Baruch Labunski on SEO's future and how Toronto businesses can stay ahead
Remember when you’d open the internet, search for something like “what’s a good spot for date night” or “dentists near me,” and get a list of results? It feels like just yesterday, and for 20 years, it was the standard that getting found in Toronto meant ranking on Google.
Now, people are increasingly getting a single answer instead of a page of options.
"Local search used to mean, 'Can Google spot you?'" explains Baruch Labunski, founder and CEO of Rank Secure, in an interview with blogTO. "It now means, 'Does the internet know who you are? What you do? Where you operate? Why should someone trust you?'"
Meet Baruch Labunski
Labunski is no stranger to the world of technology and marketing. In fact, he's been working in search since before most local businesses understood what SEO was.
"Since starting Rank Secure, we’ve been through a number of changes and shifts, but the latest with AI feels a lot like the dot-com boom days, and though there are definitely unknowns, the potential for those who catch on early is huge."
Having watched every version of how people find businesses online in Toronto from a unique vantage point, he’s managed to keep up with industry shifts since starting Rank Secure.
It also means he knows what it takes for Toronto business owners to stay on top of the changing marketing landscape, and there are several steps that can be taken right now.
"What I’m most proud of might sound more traditional, but it’s the number of clients we’ve had who have become successful beyond anything they could have imagined and seeing the businesses we worked with when they were in their startup phase fully grow to the point of selling for millions of dollars.
Keep the info up front
First things first, Labunski recommends that Toronto business owners fully complete their Google Business Profile.
Claiming it isn’t enough — you'll have to enter service hours, categories, photos, and everything a person needs to know when searching. It remains the single biggest factor in whether or not a business appears in a local search, and yet most fill out a portion of their profile and then stop.
Next, you should answer the questions your customers actually ask, in plain language, on your own website. Because those are the questions people are increasingly asking AI tools, having the answers on your website is a simple way to drive traffic.
"Don't create content just for the algorithm," Labunski advises. "Create something genuinely useful that only someone with your experience could have written."
"If you're a dentist and patients constantly ask what an implant costs, don't just write another generic article about implants. Explain what actually affects the price, what you've seen with patients and what someone should know before making a decision."
Credibility is key
It also helps to get mentioned on sites people already trust. Because AI assistants weigh what credible third parties say about you more heavily than what you say about yourself, a good mention elsewhere can do wonders for your site. However, Labunski advises that quality will continue to beat quantity, even in the new AI era.
"Most businesses think that if they create hundreds of pages, they’ll appear in the answer spot of AI. I think the exact opposite is going to happen. When everybody can create text without any limits, simply creating content will be worth less. The success factor is going to be knowledge, experience, reputation, and information that will truly benefit the discussion."
If your business has built a strong and stable digital footprint, you’re already at an advantage. A business whose website, business profiles, and credible articles all say different and conflicting things provides very little for AI to work with. Consistency is key, and this will continue to be the case going forward.
This is especially true for small businesses that pay extra special attention to their customers and understand what goes on in their neighbourhoods, giving them the power to provide answers and solutions relevant to their communities in the way national businesses can’t.
"I'm not going to try to win against big businesses with numbers," says Labunski. "I'm going to win with specificity."
Getting found in online searches
It may seem like a lot of information to take in, but Labunski believes there’s no reason for business owners to be alarmed by the recent changes in searching technology. SEO is not dying out, and while AI may help with searching, Google will likely always remain the final step.
Although search technology is becoming more complex, it could actually help businesses gain more clients. That is, if they stay on top of the changing trends.
"After more than 20 years in search, one thing I've learned is that the businesses that benefit most from major changes are usually the ones that act before everyone else does," says Labunski. "We saw it with Google, local search, mobile and social media, and I believe we're seeing it again with AI."
No need to panic
His advice to Toronto business owners? Simple: "Don’t panic."
Maybe that's easier said than done, which is why Rank Secure offers businesses a complimentary SEO and AI visibility audit, where Labunski and his team will look at how you’re performing in traditional search, local search, and emerging AI search, where competitors might have an advantage, and what opportunities you could be missing.
This is a no-obligation service. "Even if a company never works with us, I want the owner to walk away understanding where they stand and what they should be doing next," Labunski says.
How is your business going to fare?
Labunski has watched search evolve for more than two decades, and notes that opportunities to get ahead of major shifts don’t come often. Businesses that are useful, credible, and trustworthy will be the ones who shine, making it easy for people and technology alike to understand why you’re good at what you do.
After all, the companies that start taking these steps now are building an advantage while the future is still being written.
Learn more on Rank Secure's website.
