AI is changing how the world searches for information.
More and more people are accepting the answer they receive from a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Gemini without clicking any further.
They’re seeing exactly the information they’re looking for at the top of the search page without ever visiting a single website.
That means the business of SEO (which stands for search engine optimization) is scrambling to make the shift. Numbers businesses used to rely on just aren’t making the same impact they once did.
Fortunately, customers are still looking for the services your franchise is selling. In fact, we’ve been seeing an uptick in Enquiries that come from AI-powered searches.
You can see those too in the Enquiries tool. If the calculated search says LLM, that means that the customer used AI to find your services.
In the next section, we outline some tips for optimizing your site for AI. Before diving into those tips, we have two caveats to keep in mind.
1. Since AI is so new, every “best practice” is only a best guess for what might work
Nothing has been tested for long-term results, and AI itself is evolving. Don’t let anyone convince you that they have a guaranteed magic bullet.
2. The goal of every search is to find good answers.
With every new search engine upgrade, quality matters over quantity. If your website provides high-quality information about your high-quality services, your customers will find you.
Quick Gorilla Dash Tips
AI-Proofing Your Content
Repeating a bunch of keywords and phrases on your website isn’t going to keep the attention of search engines anymore. So how do you produce the content that AI chooses to highlight?
Here are our best tips, compiled from industry SEO experts.
Think Beyond the Keyword
Think about your products and services as answers to questions instead of keywords. Your customer might not be searching for “quality blue hats” anymore, but instead asking AI:
“How do I ensure my logo stands out from the crowd?”
Answer that deeper, more comprehensive (and conversational) question to show up in AI results.
Think About What Your Customer Wants to Know
When a new customer walks through your door, what do they usually ask first?
Consider expanding each question on your FAQ page into a full Our Work Post, giving AI an expanded and nuanced answer to provide your customers at the top of search results.
Think About the Problem Rather than the Product
Again, the goal is to step away from thinking about websites in terms of keywords. What’s the deeper problem your customer is trying to solve when they find your business?
What pain points are they trying to alleviate? What difficulty are they hoping to avoid by hiring your services?
How do you provide relief? How do you give them peace of mind?
Provide those answers in detail.
Embrace AI, and Stay Ahead of Your Competition
Argue what you want about the failings of AI and the state of our future; AI is here to stay. Businesses that embrace it as a useful tool will thrive into the next age.
Those who don’t will end up at the bottom of the search results.
That being said, don’t overthink what the AI bots are looking for. The goal has always been to provide quality answers to the human on the other end of the keyboard. Keep the focus on your customer, always.
Here’s to the future!
Shane Liu
Email Shane at shane@gorilladash.com