AI Isn’t Just for Tech Geeks Anymore Have you gotten one of those messages lately? You know the kind: “We just asked ChatGPT about your business…” and then it shows a little write-up of your company? That’s not spam—it’s a real shift in how people are starting to find and trust businesses.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Bing Chat are now answering questions that used to be typed directly into Google. If your business isn’t showing up in those answers, you may be getting skipped.

The good news? You can actually do something about it—without needing to be a tech expert. Here’s what you need to know.

How AI Tools Find and Describe Your Business

AI doesn’t make up your business profile from thin air. It pulls from what’s already online, including:

  • Your website content
  • Your Google Business Profile
  • Online reviews
  • Directories (like Yelp or BBB)
  • Structured data (aka schema)

If your business is missing from these sources, outdated, or inconsistent, the AI’s answer might be too. It might skip you altogether or describe you incorrectly.

AI vs. Google Search: What’s the Difference?

Google Search ranks websites. AI tools summarize what they know.

Google Search AI Tools
Ranks websites based on SEO Summarizes info from trusted sources
Click-driven Answer-driven
You write to rank You write to inform

This means if you want to show up in both, your content needs to be:

  • Relevant
  • Clear
  • Consistent
  • Easy for humans and machines to understand

Why Your Website Still Matters

Even in this AI-powered world, your website is your home base. It’s where Google and AI look to confirm details, learn your services, and understand your expertise.

If your site doesn’t clearly say what you do, where you do it, and who you help, neither Google nor AI will get it right.

Here’s what to make sure your homepage and key pages include:

  • Your city or service area
  • Your services, in simple language
  • Who your services are for
  • Trust-building content (testimonials, FAQs, photos)

How to Make Sure AI Gets the Right Info About You

Here’s what you can do right now to look better in both Google and AI search tools:

Google Business Profile (GBP)

  • Fill out all service and description fields
  • Add regular updates (even once a month helps)
  • Upload photos and respond to reviews

Your Website

  • Use headings that make sense (“Family-Owned Electricians in Sarasota”)
  • Include your city and services throughout the content
  • Add schema markup (we can help with this if it’s confusing!)

Your Reputation

  • Ask for reviews and respond to them
  • Keep your name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistent across the web

Do You Need to “Optimize for AI”?

You might hear people throw that phrase around, but here’s the truth: You don’t need to do something extra for AI tools.

You need to make sure your digital presence is:

  • Clear
  • Consistent
  • Written for real people

Most small business sites still miss the basics. Start there and you’re already ahead of the curve.

What’s Coming Next (And How to Stay Ahead)

Search is changing fast. Google is already rolling out AI-powered results called Search Generative Experience (SGE).

 Voice search and ChatGPT-style searches are only growing.

In the future, people may never even click a link—they’ll just see what AI tells them. That means:

  • Clear content = more visibility
  • Strong local SEO = more AI trust
  • Consistency = better answers everywhere

It’s Not About Gaming AI—It’s About Getting Your Story Straight

You don’t need to chase trends. You just need to make sure your business is telling a clear, confident story everywhere it shows up online.

Want to know how your business looks to AI tools and Google? That’s exactly what our Digital Presence Audit is designed for. Let’s take a look together—and make sure you’re found by the people who need you most.