If you’re a small business owner saying, “I don’t trust AI stuff, and I’m not using it,” we’re not here to argue with you. You don’t need to like AI. You don’t even need to use it. But you do need to understand something very important: It’s not about whether you use AI. It’s about the fact that your customers already are.
This isn’t the first time we’ve been here.
Remember the Yellow Pages?
Back in the day, if you needed a plumber, an electrician, or a good HVAC guy, you reached for that fat yellow book. Then Google showed up. And at first, plenty of people said, “I don’t need that internet stuff. I’ve got ads in the book, and my phone’s still ringing.”
And for a little while, that was true. But slowly (and then all at once), the phone stopped ringing. Because customers stopped looking in the book. They started searching online. And if your business wasn’t showing up in Google, you simply didn’t exist.
Now we’re at the next leap forward. We’re moving from Google to AI. And this time, it’s not going to take years. It’s going to take months.
The Shift Has Already Started
AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience), Perplexity, and others are changing how people search. They’re not scrolling through 10 blue links anymore. They’re asking questions, and expecting a clear, confident answer.
- “Who’s the best local roofer?”
- “Is there a plumber near me that answers the phone on Sundays?”
- “Find an HVAC company with great reviews that services older homes.”
These questions are being asked right now and AIs are answering them with recommendations. If your business isn’t part of that data? You don’t get mentioned. Period.
This Time, You Won’t Get the Luxury of Delay
Back in the Yellow Pages days, if you were slow to adapt to Google, you had time. Revenue might dip, and you could course correct. Things moved slowly enough that you could recover. But AI adoption is happening fast. And what’s worse, AI tools aren’t updating your info in real-time. They’re retrained every few months at most. If you miss the next training cycle, you could be shut out until the one after that. That means you could be waiting 6-12 months with:
- No visibility
- No recommendations
- No chance to compete
So whether or not you trust AI, you still have to get your business in front of it because your customers both trust and use it.
Here’s How to Stay in the Game
If you’ve invested in solid website architecture and good SEO, you’re in great shape to take advantage of this shift. If not, the time to act is right now. As we talked about in a previous article about how we’re no longer playing the “Top 10 Game,” you’ve got to start aiming to be the top 1 (or 3 if you’re lucky).
1. Double Down on SEO
The same SEO practices that helped with Google? They matter even more for AI. Think of it as SEO on steroids. With fewer spots available, you’ve got to be on your game.
2. Watch Out for Technical Debt
If you’ve been kicking the can down the road (cheap platforms, sloppy hosting, cut-rate domains), it’s about to catch up with you. Start fixing these problems immediately. WordPress users can add new AI-friendly features like an llms.txt file in minutes. If you’re stuck in a closed system like Wix or Squarespace, you may not be able to add it at all. You saved a few bucks, but now you may need a full rebuild just to stay competitive. That’s technical debt in action. Start clearing these things out before it’s too late.
3. Add a Strong FAQ Strategy
AI loves websites that answer questions clearly and directly. Build a global FAQ page, and sprinkle smart, natural-language questions across all your service and location pages. Make sure you’re using proper markup though or you might end up wasting your efforts.
4. Create AI-Friendly GEO Pages
Make location pages that speak clearly to AI tools. Keep them simple, specific, and packed with the info bots look for, not just humans. It’s important to remember that the AI bots read and infer things differently than humans. You need to speak to them with authority, confidence, and boldly. Prove your worth to them with awards and recognitions received and boast about your track record, time in business, etc. If you don’t tell the AI explicitly, it thinks you don’t do it.
Bottom Line: You’re Not Competing Against AI. You’re Competing for Its Attention
This isn’t a choice between “using AI” and “not using AI.” This is about showing up where your customers are looking. And right now, they’re asking AI for help.
So the question isn’t “Do I trust AI?” The question is: “Will I let AI ignore my business while it recommends my competitors?”
You’ve seen this kind of transition before. The ones who move early win. The ones who wait get left behind. Let’s make sure you’re in the first group.
