviews, certifications and years in business

Simple example: Article schema with author and publisher

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Article",
    "headline": "Google's new AI Search box: what it means for Illinois Valley businesses",
    "datePublished": "2026-05-21",
    "dateModified": "2026-05-21",
    "author": {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Scott James Monterastelli"
    },
    "publisher": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Viridian Web Studio",
        "url": "https://viridianweb.com"
    }
}
</script>

This reinforces who wrote the content and who stands behind it.

6. Make it fast and secure on a phone

Your site has to work well on a phone.

Focus on:

Fast mobile load times (optimize images, defer noncritical scripts)
HTTPS everywhere and a clean technical setup
Clear call-to-action placement above the fold
Image and video optimization with descriptive filenames and alt text
Short explainer videos where useful for service pages

Google’s guide for its AI features gives the same advice as for regular search: make sure the page displays well on every device and loads quickly.

7. Build ways to reach customers directly

Search traffic can fluctuate overnight. Owned assets give you control.

Examples of owned assets:

Email newsletter list
SMS reminders for promotions and appointments
On-site booking forms and quote tools
Free guides people download with their email address

Even if search visibility changes, your audience and follow-up channels remain yours.

8. Check the numbers every month

Check these once a month so you can see what’s changing.

Track these core metrics:

In Search Console, check impressions, clicks and which searches are gaining or losing ground
In GA4, check engagement, conversions and top landing pages
In your Google profile, check calls, direction requests and profile views
For leads, count form fills, calls and booked appointments

Run a simple loop every month:

Find top pages by impressions but low click-through rate
Improve titles, snippets, and on-page clarity
Add or refine schema where relevant
Recheck performance after 2 to 4 weeks

How we can help

We build websites for Illinois Valley businesses with clean code and full structured data, and every site includes fast, Viridian-managed infrastructure. When you need more, we build booking systems, lead portals and other custom tools.

What we do:

Website redesigns and moves, with structured data built in
Local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization
Custom web apps that take bookings and leads directly
Included, Viridian-managed updates, backups and security
Google Ads management for immediate visibility

Want us to look at your site? We’ll check your code, structured data and Google Business Profile and tell you what we’d fix. No obligation.

We’re in Peru and work with businesses in LaSalle, Ottawa and across the Illinois Valley.

Google's new AI Search box: what it means for Illinois Valley businesses