The Future of SEO: Getting Found by AI
For more than 25 years, I've helped businesses get found online. Traditionally, that meant showing up on Google. Today, that's only part of the story.
More and more people are asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Google's AI search instead of typing keywords into a search bar. Instead of scrolling through ten blue links, they're asking questions like:
Who's the best web designer in Madison?
What's the difference between a logo designer and AI?
Who builds Squarespace websites near me?
Then AI recommends businesses.
The question is... Will AI recommend yours?
Search Has Become More Like Asking a Friend for a Recommendation
Think about how you use AI yourself. Instead of searching:
“Madison web design”
You probably ask something more like:
“I'm a nonprofit in Madison with a limited budget. Who designs websites that are easy to maintain?”
That's a completely different type of search. Instead of matching keywords, AI tries to understand the question and recommend the best answer.
Good SEO Still Matters
Here's the good news. Almost everything I've been telling clients for years still matters.
Helpful content
Clear page titles
Strong service pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Real expertise
Reviews
Local information
AI loves websites that clearly explain what they do. In other words... Content wins.
Think of AI Like a New Employee
Here's an analogy I think makes this easier to understand. Imagine hiring a new employee who has never met you. You send them a link to your website and say,
"Tell customers what we do."
If your website is confusing, your employee will be confused. If your website is organized, answers questions, and explains your services, your employee will sound pretty smart.
That's essentially what AI is doing. It reads your website and decides whether it understands your business well enough to recommend it.
What Businesses Should Be Doing Right Now
This isn't the time to panic. It's just the right time to improve your website.
Many small business websites simply don't have enough content. A homepage, an About page, and a Contact page aren't enough anymore.
If you offer five services, you should probably have five different service pages. If customers ask the same question every week, answer it in a blog or FAQ. Every helpful page becomes another opportunity for Google and AI to understand what you do.
Think of your website like a library. The better organized your books are, the easier it is for AI to find the right answer.
Focus on things like:
Answering common customer questions in your copy
Adding FAQ sections to all service pages (Related article: How to Use ChatGPT to Generate Website Blog & FAQ Ideas)
Writing individualized, detailed service pages
Publishing educational blog articles
Keeping your Google Business Profile updated
Collect good keyword-optimized reviews
These are the same things that help traditional SEO and they're also the kinds of signals AI uses when generating answers. AI systems tend to favor well-organized, trustworthy, clearly written websites that directly answer users' questions.
What About Keywords?
Keywords still matter. But instead of writing for search engines... Start writing for conversations.
People aren't searching:
“logo design in Madison”
They're asking:
“Who can design a custom logo that is not AI that I will own and can use on signs, shirts, and embroidery?”
The more your website naturally answers real questions, the more opportunities AI has to recommend you. Pretty simple stuff.
Don't Chase AI. Help It Understand You.
I see businesses making one big mistake. They're trying to "optimize for AI." Instead...
Optimize for people.
Clear writing.
Helpful answers.
Real expertise.
Simple navigation.
Honest information.
Those things have always been good marketing. Now they happen to be good AI marketing too.
Final Thoughts
SEO isn't disappearing. It's evolving. Google still matters. Your website still matters. Great content matters more than ever. The businesses that continue answering customer questions better than anyone else will have the best chance of being found—whether someone searches Google, asks ChatGPT, or uses whatever comes next.
RELATED ARTICLES:
How to Get Your Website Found by ChatGPT & AI Search
