Customers are searching with AI: what this means for small businesses
Imagine a potential customer who does not search for a single keyword. Instead, they describe their situation: ‘I need someone to create a new business website. I already have copy and photos and want to know what to look for in a quote.’
Questions like these show which information can help a business explain its offer clearly: who is it for? What is included? How does the collaboration work? And what evidence is available?
This is a useful starting point for small businesses. You do not need to know every new abbreviation to make your website clearer and more helpful.
Key points at a glance
Answer customer questions. Substantiate your own experience. Keep your website and Business Profile current, and distinguish visibility from enquiries.
What changes with AI answers?
Alongside traditional search results, Google offers generative AI features that can combine information into an answer. Google’s current guidance continues to emphasise the foundations of good search engine optimisation. An additional file such as ‘llms.txt’ or special AI schema is not required for visibility in Google. This is a statement about Google, not a universal rule for all providers. Google’s guide to generative search
Our conclusion for everyday business: start with verifiable information about your actual offer. Speculative tricks are not a reliable foundation for a lasting online presence.
Explain your offer so a customer can decide
We recommend reviewing every important service page with five questions:
- Which businesses or situations is this service suitable for?
- Which specific problem does it solve?
- What is included – and what needs a separate agreement?
- How does a typical project work?
- What information is needed for a useful quote?
An invented example: ‘We design modern websites’ leaves many questions unanswered. It would be more helpful to explain specifically that a business creates websites for small service companies, reviews existing content and agrees scope, features and support before quoting. What matters is that these statements reflect the actual work.
You do not need to force every service into rigid packages. An honest explanation of cost factors can also help: the number of page types, content required, booking features or scope of subsequent maintenance. Only mention factors that are actually relevant to your business.
Show your own experience instead of generic claims
Google recommends content that helps people and demonstrates verifiable experience or expertise. Knowing who created the content can also help readers assess it. Google: helpful and reliable content
Our suggestion is a short, well-documented case study. Describe the starting point, task, approach and result. If you do not have reliable revenue data, do not invent it. You can instead explain which structure changed, the decision behind it and how the result was checked.
The same applies to guides: answer a real customer question, show a clear example and identify limitations. An article about a change in law needs current sources and a clear statement of who is affected. A date alone does not make an old text current.
Make important content accessible
A useful page should be discoverable through clear links. Google recommends descriptive link text and links that can be followed technically. Google: link recommendations
Our practical test: can a new visitor reach your main offer from the homepage, find a relevant project example and contact you? If this requires prior knowledge or an internal search, write down the journey and simplify it.
Technical checks should also consider search access, mobile presentation and visible main content. Google identifies these foundations in the context of generative search features too. They do not guarantee a good result or a particular mention. Google’s guide
Include your Google Business Profile
For local businesses, the website and Business Profile belong together. Name, services, contact details and opening hours should be correct. Google identifies complete, accurate information as an important foundation for local search results; extra text cannot change your distance from the person searching. Google: local search results
Our recommendation: whenever a significant detail changes, check where else the same information appears. Updating opening hours only on your website is not enough for a consistent presence.
How to assess progress meaningfully
For its generative search features, Google points to the relevant performance report in Search Console. Check your own account to see which data is actually available for your website. Google: measuring visibility in generative features
We recommend recording three observations separately: visibility in search systems, actual website visits and relevant enquiries resulting from them. An observed mention is not yet a visit; a visit is not yet an order.
Additional test questions can provide a snapshot. Record the question, date and service used. Do not treat a single answer as a fixed ranking or compare it uncritically with a later, differently phrased question.
The first useful step remains manageable: revise one important service page so it answers your customers’ real questions, and document the starting point. IDEA Studios supports this connection between clear content, your website and measurable improvement.
Sources checked on 4 October 2026. Examples and suggested checks are our own editorial recommendations. The Google requirements mentioned cannot automatically be applied to all AI services.