You've probably used Google for years to find businesses, answer questions, and look things up. But search is changing fast — and for small business owners, it matters.
A growing number of people are now turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews instead of traditional search results. They ask a question and get a direct answer. No list of links. No scrolling. Just a response — often with specific business recommendations included.
If your business isn't showing up in those responses, you're invisible to that audience entirely.
What exactly is AI search?
AI search is when someone asks a question to an AI tool and gets a direct, generated answer rather than a list of web pages to click through. The AI pulls information from across the web, synthesises it, and gives a response.
For example, instead of searching "web designer Wirral" on Google and clicking through several results, someone might now open ChatGPT and ask: "Can you recommend a web designer in the Wirral who works with small businesses?" — and get a specific recommendation back.
The businesses that appear in those responses aren't there by accident. They're there because their websites are structured in a way that AI tools can read and use.
Which AI tools should you know about?
Between them, these tools handle an enormous volume of searches every day. Getting your business in front of that audience is increasingly important.
How is this different from regular SEO?
Traditional SEO — Search Engine Optimisation — is about getting your website to rank in Google's search results. You optimise for keywords, earn links from other sites, and build credibility over time.
GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation — is specifically about making your business visible to AI models. The two overlap significantly, but GEO has some specific requirements:
- Clear, factual content that directly answers the questions your customers ask
- Structured data (schema markup) that tells AI tools what your business does, where you are, and what you offer
- Consistent business information across your website and other online sources
- Content that demonstrates real expertise, not just keyword-stuffed pages
The good news is that a well-built website already covers a lot of this. The difference is making sure it's structured specifically for how AI tools read and interpret content — not just how Google does.
What can you do about it right now?
The most important step is having a properly built website. A site with good content, correct schema markup, clear information about what you do and where you do it — that's the foundation of AI search visibility.
Without a website, you're invisible to AI search entirely. With a badly built one, you're almost as hard to find. A well-structured site is the difference.
Every website I build at Sites by AJ includes full SEO and AI search optimisation as standard — not as an optional extra. That means schema markup, proper content structure, and a site that's set up to be found from day one.
Want to see how visible your business currently is to AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity?
Get your free AI Visibility Report →The bottom line
AI search isn't a future trend — it's already where a significant portion of search is happening right now. Businesses that get set up for it early have an advantage over competitors who haven't thought about it yet.
The barrier to entry is lower than most people think. You don't need a big budget or a complicated strategy. You need a website that's built correctly and content that answers the questions your customers are actually asking.