If you have noticed fewer visits to your website, fewer clicks from your Google Business Profile or a general slowdown in online activity, you are not alone.
I first began paying closer attention to AI visibility while running SEO and keyword-ranking reports for clients. Several businesses were experiencing drops in website traffic, Google Business Profile activity, calls and other interactions, even though we had continued doing the same foundational SEO work that had been successful for them in the past.
In some cases, rankings had dropped. In others, rankings remained fairly steady, but the traffic and customer actions were no longer following in the same way.
Everything seemed to be dipping at once:
- Website visits
- Google Business Profile views
- Calls
- Click-throughs
- Post views
- Requests for directions
- Other forms of engagement
That told me we needed to look more closely at what was changing.
AI-generated search results, Google AI Overviews and assistants such as ChatGPT are changing how people find information. Instead of clicking several links and visiting multiple websites, someone can now ask a question and receive a summarized answer without necessarily visiting any of the websites used to create it.
That does not mean SEO is dead. It means there is another place where businesses need to be visible.
Can You Make ChatGPT Recommend Your Business?
There is no button you can press, directory you can join or special paragraph you can add to guarantee that ChatGPT, Google or another AI tool will recommend your business.
AI assistants gather and interpret information from many different online sources. They look for businesses and information they can understand and have reasons to trust.
You cannot control the answer an AI assistant gives. What you can do is make your business easier to understand, verify and confidently mention.
That means clearly demonstrating:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Where you are located
- Who you help
- What experience you have
- Why your information can be trusted
- Whether your business is active
- Whether other credible sources confirm what you say about yourself
This is not a quick trick. It is reputation-building, authority-building and good SEO working together.
Do I Need to Start My SEO Over for AI?
Probably not.
If you have already invested in foundational SEO, you may have more of the groundwork in place than you realize.
Many of the things that help a website perform in traditional search also help AI systems understand the business behind it. These include a technically sound website, clear service pages, local business information, useful content, reviews, reputable business listings and links from other websites.
Optimizing for AI is not necessarily a replacement for the work you have already done. It is another layer to add to it.
Google has changed many times over the years. Each major change affects which strategies work, which ones matter less and what needs to be added to the mix. AI is another step in that ongoing process.
I would not recommend abandoning foundational SEO to chase AI visibility. The stronger approach is to continue improving the foundation while making your content and online presence more useful to AI-powered search.
Answer the Questions Your Customers Are Actually Asking
One of the most important things you can do is create content around real customer questions.
That does not mean writing dozens of generic articles containing the same basic information already available on hundreds of other websites. It means understanding what people are worried about, curious about or trying to decide.
Businesses often focus on features because those are the things they know best. Potential customers are usually more interested in what those features mean for them.
A carpenter, for example, may have a service page explaining that they build decks, renovate basements and construct new homes. Those pages are important, but potential customers will also have questions about timing, permits, materials, costs and what to expect during the work.
A useful article addresses one of those concerns directly and adds the professional context the homeowner needs to make a decision.
This type of content is helpful to potential customers, useful in traditional search and well suited to AI-generated answers.
Look for Specific Questions, Not Just Broad Keywords
Broad keywords still have value, but they do not always tell you what someone needs.
A phrase such as “deck builder Niagara” tells us what service the person is looking for and where they need it. A question such as “When should I book a contractor to build my deck?” tells us much more about their immediate concern.
Both have a place in a good content strategy.
Your website should have strong pages explaining your main services. It should also include content that answers the detailed questions people ask before they are ready to call.
You can find these questions through:
- Conversations with customers
- Emails and estimate requests
- Questions asked during site visits
- Google’s related searches
- “People also ask” results
- Google Search Console data
- Keyword research tools
- Online discussions
- Questions asked on social media
- Questions your staff answer repeatedly
If one customer has asked you a question, there is a good chance someone else is typing it into Google or asking an AI assistant.
Add Something Only You Can Contribute
AI can create a perfectly readable article in seconds. That does not automatically make the article useful, original or worthy of being recommended.
If you ask AI to write a generic article and publish it without adding anything, you are likely repeating information it gathered from content already available online.
You have to ask: Where did AI get the information it used to create that article?
If your finished post says essentially the same thing as every other website, why should a search engine or AI assistant choose yours?
Your experience is what makes the difference.
A carpenter writing about winter construction could explain how cold weather affects scheduling, materials and site preparation in Niagara. A contractor writing about deck permits could discuss common misunderstandings they encounter when homeowners begin planning.
Depending on the topic, you might add:
- A question customers regularly ask you
- An example from a completed project
- A common misunderstanding you encounter
- Your professional opinion
- A lesson learned on the job
- An explanation of how you approach the problem
- A local perspective
- A short case study
- Factors that commonly delay a project
- Advice you routinely give customers
This does not mean every article has to reveal trade secrets or contain a groundbreaking discovery. It means your content should sound like it came from someone who has actually done the work.
Use AI to help organize ideas, improve clarity, create an outline or speed up part of the writing process. Then put the human back into it.
AI is a tool. It should not be treated as a replacement for your knowledge.
Build Authority Beyond Your Own Website
Your website cannot be the only place that says your business exists.
AI systems and search engines look for supporting information across the internet. If reputable sources consistently confirm your business name, services, location and expertise, that gives them more reason to trust the information on your website.
Depending on your industry, these supporting sources may include:
- Professional association directories
- Local business directories
- Chamber of commerce listings
- Industry-specific websites
- Community organizations
- Supplier or manufacturer websites
- Local sponsorship pages
- Media coverage
- Event websites
- Apple Maps and other mapping services
- Your Google Business Profile
Focus on directories and websites that are relevant to your business, industry or community. Being listed on hundreds of low-quality websites is not the goal.
A smaller number of accurate, credible listings can be much more valuable.
Keep Your Business Information Consistent
Your business name, address and phone number are often referred to as your NAP.
These details should be consistent wherever your business appears online. Small differences may not seem important to a person, but inconsistent information can make it harder for search engines and AI systems to connect all those listings to the same business.
Check that your:
- Business name is written consistently
- Address is current
- Phone number is correct
- Website link works
- Business hours are accurate
- Service descriptions match what you currently offer
- Service area is clearly stated
- Old addresses or phone numbers have been updated
Consistent information helps confirm that your website, business listings, reviews and profiles all belong to the same real business.
Show That Your Business Is Still Active
An old profile with outdated hours, no recent reviews and project photos from five years ago does not send a strong signal that the business is active.
Keep important profiles current by:
- Asking customers for genuine reviews
- Responding appropriately to reviews
- Uploading recent project photos
- Publishing Google Business Profile updates
- Updating services and business information
- Correcting holiday and seasonal hours
- Adding new qualifications or services to your website
- Refreshing older content when information changes
This activity is useful for potential customers, too. People want to know that your business is open, responsive and still providing the service they need.
Earn Relevant Links and Mentions
Links from other websites remain an important authority signal.
A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours. The quality and relevance of that website matter more than collecting a large number of random links.
Good backlink opportunities might come from:
- Professional memberships
- Local business organizations
- Community involvement
- Sponsorships
- Partnerships
- Supplier relationships
- Manufacturer directories
- News coverage
- Local events
- Industry resources
A contractor might be listed by a professional association, featured by a building-material supplier or mentioned on the website of a community organization they support.
The goal is not to manufacture authority. It is to make sure the authority you have earned offline is also reflected online.
Use Structured Data Where Appropriate
Schema markup is code added to a website to help search engines understand its information.
It can identify details such as:
- The business name and location
- Service areas
- Services
- Articles
- Frequently asked questions
- Authors
- Reviews
- Events
- Products
Schema will not force an AI assistant to recommend you. It can, however, make the information on your website clearer and easier for search systems to interpret.
It should accurately reflect what visitors can see on the page. It is not a place to hide extra keywords or make claims that are not supported by the content.
Build Content Clusters Around Important Services
Publishing one article about a service may help. Creating a genuinely useful collection of connected resources can establish much more depth.
For example, a carpentry business might begin with a strong deck-building service page. It could then build a cluster of related articles answering questions such as:
- When is the best time to start planning a deck?
- Do I need a permit to build a deck in Niagara?
- How long does it take to build a deck?
- Should I repair or replace my existing deck?
- What is the difference between wood and composite decking?
- How much maintenance does a wood deck require?
- What should I do before requesting a deck estimate?
- How early should I book a contractor?
Those articles should link back to the main deck-building page and, where helpful, to each other.
Once that cluster is established, the business could move on to another important service, such as new home construction.
That cluster might answer:
- Can a new house be built during the winter?
- When should I begin speaking to a contractor?
- What permits are needed to build a new home?
- How long does a custom home build normally take?
- What decisions should be made before construction begins?
- What can delay a new home build?
- What should I look for when choosing a contractor?
Instead of publishing random articles, the business is creating a useful resource around each core service.
This helps potential customers understand the process. It can also help search engines and AI systems recognize the depth of the business’s experience in that area.
Update Regularly Instead of Publishing and Disappearing
You do not have to rebuild your entire website or publish 50 articles at once.
In many cases, small, ongoing improvements make more sense than a great big content dump followed by two years of silence.
You might:
- Update an older service page
- Add a newly earned qualification
- Answer one customer question
- Improve an article with a real project example
- Add links between related pages
- Upload recent project photos
- Correct an outdated service description
- Publish a useful new article
- Update your business profiles
This creates a more accurate and complete picture of your business over time.
Consistency matters because AI visibility, like SEO, is not usually a one-time project.
Avoid Generic AI-Written Content
Using AI to help with your content is not automatically a problem. Publishing generic content without contributing anything useful is.
AI can help small businesses with limited time and small teams get much more accomplished. I use it periodically, and I think it can be an incredibly useful tool.
The problem begins when businesses use it to mass-produce articles that have no original experience, examples or point of view.
That content tends to:
- Sound like every other article
- Repeat information already available
- Avoid making a clear point
- Include vague examples
- Lack firsthand experience
- Say a great deal without answering the actual question
If you use AI, give it your knowledge to work with. Add your stories, opinions, examples and professional judgment. Check the facts. Remove statements you cannot support. Make sure the finished article reflects what you would genuinely tell a customer.
The more AI-generated content fills the internet, the more valuable real human experience becomes.
Do Not Expect AI Visibility to Be a Quick Fix
Business owners sometimes expect AI optimization to deliver instant results. Many still expect the same from SEO.
Neither is usually quick.
It takes time and ongoing effort to build the kind of online presence that search engines and AI systems can understand and trust. One strong article may be mentioned in an AI-generated answer, but that does not mean every page will suddenly appear everywhere.
There may eventually be a snowball effect. If you consistently publish useful content, strengthen your authority and make your business information easier to verify, one success may help support another.
But I would not promise that. AI results change, search results change and no one controls which sources will be selected for every answer.
The goal is to give your business the best possible chance of being found and recommended.
How Will You Know Whether It Is Working?
Do not measure success using rankings alone.
Watch for changes across several areas, including:
- Organic website traffic
- Search impressions
- Click-through rates
- Google Business Profile actions
- Calls and enquiries
- Visibility for detailed questions
- Mentions in AI-generated results
- Referral traffic
- Branded searches
- Conversions from educational content
You should also pay attention to the quality of the enquiries you receive. Content that answers specific questions may attract fewer visitors than a broad article, but those visitors may be much closer to choosing a contractor.
AI visibility is still developing, and measurement tools are developing with it. That makes it important to look at the overall picture instead of relying on one report.
What Should You Do First?
If you want to improve your chances of being recommended by AI assistants, begin with the basics:
- Make sure your website clearly explains what you do, who you help and where you work.
- Review your most important service pages.
- Identify the questions customers ask before contacting you.
- Answer those questions clearly and honestly.
- Add firsthand experience, opinions and examples.
- Check your business information across important profiles and directories.
- Keep your Google Business Profile active and accurate.
- Continue earning genuine reviews.
- Look for relevant backlinks and business mentions.
- Update your website regularly.
- Use AI to support your work, not replace your expertise.
You do not need to throw out everything you have done and start again. If your SEO foundation is solid, build on it.
AI may be changing how people reach your business, but the real goal has not changed. You still need to provide useful information, demonstrate that you know what you are talking about and give people a reason to trust you.
Keep the human in your website and in your answers. That gives AI more reason to recommend you and gives actual humans more reason to choose you.
