There’s a conversation happening in every marketing meeting right now. Someone mentions ChatGPT, someone else mentions “AI search”, and suddenly everyone’s wondering whether the SEO budget they’ve been investing in is about to become obsolete.
We get it. The landscape is shifting, and it can feel like the rules are being rewritten overnight.
But here’s our honest take — the rules haven’t changed as much as you think. And for local businesses in Yorkshire and beyond, that’s actually good news.
So What’s All This About AI Search?
When people talk about “AI search,” they’re referring to tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, and others — platforms where instead of getting a list of blue links, you get a direct answer generated by artificial intelligence.
There’s even a new term doing the rounds: GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation. It’s the practice of making sure your business gets cited and mentioned when AI tools are answering questions relevant to your industry.
And the numbers are starting to back up why businesses are paying attention. Research suggests that a meaningful chunk of the population is already turning to AI platforms as their first port of call for research and buying decisions. Early data also points to something interesting — visitors who arrive via AI search tend to convert at a notably higher rate than those coming through traditional search. They’ve already done their research. They’re ready to act.
So yes — AI search is real, it’s growing, and it matters.
But Here’s What Nobody’s Telling You
All those AI tools — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews, all of them — have to get their information from somewhere.
They’re not making it up (well, sometimes they are, which is a problem for another blog). But in the main, they’re pulling from the web. From indexed content. From websites that Google already trusts. From businesses with credible, well-structured online presences.
In other words: they’re pulling from businesses that have already done their SEO properly.
This is the bit that tends to get lost in the noise. GEO isn’t some separate discipline you need to bolt on. It’s not a new channel that requires an entirely different budget. For the vast majority of businesses — especially local ones — getting good at AI search visibility means getting good at SEO. Full stop.
Well-written content that answers real questions? SEO.
A technically sound website that AI crawlers can read? SEO.
Authority signals like backlinks and reviews? SEO.
Structured data and schema markup? SEO.
Being cited in credible third-party sources? SEO.
The things that help you rank in Google are the same things that help an AI decide your business is worth mentioning.
What About Local SEO? Because That Matters More Than Ever.
If you’re a local business — a plumber in Leeds, a solicitor in York, a restaurant in Harrogate — local SEO isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the engine that drives enquiries.
And here’s something worth understanding: when someone asks an AI “who’s the best accountant near me?” or “recommend a good builder in York,” the AI is drawing on local signals. Your Google Business Profile. Your reviews. Whether your name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web. Whether local directories list you correctly.
These aren’t new concepts — they’re the bread and butter of local SEO. The businesses that have done this work properly are already better positioned to show up in AI-generated answers, even if they’ve never heard the word GEO.
Local SEO also directly feeds the Google 3-Pack — that map section at the top of search results that gets a disproportionate share of clicks. Getting into the 3-Pack requires trust signals that also help AI understand that your business is legitimate, established, and relevant to the local area.
The two things reinforce each other. Build your local SEO properly, and you’re building your AI search visibility at the same time.
So Should You Be Doing Anything Differently?
There are a few things worth keeping in mind as AI search continues to grow.
Write content that actually answers questions. AI tools favour content that directly addresses what people are asking. If your website only talks about what you do and not how or why, you’re missing an opportunity.
Get your reviews in order. Consistent, genuine reviews on Google and elsewhere aren’t just good for reputation — they’re signals that AI tools use when recommending businesses.
Make sure your website is technically sound. AI crawlers, like search engine crawlers, need to be able to read your site properly. If your site is slow, hard to navigate, or poorly structured, that matters.
Be consistent across the web. Your business name, address, and phone number should match everywhere they appear online. Citations in local directories remain a strong trust signal.
Keep your Google Business Profile active. Regular posts, updated information, photos, and responses to reviews all contribute to your local search presence — and by extension, your AI search presence.
None of this is new. This is what good SEO has always looked like.
The Bottom Line
AI search isn’t replacing SEO — it’s extending it. The businesses that show up in AI-generated answers are overwhelmingly the ones that have invested in building a credible, well-optimised online presence.
For local businesses, this is genuinely good news. You don’t need a new strategy. You need to do the existing strategy properly.
If you’re not showing up well in Google, there’s a very good chance you’re not showing up in AI search either. Fix the SEO, and you fix both.
That’s what we do at MW Digital Yorkshire. Straightforward SEO that gets local businesses found — whether someone’s searching on Google, asking ChatGPT, or doing both before they pick up the phone.
If you’d like a no-pressure review of where your business currently stands, get in touch. We’ll tell you honestly what’s working, what isn’t, and what we’d recommend you do next.
MW Digital Yorkshire — SEO for SMEs that want more enquiries, not just more traffic.