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Relevance
The page matches the search, and Google is clear about where you work.
SEO
SEO vs AEO
It is a confusing time for businesses wanting to get found. SEO refers to showing up in Google’s list of search results, including local map links. AEO, also known as GEO (essentially the same thing), means getting mentioned by AI chatbots, like ChatGPT and Google AI Overview.
Most of your customers still start with a Google search. That has not changed since AI came along. What has changed is that Google often answers the query before the customer even gets to the search results. For some searches this means Google provides an AI summary that answers the query. When the search is for a local business or service, the customer will often see a list of the three top results presented as map links. This is known as the map pack.
How does Google decide who gets found?
Google uses a number of ways to decide what a real business looks like. It looks at your website, other places on the web that mention your website, and whether you have set up a Google Business Profile.
Ultimately the test is whether your business has Relevance, Authority, and Verification.
Getting these three things right is not rocket science. Getting any of them wrong leaves your business missing out on the cheapest way to win business available today.
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Authority
Other places on the web agree that the business is real.
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Verification
A Google Business Profile, set up properly and kept up to date.
What about customers who search with AI or other search engines?
AI first searching is a rapidly growing way customers are looking for businesses. The most commonly used AI service is still ChatGPT. ChatGPT gets much of its information by using search engines, including Google, which means optimising for Google is still the best place to start for now.
Other search engines like Bing cannot be ignored, but only have a small fraction of the market.
Once businesses have things set up right for Google, many find that is enough and stop there, but there is plenty more that can be done fairly easily to further improve your ability to find customers.
Relevance
Many businesses don’t appreciate that your website’s most important job is to look right for Google. There is a simple formula for achieving this. Google looks at the simple, obvious information in your headings and opening content. If you want to attract customers with a specific need, you need a page which exists only to convince Google you can service that need. For example, a typical search speaks the customer’s exact problem, e.g. “Boiler repair”, rather than a general “I need a plumber” search. Your site must be set up for both, which involves having a home page for your plumbing business and a page for boiler repair. Each page must be set up so Google can see why you are a relevant match for the query.
The other part of how Google works out relevance is simply distance. Even if the searcher doesn’t specify an area, Google knows where the searcher is, and unless it thinks your business serves the user’s location, you will lose out to businesses that do. Since you can’t easily change where you are, the thing to focus on here is making sure Google is clear about that which is covered below.
Authority
Once Relevance is in place, next, Google needs to be convinced that your business is connected to the rest of the web in ways that it recognises. One important thing to get right that is a quick win, is making sure that your business is registered with all the relevant directories for your sector that Google assigns authority to, such as Yell. It is also important that your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) details are completely consistent and match your site. But directories are not the only way to gain authority. Any site you can be mentioned by or linked to that Google trusts will impact your authority.
This is where social media and blog posting can move the dial. You may have heard that social media posting can help, but it is important to understand why.
Even if a post never goes viral, it can still help. Google already trusts those sites, so each mention is another reference point that your business is real, which makes it more likely you show up when someone searches.
Being mentioned elsewhere on the web is often referred to as having backlinks. There are many other ways to get backlinks that work. One effective one is sponsoring local events leading to your business being mentioned on sites which have good levels of trust.
Google tries to play down the concept of authority, but it has been proven to be relevant to how to get found. Their own published guidelines instead talk about ‘prominence’, which is covered here.
Last, but definitely not least is reviews. Google and AI search place a lot of importance in how reviews paint a picture of your business. Factors that matter are: volume, rating, recency and replies.
Verification
One of the most important things for a business wishing to show up in Google searches is to create and manage a Google Business Profile. Setting one up can only be done when you provide evidence that your business is genuine. Failing to go through this step will severely hamper your ability to get found. Having one set up properly is a game changer. Just like with your website, there are specific things you need to do on your GBP to make it work for you.
These include picking the right category for your business, and also documenting services your business performs, much like what was mentioned in website structure.
All the business details (NAP) need to match your website, and working hours and bank holiday availability need to be listed.
Keeping your GBP up to date with Google review replies, and making regular posts on completed jobs, new services or special offers is the final and most overlooked thing necessary for best results.
Traditional SEO
For a long time, and before AI emerged, SEO ran along similar lines. The game was about making sure that your business showed up in the Google results when certain searches were made.
There is an entire industry made up of agencies who play a cat and mouse game with Google trying to work out how Google works and use that to help customers rank in the first page of search results.
People refer to these nowadays as the ‘blue links’. These days, the number of businesses that get found through a click on a blue link has diminished enormously. In general what are known as ‘zero-click’ searches can be up to 60% of all searches. The picture changes for Local SEO, where clicks are still falling through to businesses, largely through the Map Pack.
Since many searches get ‘swallowed’ by the AI summary or the Map Pack, you might question why it is still important to get your search rank as high as it can go. The reason it is still important is that it still feeds AI mentions and the Map Pack.