Your Competitors Are Using AI Search. Are You?

Written By Maria Talley

Is Your Business Ready?

Google has changed how customers find businesses in 2025, and it’s a game-changer.

With AI search now leading the results page, Google delivers AI-generated summaries, recommendations, and answers before people ever see traditional search results. These summaries often feature specific businesses, products, and services—sometimes without the user even having to click a link.

If your business isn’t showing up there, your competitors are. And that means they’re getting calls, visits, and sales that could have been yours.

What Is AI Search?

AI search is the new way Google and other platforms deliver answers. Instead of simply listing web pages, AI search uses large language models (LLMs) to pull information from across the internet: websites, reviews, news articles, and social posts. This generates direct, conversational answers.

The key difference?

  • AI search doesn’t just list options, it makes recommendations.

  • It pulls from your entire online footprint, not just your website.

AI search engines are also commonly referred to as smart search, AI-powered search, or conversational search. When used for broader tasks beyond just finding information, they may be called AI assistants or virtual assistants. Popular examples include Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot, which integrate AI search directly into their platforms. These tools are designed to deliver faster, more relevant answers. They also list specific business recommendations based on a user’s intent.

AI Search vs. SEO

Unlike traditional SEO, which was largely about keywords, backlinks, and page speed, AI search optimization is about:

  • Authority – Are you mentioned and cited across reputable sources?

  • Relevance – Does your content answer the exact questions people are asking?

  • Trust – Do you have consistent, positive signals across the web?

Generative AI tools like Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience) are scanning far beyond your website. They’re analyzing social mentions, PR coverage, user reviews, and more. In other words, it’s your entire digital footprint that counts now. And businesses need to adapt their strategy to include AI search optimization to help you be chosen, cited, and featured in those AI-powered answers.

Why SEO Still Matters in the Age of AI Search

Some business owners wonder if traditional SEO is becoming irrelevant. The truth? It’s more important than ever, just different.

Strong SEO is still the foundation for:

  • Visibility – Your site must be indexed and optimized for Google to understand it.

  • Credibility – Technical SEO, quality backlinks, and well-structured pages all signal trust.

  • Accuracy – AI search often uses data from your site to inform summaries.

The difference in 2025 is that SEO isn’t just about ranking high—it’s about making your site and brand appealing to AI algorithms.

Smart Techniques That Combine AI Search Optimization + SEO

The businesses winning in 2025 aren’t choosing between AI search optimization and SEO, they’re combining them. Here’s how:

  1. Optimize for Both Search and Conversation
    Write content that works for search engines and sounds natural when pulled into an AI summary. Use clear, concise, answer-first writing.

  2. Own the Questions Your Customers Ask
     Create blog posts, FAQs, and guides that match your audience’s search intent and conversational queries. AI prioritizes content that answers, not just sells.

  3. Build a Strong Off-Site Presence
     Get cited in local publications, industry blogs, and community forums. AI engines use these mentions to verify credibility.

  4. Use Structured Data Markup
     Help Google understand your business details so they can be pulled into AI results accurately and consistently.

  5. Keep Social and PR Active
     Mentions on LinkedIn, Reddit, or news outlets can tip the scale in your favor when AI decides which businesses to highlight.

AI search optimization and SEO work best together.

  • SEO ensures your site is technically sound, content-rich, and trustworthy.

  • AI search optimization ensures your broader brand presence is strong enough to get you recommended.

By combining them, you make it easy for Google not only to find you but also to feature you.

How Green Elephant Can Help

At Green Elephant Digital, we help small businesses turn AI search into a growth engine.

Our approach blends:

  • SEO that feeds AI algorithms the right data

  • Content strategies designed for AI summaries

  • Visibility campaigns to get you mentioned across trusted sources

We also write powerful blog posts and consistently publish searchable, high-quality content that boosts your presence in both traditional and AI search results. We can produce as much as your business needs, as often as needed, so you never have to worry about generating fresh, effective content on your own.

Ready to see if you’re showing up in AI search?
 We’ll audit your presence, identify gaps, and create a plan to help you appear—and win—when customers search.

👉 Schedule your free discovery call today!

Maria Talley
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