Search is changing fast. If your business has relied on Google to bring in customers, you’ve probably noticed the landscape isn’t what it used to be.
Gone are the days when people searched, clicked, and landed on your website. Now, a lot of that real estate has been taken over by ads, maps, answer boxes, and – most recently – AI summaries.
Let’s break down what’s happening and what small business owners like you can do to stay visible.
The Click Is No Longer Guaranteed
For years, we’ve talked about “zero-click searches” – when people search something on Google and get the answer right away without clicking anything. In the past year, this trend has accelerated, especially with Google’s new “AI Overviews.”
Example: A parent searches “how to teach my child to tell time.” Before they even see any regular websites, they scroll past product ads, YouTube videos, and a big AI-generated answer.
What’s missing? Clicks to helpful small business websites like yours.
Meet Your New Competition: AI Assistants
AI tools (like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, and more) are changing how people research, not just how they search. These platforms summarize content from all over the internet and present it as a direct answer.
That means:
- Fewer people may land directly on your website.
- More people are getting answers about your business without ever visiting your pages.
AI tools are becoming “assistant engines,” not just search engines. They’re the new middleman between your content and your customers.
The SEO Metrics You Used To Watch Are Changing
You might be used to tracking clicks, page views, and keyword rankings. But in the age of AI, those numbers may drop — even if your content is being seen and used in AI answers.
It’s time to update how we measure success:
| Old Way | New Way |
|---|---|
| Clicks | Brand mentions + visibility |
| Keyword rankings | Relevance + helpfulness |
| Backlinks | Citations across platforms |
| SEO traffic | Overall discoverability |
| Blog volume | Unique, high-quality information |
What Can Small Business Owners Do?
Here’s how to stay competitive, visible, and helpful in this new landscape:
- Stick to the SEO basics
Make sure your website loads fast, has clear page titles, accurate descriptions, and helpful content. These basics still matter. - Use structured data
Tools like schema.org markup help Google and AI bots “understand” your content. Think of it as giving them a cheat sheet about what your page is really about. - Focus on brand reputation
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and other platforms. Mentions of your business — even without a link — help AI systems know you’re trusted. - Update your content to answer questions
Write blog posts, FAQs, and how-tos that directly answer the kinds of questions your customers ask. AI pulls from this type of content. - Try new formats
Short videos, graphics, or even podcasts can boost your brand’s presence — and AI tools are starting to “watch” and understand these formats too. - Monitor new standards (like llms.txt)
This emerging file type, similar to robots.txt, could help you control how your content is used by AI tools. It’s optional for now, but worth keeping an eye on.
Final Thought: Discoverability Is the New Ranking
It’s not just about being #1 on Google anymore. It’s about being everywhere your customers are looking — whether that’s Google, YouTube, AI answers, or voice assistants.
The way people search is evolving. The best thing you can do? Keep showing up with helpful, honest, clear information, no matter where the question is asked.
Frequently Asked Questions: SEO and AI for Small Business Owners
1. What are “AI Overviews” and how do they affect my business?
AI Overviews are summaries generated by Google (and other tools) using AI to answer a user’s question directly. They often appear before traditional search results and reduce the number of people clicking through to websites.
2. Is SEO still worth doing with all these AI changes?
Yes. But success now means more than just ranking #1. It’s about being mentioned, trusted, and included in AI-generated responses and summaries — not just search results.
3. Why are my website clicks going down even though I rank well?
Clicks are dropping due to zero-click searches and AI answers. People may be seeing your content or brand without actually visiting your site. SEO metrics are shifting from just traffic to overall discoverability.
4. What should I focus on now if I want to get found online?
- Keep your SEO fundamentals strong (page speed, helpful content, mobile-friendly design).
- Use structured data so AI tools better understand your pages.
- Create useful content that answers real questions.
- Encourage customer reviews and manage your online reputation.
- Try other formats like video or visual content.
5. What is “structured data” and why does it matter?
Structured data (like schema markup) helps search engines and AI tools understand the context of your content. It improves your chances of being featured in rich results or included in AI-generated answers.
6. What is discoverability and how do I measure it?
Discoverability means being visible wherever your audience is looking — search engines, AI tools, maps, reviews, etc. While it’s harder to track, you can measure it through branded mentions, citations, reviews, and visibility in tools like Google Business Profile or social platforms.
7. What is llms.txt and should I care about it?
llms.txt is a proposed standard that helps manage how AI tools access and use your content. It’s still new and optional, but worth considering as AI becomes a bigger part of search.
8. Should I still write blogs and create content?
Yes — but make it original, helpful, and specific to your audience. Avoid generic content just for SEO. Focus on answering questions your customers are actually asking.
9. Are AI tools “stealing” my content?
AI tools pull from many sources to generate summaries. You might not get credit in the traditional sense, but your content can still influence what people see. Focus on being cited and mentioned across the web.
10. I don’t have time to keep up with all of this. What’s the 80/20 here?
Focus on:
- A fast, mobile-friendly site with clear pages
- Helpful content answering customer questions
- Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile
- Getting positive online reviews
- Using structured data on key pages (like product and FAQ pages)