What’s changed
- Google AI Overviews and AI Mode summarize answers above or instead of the classic results for many informational searches.
- ChatGPT, Perplexity and other assistants answer questions and increasingly recommend businesses, often citing web pages and reviews.
- Fewer clicks for simple questions. Short “what is” answers get satisfied on the results page.
What hasn’t
- People still search “near me” and land on Google Maps.
- AI tools draw on websites, listings and reviews, if your information is thin or inconsistent, you’re less likely to be mentioned.
- Clear, specific, trustworthy pages still get cited and clicked.
How to stay visible
- Answer real questions specifically: prices, process, timelines, service areas. Vague copy rarely gets cited.
- Keep your facts consistent everywhere: name, address, phone, services, hours.
- Earn reviews that mention specifics: services, towns, outcomes.
- Use structured data (LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ) so machines can read your details.
- Track AI visibility by asking assistants the questions your customers ask, monthly.
Using AI to do SEO
AI is great for research, outlines, drafts and checks, and risky when it publishes unchecked. Google’s guidance focuses on whether content is helpful, not how it was made; low-value mass-produced pages can still be treated as spam. We use AI to work faster and people to keep it accurate. See how it works.
