I asked an AI assistant the other day to recommend a travel gear shop. Three names came up. I've used all three. But I know a fourth shop, run by a guy in Portugal, who does better work than any of them. He wasn't mentioned at all.
That's not because his business is bad. It's because AI couldn't find a reason to mention him.
Here's the thing that's worth thinking about if you run a business, big or small: AI search is changing how people find providers, but it hasn't changed what actually works. The fundamentals still matter. You just have to make them visible in a new way.
I dug into this because it's exactly the kind of puzzle I like — why does one business show up and another doesn't? Turns out there's no secret formula. Different AI tools pull from different sources. One test proves nothing. But there are seven practical fixes that make a real difference, and none of them require hiring a tech wizard.
Start With the Questions Customers Actually Ask
Forget your polished marketing language. Nobody asks an AI assistant, "Who delivers transformational synergy solutions?" They ask real questions, like "Who helps regional banks prepare for a security audit?"
Write down 10 of these real questions pulled from actual sales calls and emails. Test them across a couple of AI tools. Keep a simple spreadheet — date, question, who got mentioned, who didn't. Do this once a month and patterns start showing up.
Fix Your Homepage Opener
If a stranger can't understand what you do in 10 seconds, that's a problem no amount of SEO can fix. Ditch the vague stuff and say it plainly: "We help [specific people] solve [specific problem] through [specific thing], so they can [specific result]." Then back it up with proof — an example, a credential, a real number.
Answer the Five Questions That Come Right Before Someone Buys
Ask your sales team what questions always come up right before a customer says yes. Price ranges. Timelines. Limitations. Most businesses hide this stuff or bury it in a generic FAQ page. Put real, specific answers directly on the pages where people are deciding. That's not just good for AI — it's good manners.
Swap Vague Claims for Real Evidence
"Industry-leading." "Trusted." "Innovative." These words mean nothing because anyone can say them. I'd rather read one honest case study with real numbers and a clear before-and-after than ten pages of buzzwords. Evidence builds trust. Buzzwords just take up space.
Clear the Technical Clutter
You can write the best page in the world, and a broken setting can keep it invisible. Check your five most important pages. Make sure they're indexed, readable, and linked properly. This isn't glamorous work, but it's often the difference between showing up and disappearing entirely.
Build Credibility Outside Your Own Website
Your website is a controlled space — of course it says nice things about you. Buyers (and AI tools) look elsewhere too: industry groups, press, reviews, directories. Make sure your name, credentials, and details are accurate everywhere, then find one real opportunity to contribute something worth citing, like original data or expert insight.
Measure What Actually Matters
Getting mentioned by an AI tool feels good, but it doesn't pay the bills. Track real outcomes — meetings booked, leads, revenue. One solid business metric beats a dashboard full of flattering screenshots.
A Seven-Day Reset
Spread these fixes across a week: one day for questions, one for your homepage, one for FAQs, one for proof, one for technical cleanup, one for outside profiles, and one to review and plan the next month.
Don't expect overnight miracles. Search systems take time to catch up. But you'll have done the real work — the kind that also helps actual humans find you, not just algorithms.
I've learned this much from running my own projects while bouncing around the world since 2017: clarity beats cleverness every time. You don't need to outsmart AI. You just need to be the business that's easiest to understand.
So, what happens when you finally let a stranger read your homepage out loud to you? Try it this week. You might be surprised what you learn.
Source: Entrepreneur
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