You may notice your website is being pushed further down the results as paid ads and AI-generated results rise to the top. On top of that, people are bypassing Google and using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot to get answers on which products and services to buy. ALERT! If your website is not optimised for AI search, then your business may become invisible.

Good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is still important for regional businesses and will help you get noticed by AI, but there are some fundamental things that you can do to influence showing up in AI results.

Trusted, experienced expertise, and being recognised as an authority is important to get cited as a source of answers to AI questions. If someone asks AI, “What is the best (your type of business) in Nelson, NZ?” you want to be part of the answer. This means you need to be seen as an expert in your field in a way that makes sense to AI.

Trusted, experienced expertise, and being recognised as an authority is important to get cited as a source of answers to AI questions. If someone asks AI, “What is the best (your type of business) in Nelson, NZ?” you want to be part of the answer. This means you need to be seen as an expert in your field in a way that makes sense to AI.

Space won’t allow me to go into the behind-the-scenes tech things your website requires, but some of the easier things you can do are:

Review and improve your website content.

Write articles and pages that show you are an expert in your field. Answer questions your customers might ask AI. You can use AI to find out what questions they are asking, but make sure you write your own answers in your own voice.

• Use question-based subheadings and make sure you answer the question clearly.
• Write a concise page summaries at the top of your pages, something that AI can easily pick up.
• Use specific data, statistics, testimonials and case studies to show authority.
• Use logical structure and plain language.
• Add FAQs at the bottom of the page.
• Don’t forget about your About Us page and team bios to showcase your expertise and credentials.

Build content outside of your website.

Work to get your brand mentioned and linked to from other reputable websites. The more your brand gets mentioned across the web on LinkedIn, Chamber profiles, local directories Reddit, YouTube, or partner sites, the more authority signals AI can detect.

Does it sound like more work for your marketing team? It is. But ignoring it is far riskier.

AI isn’t a channel you can opt out of, it’s becoming the lens through which customers see the market. The question isn’t whether this work is worth doing; it’s whether your business will be visible when it matters most.