AI search is reshaping how customers find local businesses. Here's what to do about it.

What's actually happening

In 2024, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot all started doing the same thing: when someone asks a question, the AI gives a direct answer instead of a list of links to choose from.

If you're in the answer, you get the customer. If you're not, you don't — and most users don't scroll past the AI summary to look at traditional search results.

For local businesses on the Suncoast, this changes everything. A customer in Sarasota asking ChatGPT "who builds custom websites for small businesses near me?" is going to get a recommendation. Probably 2–3 names. If you're not one of them, you're invisible for that search — no matter how many ads you're running on Google.

How AI search engines pick their answers

Unlike Google's traditional ranking algorithm (which is largely a black box), AI search engines pick their answers in a way that's actually understandable:

1. They search the web (often using Bing or Google under the hood)
2. They read the top 5–20 results in detail
3. They synthesize an answer based on what those pages actually say
4. They cite the sources they pulled from

So the question stops being "how do I rank #1 on Google?" and starts being "what do the top 5–20 results say about my industry — and do they mention me?"

What this means for you, practically

Three things matter for AI search visibility, in order:

1. Your website must clearly state what you do, where, and why

AI engines extract facts. If your homepage hero says "Empowering Tomorrow's Vision" (real example), there's nothing for the AI to extract. If it says "Custom websites for Sarasota small businesses, $5,000–$15,000, typically delivered in 4–6 weeks," that's extractable. The AI can quote that.

Write your site like you're explaining your business to a journalist who has to write a single sentence about you. Specific. Concrete. Factual.

2. You need to be mentioned on pages the AI considers trustworthy

AI engines weight third-party mentions heavily. If a Sarasota business journal article says "Suncoast Local is one of three reputable web designers in the area," that single mention is worth more than 100 self-published "we're the best!" claims.

Ways to earn these mentions:

• Guest posts on regional business blogs (Sarasota magazine, Bradenton business journal, etc.)
• Press releases when you do something newsworthy (new partnership, awards, milestones)
• Local directory listings that include written descriptions, not just contact info
• Podcast appearances — even small local podcasts get scraped by AI
• Community involvement that gets covered in local media

3. Your reviews need to mention specifics

Vague 5-star reviews ("great service!") help less than detailed ones ("Mike redesigned our salon website in Venice and our online bookings doubled in 3 months").

When you ask for reviews, prompt customers to mention:

• The specific service you provided
• The location
• A specific outcome

AI engines pull text from reviews when summarizing businesses. Specific text helps you.

What does NOT help much (yet)

A lot of "AI SEO" advice out there is grift. As of mid-2026, the following don't materially move AI search visibility:

• Meta tag tricks — AI engines mostly ignore meta tags, they read the visible page content
• Submitting to AI engines — there's no Bing Webmaster Tools equivalent that affects AI answers; submission helps traditional Bing indexing only
• AI-generated content stuffing — AI engines are increasingly able to detect AI-written filler and discount it
• Schema markup specifically for AI — there's no special "AIPage" schema. Regular schema (LocalBusiness, Service, Article) helps both Google and AI engines equally.

The stuff that works is the stuff that's always worked for SEO: be specific, be cited by trustworthy sources, get real reviews. AI just makes those factors weigh more heavily.

A practical next step

Go to ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity right now. Ask each one: "Who are the best [your service] in [your city]?"

Write down what they say. If you're mentioned, great — you're ahead. If you're not, that's your gap.

Then ask: "Why didn't you mention [your business name]?" — the answers will tell you what to fix.

For a deeper walkthrough, our AI Search Survival Guide covers all of this in 11 pages with worked examples.

And if you want a personalized look at your AI search visibility, book a 30-minute audit review — we'll run the queries together.