SEO and AI search: what small businesses need to know

What has changed in search

Google and other search engines have started showing AI-generated answers at the top of search results pages. These summaries, sometimes called AI Overviews or AI answers, pull information from multiple sources and present it directly to the user without them needing to click through to a website.

At the same time, tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude are now being used directly for research and recommendations. Someone looking for a local service, a product recommendation or an answer to a specific question might bypass Google entirely and ask an AI chatbot instead.

Neither of these changes makes traditional SEO irrelevant. But they do mean that some of the strategies that worked well five years ago are less effective, and that new approaches are worth understanding.

What AEO means

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. It refers to making content easy for AI systems to read, understand and use as a source when generating answers.

When Google's AI generates a summary answer, it draws on content from indexed websites. Sites that appear in those AI answers tend to have clear, well-structured content that directly answers specific questions, structured data that helps machines understand the content, and a level of credibility that the algorithm can assess.

In practice, AEO is less of a new discipline and more of an extension of good SEO. Well-structured pages, clear headings, concise answers to specific questions, and proper use of schema markup all help both traditional rankings and AI answer visibility.

What GEO means

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It refers to making your business or content visible to AI tools that generate responses, recommendations and summaries rather than returning a list of links.

When someone asks an AI chatbot which accountant to use in their area, or which SEO services are worth paying for, the AI draws on information it has been trained on or can retrieve in real time. Businesses that appear consistently across credible sources, maintain accurate and up-to-date information publicly, and have clear signals of legitimacy are more likely to be mentioned.

Does this mean traditional SEO is dead?

No. The fundamentals of SEO, clear content, clean technical setup, relevant keywords, authoritative links, are still the foundation. AI answers are built on top of indexed web content. If your site is not indexed, or if your pages are thin or unclear, you will not appear in either traditional results or AI-generated answers.

The practical implication is that quality matters more than it used to. Generic content that ranks because of volume or because it was published early does not perform as well. Clear, accurate, well-structured content that actually answers questions tends to do better in both environments.

What you can do about it

Make your content easy to read and easy to extract

AI systems read content the same way a careful human reader does, but faster. Clear headings, short paragraphs, direct answers to specific questions and a logical structure all make it easier for your content to be used as a source. Avoid vague, overlong introductions and get to the point of each section quickly.

Add FAQ sections to your key pages

FAQ sections give AI systems clear question-and-answer pairs to work with. If someone asks a chatbot a question that matches one of your FAQs, and your answer is well-written and clearly structured, your content is more likely to be cited or referenced. Adding FAQ schema markup makes these even easier to identify and index.

Use structured data (schema markup)

Schema markup is code added to your pages that helps search engines and AI systems understand what the content is about. For a service business, this means marking up your business information, services, prices, FAQs and reviews in a machine-readable format. It is not visible to visitors but makes a meaningful difference to how your content is processed.

Build consistent, credible information across the web

AI tools that generate recommendations draw on multiple sources. Your Google Business Profile, directory listings, review platforms, social profiles and website should all present consistent information. Inconsistent business names, addresses or phone numbers create confusion that reduces how trustworthy your information appears to automated systems.

Focus on topics you can genuinely be authoritative about

AI systems are increasingly good at assessing whether a source actually knows what it is talking about. For small businesses, this means focusing your content on your specific area of expertise rather than producing generic content about broad topics. A plumber in Exeter writing specifically about common boiler issues in older Devon properties is more useful, more credible and more likely to be used as a source than a generic article about boilers.

What this means in terms of priority

For most small businesses, the order of priority has not changed dramatically:

• Make sure your site is technically sound and properly indexed
• Make sure your key pages clearly answer the questions your customers are asking
• Add structured data to help machines understand your content
• Build credibility through reviews, consistent information and genuine expertise
• Then think about specific AI search optimisation on top of that foundation

The businesses that will struggle are those with thin content, poor technical setups and no credibility signals. The ones that will do well are those with clear, accurate, well-structured content that genuinely helps the people looking for it.

Where Nudge SEO can help

Adding schema markup, auditing your content structure, reviewing your FAQ pages and checking your indexing status are all jobs that translate directly into better visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search.

If you are not sure where your site stands, an SEO audit covers the technical and content basics that underpin both. If you want to add structured data or review your on-page content specifically, those are available as individual jobs or as part of a package.