AI Search · Field Notes
A few years ago, if someone needed a local business, they probably opened Google and started clicking through search results. Now, a lot of people start somewhere else.
They’ll open ChatGPT, Claude, or Google’s AI search and ask something like:
“Who’s a good accountant in Ventura?”
“Can you recommend a website designer for a nonprofit?”
“What’s the best bookkeeping service for a small business?”
Instead of scrolling through ten blue links, they get one answer. Sometimes it includes sources. Sometimes it recommends specific businesses. Sometimes it doesn’t.
If your business isn’t part of that answer, the customer may never visit your website at all.
I’ve started seeing this show up on client sites over the past year, and I think it’s one of the biggest changes to online marketing since smartphones became how most people browse the web.
The numbers are worth paying attention to
A few recent studies really stood out to me.
The shift, in three numbers
Sources: Elon University (2025); Ahrefs (Dec 2025 data); Semrush zero-click study (2025).
Those statistics don’t mean websites are becoming irrelevant. They mean people are finding answers before they ever visit one.
That’s an important distinction.
SEO still matters
Whenever something new comes along, somebody immediately declares SEO dead. I don’t think that’s true.
Google still sends enormous amounts of traffic, and showing up in search results is still valuable.
What’s changing is that being easy to find is no longer the whole job. Now you also need to be easy to understand.
If an AI assistant is trying to answer a question about your business, does your website clearly explain what you do? Who you help? Where you work? Why someone should trust you?
Those questions matter more than ever.
What AI actually looks for
This part is less mysterious than people make it sound.
The models aren’t trying to find the fanciest website. They’re looking for information that’s easy to understand and easy to trust.
Pages tend to perform better when they:
- answer questions directly
- use clear headings and simple structure
- explain who is behind the business
- stay up to date
None of that is revolutionary. It’s good website writing. AI just happens to reward it.
Here’s an example
I see this kind of thing all the time. A bookkeeping firm’s website opens with:
“We deliver tailored financial solutions that empower your business to thrive.”
It sounds professional. It also doesn’t actually tell anyone, or an AI assistant, what the business does.
Compare that with:
“We’re a Ventura County bookkeeping firm that helps small businesses with monthly bookkeeping, payroll, and tax-ready financials.”
Same business. Same services. One version sounds polished. The other answers the question.
That’s the one an AI assistant can quote, and it’s also the one a potential customer understands immediately.
Three quick things I’d check today
If I were reviewing a website right now, these are probably the first things I’d look at.
- Does every important page explain what you do in the first couple of paragraphs? Don’t make visitors, or AI, hunt for the answer.
- Is there a real person behind the business? Names, experience, certifications, and local expertise all help establish credibility.
- When was the last time the content was updated? An article from three years ago isn’t necessarily wrong, but fresh information tends to inspire more confidence.
Try this yourself
You don’t have to guess how your business is showing up. Open ChatGPT or Claude and ask the question a customer would actually ask. Not your business name. A real buying question.
For example:
“Who designs websites for manufacturers in California?”
“Who’s a good nonprofit marketing consultant?”
See who gets mentioned. Then ask:
“Why did you recommend them?”
The answer is often surprisingly practical. Maybe their website explains their niche clearly. Maybe they have useful articles. Maybe they demonstrate experience in a specific industry.
Those are all things you can improve.
My takeaway
I don’t think we’re watching the end of search. I think we’re watching search evolve.
People still want trustworthy businesses. They still need websites. They’re just discovering them differently than they did a few years ago.
The businesses that communicate clearly, keep their content current, and demonstrate real expertise are going to be in a strong position, whether someone finds them through Google, ChatGPT, or whatever comes next.
Technology changes. Clear communication doesn’t.