9 Tips to Assist Small Business Owners in Maximizing AI-powered Search

Intro

SEO is a crucial component of the marketing puzzle that has been helping small businesses grow.

And recently? AI has been revolutionizing how it works (in all honesty, it has also changed many other things!).

AI technology is recent, yet it is now widely available to all and as small business owners, you must familiarize yourselves with AI and SEO to stay ahead and adjust quickly.

When you start optimizing for AI and SEO, there are certain definitions you should be familiar with.

SGE

SGE is an acronym for Search Generative Experience.

Using SGE allows search engines to provide searchers with more detailed and pertinent information directly in the search results, eliminating the need to click through to a website for the answer to their query.

SGE prioritizes enhancing the search experience for users to expedite the search process and provide faster access to high-quality results.

What is GEO?

GEO, on the contrary, is an abbreviation for Generative Engine Optimization.

This places greater emphasis on enhancing the backend of the search engine to fine-tune the process of generating and ranking search results (to ensure that users receive results that are personalized to their needs).

What is the overview of AI in Google search results?

AI overviews in Google search results may appear unusual, but they have the potential to become the new "featured snippets" by offering consolidated responses to user queries directly on the search page.

Google decides what to incorporate in an AI summary by evaluating the most credible and essential information, considering aspects such as quality of content, page influence, and context.

This implies that SEO will not only involve creating high-quality, optimized blog content but will also be influenced by your PR campaigns.

Tips to Help Your Small Business Optimize For AI-driven Search

Now that we've discussed much of the information regarding AI and SEO, let's explore how you can implement it and utilize your knowledge to improve Google ranking for your small business.

1. Reference reliable sources

When writing content for Google, make sure to provide sources.

Using quotes, statistics, and real data from reputable sources can greatly enhance your credibility, making you appear as a reliable and trustworthy source to Google.

2. Start Your Digital PR Tour

When citing reliable sources, remember to include some references for yourself as well!

Being recognized by other respected websites and media sources doesn't just boost your exposure, but also strengthens your trustworthiness with search engines.

Contact industry bloggers, exchange guest posts, join services like HARO or Connectively, and participate in online communities to establish your digital presence.

3. Lean into Google’s EEAT

EEAT means Experience, Knowledge, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and Google has acknowledged relying on these criteria to assess online content quality.

When you start to create content for Google ranking, think about:

• Do I demonstrate personal experience here?
• Am I demonstrating my expertise on the subject being discussed?
• Does my website/brand hold authority within the industry?
• Is my content trustworthy, truthful, and secure?

4. Create thorough and helpful content

Most people focus on writing for search engines instead of helping real people with their content.

Creating in-depth, valuable content tailored to the needs of those looking for information or solutions increases your chances of ranking well on Google compared to simply copying and pasting text generated by AI with your keyword inserted throughout.

This is why it’s essential to use SERPpro article writing services for informational and helpful content.

5. Your knowledge as a human is essential

Although many people rely on AI tools for drafting, it is still crucial not to disregard the significance of your personal expertise.

When utilizing AI for drafting, ensure your prompt is not lacking, incorporate your knowledge, and ensure proper formatting.

If you provide AI with a generic prompt such as "write a blog post about XYZ", do not anticipate it to produce content that will interest your intended readers.

Creating specific prompts and meticulously editing your AI-generated content based on your expertise is crucial now more than ever.

However, it's also common knowledge that many small business owners are unsure about what to communicate when it comes to promoting their business. So when prompting Ai for content be specific.

It has a significant impact on the outcome of content generated. Ensure to review and edit it before clicking, publish.

6. Be the First to Answer New Questions in Your Niche

AI will always be second to acquiring knowledge. This is both one of the simplest and most difficult methods to optimize for AI-based search.

Keeping up with industry trends is the simple part, but responding promptly to new queries is more challenging because you have to be ready to tackle them immediately.

However, achieving this can boost your brand and website's reputation as a trusted source.

Creating a system similar to Google Alerts can assist you in staying informed about current events, allowing you to maintain a competitive advantage.

7. Make readability a top priority

This is simple; easily readable and understandable content ranks higher in search results. Employ concise titles, brief sections, bullet points, and in a friendly tone.

If you're not confident in your writing abilities, read your work aloud to identify areas that may not be clear or make sense easily.

This simple trick can make a big difference.

If you struggle to read it, others will struggle to understand it when reading.

8. Make sure to dedicate some time to understanding structured data.

Whenever the topic of technical SEO comes up, we can almost feel your disinterest radiating through the screen. However, it's not difficult.

Structured data assists search engines in interpreting your content more effectively and has the potential to enhance the visibility of your website in search engine results.

Spend time getting to know schema markup and header structures to boost your website's SEO effectiveness.

9. Ensure that your website is fully optimized

Creating high-quality content on a website that lacks trust from Google will prove to be a challenging task.

Our final suggestion for AI and SEO is to make it easy for Google to trust your content by prioritizing the optimization of your business website.