Search has changed. Customers don't dig through ten blue links anymore, they ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity for a recommendation and go with whatever answer comes back. The AI Search Specialist is Vendasta's newest AI Employee, built to make sure your client’s business is the one that gets picked. Starting July 14, it's live in open beta for every account with Local SEO Pro active, at no additional charge, until the end of September 2026.

Why it's important

Most local businesses have no idea how they show up when a customer asks AI for a recommendation, and even fewer have the time to keep their Google, Apple, Facebook, and various other online business profiles fully optimized by hand. The AI Search Specialist closes both gaps: it manages your Business Profile in the background automatically, and it tells you, on demand, exactly where you stand with LLM brand visibility, as well as onsite AEO and SEO, and what to fix.

What's new

Ask it anything, get a straight answer The AI Search Specialist lives right inside Business App. Ask him about keyword performance, add/delete keywords, listing health, or search visibility in plain language, and he answers and recommends next steps, no digging through reports required.

It optimizes your Business Profiles without being asked The AI Search Specialist reviews your listing data across Google Business Profile, Bing, Apple Maps, Facebook, and more, fills in missing services, attributes, and descriptions, payment methods and service areas. Nothing to click, nothing to approve.

• Runs continuously in the background
• Syncs business profile information to sites connected to Local SEO
• Pushes updates to connected Listing Sync Pro add-ons too

See exactly how you show up in AI search Click the Brand Visibility Report chip and get a benchmark of how your business appears in AI-generated answers across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, compared against your competitors.

Know if your website is built for AI discovery The AEO Audit evaluates your site's AI-readiness and flags the structural gaps holding you back from showing up in AI-generated answers, with prioritized recommendations. Get a clear SEO baseline A search-optimized website is still crucial to show up in the LLM. The SEO Audit delivers a prioritized, ranked list of what to fix on your website, no guesswork required.

How the reports work Reports are triggered by you, right from the chat. Click a chip, and your report generates in about 10 minutes. Each report type is available once per month per account, and it's shared across everyone on that account, so if a teammate already ran one this month, you'll see their results rather than triggering a new report. How to access the AI Search Specialist

1. Log in to the Business App
2. Click the AI and then click the workforce on your left-hand navigation
3. Click the AI Search Specialist on your right
4. Ask a question, or click a report chip to run your first audit

A preview of what's coming This open beta is a free preview of new features arriving later this year. Everything you explore now carries forward if you choose to upgrade at general availability.

FAQ

**Does this cost anything during the beta? ** No, it's included with any existing Local SEO Pro subscription. **How often can I run a report? ** Each report type, Brand Visibility, AEO Audit, and SEO Audit, is available to run once per month per account. **Can I turn off automatic Business Profile optimization? ** The Business profile optimization toggle is turned off by default **What happens when the beta ends? ** These features will move to a new offering at general availability. You'll get advance notice and an upgrade option before anything changes for your account.