AI Ate Your SEO — Now What?

A Small Business Survival Guide

The front page of Google search. Ah, Digital Nirvana. Remember those good old days? Only two roads got you there.

The first road was SEO.

It was hard and slow. You got there through your own merit as recognized by Google. Create great content that a lot of people seemed to want, and Google would help the world find you – eventually.

It was all about patience and consistency.

The second road was PPC.

It was fast and expensive.

Didn’t want to wait for Google to recognize your authority? Fine. You could just use bribes. In fairness, Google didn’t call it a “bribe”; they called it “Pay Per Click.”

As anyone who’s shelled out for PPC knows, it costs more and more to show up less and less on Google’s front page. Just like a bribe.

That was then. This is now.

Today, even when you do make Google’s front page, fewer and fewer people ever see you.

Why?

Because AI is reshaping how buyers search and find you.

• ChatGPT has gutted the SEO game.
• Claude has clobbered Search Engine specialists.
• Grok has gummed up the keyword works.

Every day, more and more people use AI to search for answers instead of Google.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss ¹

So how do you – Mister or Missus Small Business Owner – respond to this switch from Google to AI? How do you adapt your digital marketing game so you can win?

Well, the bad news is obvious.

AI doesn’t offer PPC – yet. (But you can bet that’s coming.) You can’t pay any amount of money to show up in an AI search.

It’s kind of ironic. A whole generation of people devoted decades to learning how to please Google’s search algorithm instead of learning how to please customers. Yet in just a few months’ time, the entire career category known as “SEO Specialist” has been rendered obsolete.

(OK, perhaps I exaggerate. But not much.)

Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright ²

On the other hand, the good news is actually old news.

Back in olden times, back before they got addicted to the crack pipe of PPC money, Google valued relevant, helpful, unique content.

Guess what kind of content Artificial Intelligence values today?

That’s right – relevant, helpful, and – above all – unique content.

Turn and Face the Strange ³

Don’t be deceived. Your website still needs great, original content. None of this boilerplate stuff, please. Boilerplate makes you even more invisible, and more obnoxious.

Most websites only answer the questions that all the other businesses in their industry answer. Don’t be that business.

When you do what everyone else does, you get lost in the noise.

Set yourself apart. Make it your mission to answer every single question that prospective customers ask.

Not just the questions you can answer “for free.” Answer the questions that save buyers time, money and aggravation. Answer the questions that reveal those special insider “industry secrets.” Above all, answer the questions everyone else is afraid to answer publicly.

By far, the best source of guidance on how to create useful, authoritative content is Marcus Sheridan’s terrific little book, They Ask, You Answer. (I wish he was a Wizard of Ads partner, but he isn’t. Oh well. His book is still great.)

A New Religion That’ll Bring Ya to Your Knees ⁴

Here’s an amazing little technique that can work wonders for your website. We liken it to Salome’s infamous Dance of the Seven Veils. I asked Grok to explain the origin of that term.

The Dance of the Seven Veils is the name of a famous dance performed by a woman named Salome. In the story, Salome dances for King Herod, while she wears seven thin, see-through veils. As she dances, she takes off one veil at a time, moving gracefully to music. Each veil dropping builds suspense and keeps everyone watching, wondering what’s next. It’s not just a random dance; it’s tied to a big moment in the story where Salome asks for something shocking after she finishes—the head of John the Baptist. The dance is about the power of mystery and drama to influence behavior.

Like Salome dropping one veil after another, each question you answer increases engagement from your audience and builds your credibility. This is what strengthens your website’s authority with AI.

Make it a point of pride to answer every question your customers and prospects ask. Craft your answers like Salome and her veils – each answer you give should link to the next questions.

DISCLAIMER: There is no guarantee that AI will drive people to your website. For the present though, most AI responses do reference the websites used for their answers.

Time Will Show You the Way ⁵

So, is SEO defunct? Is PPC dead? Should you just quit this digital marketing stuff?

Absolutely not.

Yes, digital marketing has changed. And PPC still matters, just not in the way it used to. The content of your website still matters.

It’s still all about patience and consistency.

Your digital marketing specialist can be an invaluable part of your team, but only if he knows which digital analytics matter, and which ones don’t. (HINT: the analytics that matter have changed as well.)

In this new age of Artificial Intelligence, is it really worth the time, patience and effort necessary to add great content to your website?

Absolutely.

Combine your AI-savvy digital presence with an equally potent offline mass media campaign, and you can build a powerhouse business honored by AI, feared by your competition and beloved by your customers.

¹ Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who, 1971
² Three Little Birds – Bob Marley, 1977³ Changes – David Bowie, 1971⁴ Black Velvet – Alannah Myles, 1989⁵ Echoes of Love – The Doobie Brothers, 1977

‍