Google search results never stop evolving. And, as a small business, it can be a huge challenge to stay on top of new updates, understand new features, and explore the new opportunities they offer. If you get all of your Google- and SEO-related news from LinkedIn, you might even believe that AEO, AIO, GEO, LLMO, and all of those other mysterious acronyms are out of your reach.

They’re not.

Since the dawn of the Information Age, technology gurus and Internet hucksters have conspired to make just about everything seem way more difficult than it actually is. So today we’re going to focus on direct answers to what are, really, some pretty easy questions. And we’re going to start by talking about what AI search is and, honestly, whether or not it actually matters to you.

Ways to Search on Google

Basic Google Search

When most people think about Googling something, a standard Google search is generally what they’re thinking about. This type of search hasn’t changed much since Google started in 1998.

● Method: Crawls websites for keywords, then ranks them by relevance and authority.
● Query Style: Fragmented, keyword-based input, such as ‘best restaurant near me.’
● Results: Multiple pages of links, snippets, and widget-y stuff that users can click on.

Google AI Mode

Okay, there is an actual Google AI Mode, but that’s a different beast. We’ll leave that for another day to focus on AI Overviews, which is usually what we mean when we talk about Google AI.

● Method: Uses LLMs and ‘AI’ to better understand the intent of a user’s search query.
● Query Style: More natural phrasing, such as ‘Who makes the best tacos near me?’
● Results: A conversational, chat-like summary with a panel of relevant, cited sources.

Generative AI and Local Search

We’re going to be super brief on this one, since the whats and whys don’t exactly matter to most people. Plus, there’s probably a bajillion websites that dig deeper into the topic. Lots of them are AI generated, too, so you can let AI tell you what it thinks it is. Fun.

But, in short, generative AI uses large language models (LLMs) to understand search intent and provide answers that are more conversational, easier to follow, and better at answering complex questions. The main issue, though, is that Google’s AI Overviews tend to steal traffic. Since they give searchers a direct answer, those users rarely need to visit the websites cited.

And, if that’s true, do local businesses need to be concerned with AI searches? You also have to consider that, for the most part, asking AI ‘who is the best barber in Kalamazoo’ will yield results based on third-party metrics, such as Google Reviews, business directory listings, and mentions in local forums. So, if that’s the case, the most productive (and least time consuming) efforts you can engage in don’t have anything to do with AI, they’re just tried-and-true brand building.

Anyway, here’s my professional opinion on writing specifically for generative AI…

Daflhjkadfljkdsafjklkads.

In the future, there’s likely to be a time where AI-generated summaries matter, but if you’re using what little time you have to chase low-conversion mentions in AI Overviews, you’re wasting your time. If it takes you three hours to write a blog post for AI that will net you zero actual customers, you’d be better off asking customers for Google Reviews, commenting in your local subreddit, or getting yourself listed in online business directories.

Maximizing Your Space in Search Results

If you’re absolutely obsessed with showing up in every search feature possible, it’s really not too difficult. In fact, Google has confirmed that traditional SEO works for ranking in AI Overviews, so it’s mostly a matter of maintaining good SEO practices, creating helpful content, and sending the right signals.

AI Overview

Being featured in an AI Overview isn’t hard, but it does rely on structuring your website’s content a bit differently. If you’re consistently able to get your content ranking at the top of search engine results pages, a few minor adjustments will get you into AI Overviews. So, the main difference is that you want to put key information in the opening paragraph of your post. AI doesn’t want to dig through your life story for the recipe, just give it the recipe.

Featured Snippets

Really, the advice to get shown in Featured Snippets isn’t a whole lot different. It used to be very common to bury the lede under, like, 20,000 words of keyword-stuffed content. Thankfully, we’ve evolved as a species and realized that’s an awful thing to do to people. If you’re hoping to land a mention in Featured Snippets, just be clear and concise, use H1/H2 tags, and structure your content as FAQs.

Google Ads

Since they’re typically the first thing people see, Google Ads are prime real estate on the search engine results page. Well, there is a slightly greater diversity in the structure of the results pages now, so they’re not always at the top, but they’re usually right there. It takes no effort at all to get listed in Google Ads, you just need to fork over some cash and outbid your competitors.

Local Pack

If there’s one place you want to show up, it’s the Local Pack. According to Semrush, businesses ranking in the Local Pack get 126% more traffic and 93% more calls. But, it can be kind of a slog to get there. To break into the top three, you’ll need to optimize your Google Business Profile by adding pictures, updating your profile weekly, and regularly asking customers for reviews with the goal of achieving a 4.5-star rating.

Organic Search Results

Ranking your website in the organic search results used to be the absolute pinnacle of SEO, but times have changed. While it’s no longer as valuable to appear in the organic results, they’re still a viable source of commercial traffic. And, on a foundational level, your website’s organic search rankings can have a massive impact on your visibility in other search features. So, if you want to be seen in AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, or the Local Pack, you have to build your organic rankings by creating user-focused content, building backlinks, and paying attention to all the technical aspects of your website.

Using AI to Boost Your Organic Visibility

Okay, then, how can you use generative AI to get found online? Well, that’s a complex question, and the answer is going to depend on what industry you’re in. But, by and large, AI is a lot better at research than execution, so my recommendations (in order of general okayness) are:

● Don’t use AI at all, but focus on creating genuine, human content that is helpful.
● Use minimal AI and AI Overviews during the planning stage as a time-saving tool.
● Learn to write better content by asking AI to create your content, then rewriting it.

Ultimately, the bottom line is that you’re not going to get much traffic from being highlighted in an AI Overview, and it’s gonna take extra time (and effort) to get there. If you’re already pressed for time, you should put your effort into proven, time-tested SEO tactics instead, because they’re far more likely to pay off in ways that matter.

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Matt Davis
SEO Specialist at Kzoom

Matt is an SEO expert with twenty years of experience in the industry. He got his start in SEO by optimizing sites when it was totally okay to just cram a thousand white-text keywords on a white background. As SEO evolved, he incorporated industry-leading software and best practices into his routine, which allows for better strategizing, better reporting, and better results.

As the head of the SEO department, Matt works with the other members of Kzoom’s full-service marketing team to deliver targeted, long-term increases to client visibility. In his spare time, Matt collects horror movies, spoils his cat, and tries (but usually fails) to play Dungeons & Dragons.