How to Start Showing up in AI Search Results 

As a website designer with an SEO addiction, it’s my job to stay informed about the latest changes to Google. And lately, there has been a ton of chatter online about how AI search is changing the way you market. I’ve had clients DM me at 2 am, worried about their SEO and organic marketing. And I get it. All of the information about AI search is overwhelming. Every “marketing guru” out there is posting on social media about how hard it is to get found and all of the things you need to change. 

But the truth is, AI search and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) isn’t all that different from the SEO best practices that I’ve been blogging about for years. This blog post will break down the difference between GEO and SEO, include some tips on how to get found in both, and hopefully lower your heart rate so you don’t have a panic attack every time someone mentions AI Search to you. 

How AI Search Engines are Different from Google 

If you’ve been doomscrolling on the marketing side of the internet, I have some good news for you. AI Search and Google are more similar than they are different. So if your website is already set up for SEO, and you’re following SEO best practices (like blogging and updating your website regularly), you don’t have much to worry about!

The first difference between SEO and GEO is the way people ask questions. Instead of typing a phrase into the Google search bar, they’re using ChatGPT or other AI chatbots. Their searches are more specific, and the AI helps them narrow down the results. The second difference is the lovely little AI summary that shows up at the top of every search engine result page when you do use Google. People now want summarized information that answers their questions, and they’re less likely to go digging through your website and blog to find it. 

How to Increase Your Chances of Showing up in AI Searches

Did you read that last sentence and panic a little bit? Again, understandable. When you hear that for the first time, it seems like you need to change everything to fit into those uber-specific searches with a summary tied up with a pretty bow. 

But here’s the thing. Google’s AI and all those chatbots are skimming your blogs and websites for that information. So if you’ve been using your website and blog to answer your audience’s questions, you’re likely already showing up in those summaries! 

That being said, there are a few things you can do to make your website even more appealing to AI search engines. 

Continue Creating High Quality Content 

The main emphasis here is on high quality. Your websites and blogs don’t need to be thousands of words long, but they do need to contain helpful content. Google and AI search engines are crawling your websites, looking for information that they can feed to users. They want concise, informative content that they can put into those summaries. 

Get in touch with your audience and find out what they’re searching for. You can use tools like Answer the Public for this. Use your content to answer these questions, and be sure to incorporate your keywords! (New to keywords? Download my free guide, Nine Places to Use SEO Keywords.)

Make Sure Your Website is Set up For SEO 

Here’s a kicker. Lots of absolutely gorgeous websites aren’t actually optimized, which means they’re nearly impossible to find in organic or AI searches. You can use tools like Ubersuggest and SEO Minion to audit your website and see if it’s actually getting found in search results. I also offer free SEO Audits if you want a human eye on your site.

A lot goes into optimizing your website, but here are a few quick things you can check: 

• Each page has a single H1 that includes your main keyword 
• Each page has a title tag between 50 and 60 characters and a meta description between 150 and 160 characters 
• Your images are compressed
• Your website is mobile-friendly

My SEO services turn pretty websites into profitable ones by fixing your on-page and technical issues so search engines can find you and plop you in front of the right people. I also highly encourage you to work with a vetted copywriter who understands SEO and how to utilize keywords. I recommend J. Flynn Copywriting and Becca Mitchell for wedding vendors and service-based businesses!

Increase Your Online Authority 

Google and AI search engines are looking for credible websites. The best way to show them your credibility is by having reliable backlinks. You get backlinks every time your website is linked from another website. You can get more backlinks from guest blogging, features, or joining online directories (like The Knot and WeddingWire for wedding vendors!). 

All of these show Google and AI search engines that you are real, active, and credible. In the biz, we call these trust indicators!

SEO & AI Search Optimized Website Design for Service Providers

I hope by now, your heart rate has returned to normal. SEO and AI search are truly not that different. The things that get you found by Google still get you found by AI, the results just get delivered to your readers differently. 

If you’re creating high-quality content, ensuring your site is optimized, and gathering those backlinks, you are in great shape! Don’t get freaked out by the buzz on social media. It may not be pretty, but these best practices help you land in front of your dream clients organically. 

And if your marketing plan doesn’t include these things, why don’t we hop on a call to talk about it? I offer branding, website design, and comprehensive SEO setups for female entrepreneurs who are ready to take their marketing seriously. Explore my branding, web design, and SEO bundle and contact me to get started!