SEO vs AI SEO: How Small Businesses Get Found In A Search And AI World

The way people look for businesses online is changing.

They still type phrases into Google. But they also ask questions in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. That means your business now needs to be “findable” in two places:

1. Traditional search results

2. AI-generated answers

This is where SEO and AI SEO work together.

Below is a simple, non-technical breakdown of what all this means and how Greatson Media helps small businesses show up in both.

What Is SEO in Plain English?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of making your website easier for Google and other search engines to:

1. Find

2. Understand

3. Rank above your competitors

In simple terms, SEO helps answer this question:

“When someone searches for what I do, does my business show up near the top, or do they only see my competitors?”

Traditional SEO focuses on things like:

• Keywords: The phrases people type, like “Portland Maine web designer” or “emergency plumber near me”

• On-page structure: Clear headings, simple page layout, readable text

• Technical health: Site speed, mobile-friendliness, security

• Links: Other sites that link to yours, which signal trust and authority

Good SEO brings people from search engines directly to your website.

What Is AI SEO (Sometimes Called GEO, AEO, AIO, or LLMO)?

You may see new acronyms floating around:

• GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

• AEO: Answer Engine Optimization

• AIO / LLMO: AI Optimization / Large Language Model Optimization

Different names, same core idea:

AI SEO is about making sure AI tools can understand your business and are likely to mention or recommend you in their answers.

When someone asks an AI tool:

• “Who are the best web designers in Southern Maine”

• “How do I get more customers from my website”

The AI looks across the web at websites, articles, reviews, videos, and more. Then it generates one combined answer. It may or may not list the sources it used.

With AI SEO, the goal is not just to rank a web page. The goal is to:

• Be referenced, quoted, or recommended inside AI answers

• Make your brand show up when people ask questions related to your services

How Search Engines and AI Tools “See” Your Business

Traditional search engines and AI tools both read your content, but they behave a bit differently.

Search engines like Google

• Look at individual pages

• Use keywords, structure, links, and other signals

• Show a list of links (search results)

• Your goal: get people to click through to your website

AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews

• Read many sources at once

• Try to summarize answers to questions

• Often show only a few links or mentions

• Your goal: get your business named, cited, or recommended in those answers

Because of this, your content needs to work in two ways:

1. As a strong, detailed web page for search engines

2. As clear, short, quotable explanations that AI can easily pull into an answer

What Stays the Same in Both SEO and AI SEO

The foundations of good online visibility have not changed. You still need:

• High-quality content that is accurate and genuinely helpful

• Clear structure: headings, short paragraphs, logical flow

• Real authority: reviews, links, testimonials, and consistent branding

• User-focused writing: speak to real questions and real problems

If you are already investing in honest, useful, easy-to-read content, you are already doing a big part of both SEO and AI SEO.

What Is Different in the AI Era

Where things change is how you package that content and where you show up online.

1. Answer-first content

AI tools like content that:

• Gives a direct answer near the top

• Uses simple language

• Breaks ideas into short, self-contained sections

For example, instead of a long story before you get to the point, you might:

• Start with a short, direct explanation

• Then add examples, details, and stories below

This makes your content easier for both people and AI tools to use.

2. Visibility beyond your website

AI tools do not only read your website. They also pull from:

• Articles and blog posts

• Online reviews

• YouTube videos

• Social posts

• Forums and Q&A sites

That means your brand may benefit from a broader presence, not only a single website.

3. New “success” signals

For traditional SEO, you mainly watch:

• Rankings

• Clicks

• Traffic

For AI SEO, you also start paying attention to:

• How AI tools describe your business

• Whether they mention you at all

• If they recommend your competitors instead

Over time, this “share of voice” inside AI results becomes another way to measure your visibility.

What Small Businesses Can Do Today

You do not need to chase every new acronym. Instead, focus on a few practical steps that work for both SEO and AI SEO.

Step 1: Get your SEO basics right

• Make sure your website is fast, secure, and mobile-friendly

• Use clear page titles and headings that match what people search

• Create service pages that explain who you serve, what you do, and where you are located

Step 2: Answer real questions clearly

• Make a list of common questions your customers ask

• Turn each question into a simple, direct section on your site or blog

• Start each answer with a short, plain-language response, then add more detail

This helps both:

• Humans who want quick clarity

• AI tools that want short, strong explanations to quote

Step 3: Strengthen your “signals of trust”

• Encourage reviews on Google and other platforms

• Show testimonials and case studies on your site

• Make sure your business information (name, address, phone) is consistent across the web

Step 4: Check how AI talks about you

You can experiment by asking AI tools questions like:

• “Who are some web designers in [your city]”

• “Which [your service] providers are in [your area]”

If you are not mentioned, that is a sign you may need:

• Clearer positioning

• Better content

• Stronger online presence

How Greatson Media Helps With SEO and AI SEO

Greatson Media has been helping small businesses build a credible, effective online presence since 2003. Today, that includes both traditional SEO and AI-focused optimization.

Here is how we support you:

• SEO foundations

  • Clean, fast, mobile-friendly websites

  • Structured content that search engines can easily understand

  • On-page optimization using the language your customers actually use

• Content that works for both Google and AI

  • Answer-focused blogs and service pages

  • Clear explanations that AI tools can pull into their responses

  • Messaging that reflects your expertise and unique personality

• AI visibility strategy

  • Guidance on where your brand should show up online

  • Help shaping your content so it is more likely to be cited or referenced

  • Practical, plain-English advice rather than buzzwords

• Ongoing support for small businesses

  • We work with you at a pace and budget that fits a smaller business

  • We explain what we are doing and why, so you are not left guessing

If you are a small business owner who wants to be found in both search results and AI-generated answers, Greatson Media can help you navigate this new landscape without the overwhelm.

You do not need to become an SEO or AI expert. You just need the right partner.

If you are ready to make your website and your brand easier to find, understand, and trust online, Greatson Media is here to guide you using both SEO and AI SEO strategies tailored to your business.

Article By Greatson Media