The way people find businesses online is changing.
For years, Google has been the starting point for customers searching for local products and services. While traditional search engines remain important, AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity are creating new ways for people to discover businesses.
Instead of searching through several websites, customers can now ask an AI assistant a question and receive a direct answer, sometimes including business recommendations.
For Norfolk businesses, this creates both an opportunity and a challenge.
If someone asks ChatGPT to recommend a business like yours in Norfolk, will your company appear?
How Is AI Search Different from Google?
Traditional SEO focuses on helping websites appear prominently in search engine results.
AI search works differently. Rather than simply displaying a list of websites, AI systems can generate answers using information from multiple sources.
For example, someone might ask:
Who are the best independent accountants in Norfolk?
Can you recommend a reliable roofing company near Thetford?
Which Norfolk businesses specialise in commercial property maintenance?
Depending on the platform and query, the response might include recommendations, explanations and links to relevant websites.
This means businesses increasingly need to consider how they're represented across the wider web, not just where they rank in Google.
1. Make It Clear Who You Are and What You Do
One of the foundations of AI search visibility is having a clear, consistent business identity.
Your website should explain who you are, where you're based, which services you provide and the customers you help.
This information should be easy to find on your homepage, About page and relevant service pages.
For a Norfolk business, clearly explaining your service area is particularly important.
Consistency across your website, Google Business Profile and other reputable business listings can also help reinforce your identity.
2. Create Content That Answers Real Questions
AI-powered search tools are designed to answer questions.
Businesses that publish useful, clearly structured information give search systems more opportunities to discover and reference their content.
Think about the questions customers regularly ask before contacting you.
These might relate to pricing, suitability, processes, timescales or comparisons between different services.
Answer these questions directly, using clear headings and straightforward explanations.
Avoid publishing generic content simply to target keywords. First-hand experience, specific examples and genuinely useful information make your content more valuable.
3. Build Your Reputation Beyond Your Website
Your website isn't the only source of information about your business.
AI search systems may draw on third-party websites, reviews, directories, publications and other publicly available information, depending on how they retrieve and generate answers.
For Norfolk businesses, relevant local coverage can be particularly valuable.
This might include mentions in regional publications, local business organisations, industry websites or trusted directories.
The aim isn't to collect as many mentions as possible. It's to build a recognisable, credible business presence across relevant sources.
4. Keep Your Website Technically Accessible
Technical SEO remains important in the age of AI search.
If search engines or AI-related crawlers cannot access your content, opportunities for discovery may be limited.
Check that important pages are indexable, your website uses clear internal links and your robots.txt configuration isn't unintentionally blocking relevant crawlers.
Structured data can also help search engines understand information about your business, services and content.
However, adding schema markup doesn't guarantee inclusion in AI-generated answers.
The priority should always be making your website accessible, understandable and useful.
5. Start Measuring Your AI Search Visibility
AI search visibility is still developing, and measurement isn't as straightforward as traditional SEO.
A practical starting point is to test relevant questions across AI platforms.
For example, ask ChatGPT or Perplexity to recommend businesses in your industry and location.
Record whether your business appears, which competitors are mentioned and whether your website is cited.
You can also use Google Analytics 4 to identify referral traffic from some AI assistants.
Repeat your checks over time, using consistent prompts. Remember that AI responses can vary, so individual tests aren't definitive evidence of overall visibility.
SEO Is Becoming Search Everywhere Optimisation
Traditional SEO isn't disappearing. Google remains an important source of customers for Norfolk businesses.
However, search behaviour is becoming more fragmented.
Customers discover brands through Google, AI assistants, social platforms, video content and recommendations.
This broader approach is often called Search Everywhere Optimisation (SEvO).
The goal is to make your business easier to discover, understand and trust wherever potential customers are searching.
At Black Crow Digital, I help Norfolk businesses improve their search visibility through technical SEO, content optimisation and strategies that consider emerging AI search platforms.
If you're unsure whether your business is being discovered through traditional or AI-powered search, explore my SEO consultancy services in Norfolk or get in touch to discuss your website.