SEO for a search landscape that is no longer limited to Google and keywords
People now discover businesses through conventional search results, Google Maps, reviews, recommendations, social platforms and AI assistants. I help businesses create a clearer, more credible online presence that can be understood by people, search engines and the systems increasingly shaping what gets recommended.
Your business needs to be findable, understandable and recommendable
Keywords still matter, but they are now one part of a wider picture. Strong visibility depends on useful content, clear business information, genuine expertise, external proof and a website that connects those signals properly.
Appear where potential customers research their options
Make your services and expertise unmistakably clear
Build the evidence that supports trust and recommendation
Search has not disappeared. It has spread into more places.
A potential customer may still type a service and location into Google. But they may also ask ChatGPT to compare options, use Google Maps, watch a video, read Reddit discussions, check reviews or ask an AI-generated summary for an immediate answer.
This does not make traditional SEO irrelevant. It means SEO must become broader. Your website should perform in search results while also giving recommendation systems and AI assistants clear, reliable reasons to understand, mention and cite your business.
If you are deciding where to invest first, read my practical guide comparing SEO and Google Ads.
One business presence, built for four discovery environments
These environments overlap. The strongest strategy does not chase each platform separately; it creates a consistent body of useful information and trusted evidence that can travel across all four.
Human search
Content must answer real questions, reduce uncertainty and help a potential customer decide whether your service is right for them.
Traditional search
Pages still need relevant topics, sound technical foundations, useful internal links and a clear match with the intention behind a search.
Recommended search
Maps, reviews, directories, comparison sites, communities and videos influence which businesses enter a customer’s shortlist.
AI and LLM search
AI assistants need clear facts, meaningful context and trustworthy corroboration before they can confidently cite or recommend a business.
Google remains important, but discovery and clicks are changing
It would be misleading to claim that nobody uses Google anymore. Google remains dominant and says its AI features are generating more searches. The measurable change is that more journeys involve AI, and many Google searches now end without a click to a website.
8% clicked when an AI summary appeared
Pew Research analysed browsing data from 900 US adults. Traditional results received clicks in 8% of visits with a Google AI summary, compared with 15% without one. Only 1% clicked a source inside the summary.
AI referrals grew 357% year on year
Similarweb estimated that AI platforms generated 1.13 billion referral visits in June 2025. Google still generated approximately 191 billion, but AI referrals had increased by 357% from the previous June.
25% less traditional search volume forecast
Gartner forecast that conventional search-engine volume would decline by 25% by 2026 as AI chatbots and virtual assistants absorbed queries. This is a forecast rather than a measurement of completed decline.
Google says AI is increasing some searches
Google reported that AI Overviews produced more than a 10% increase in usage for the types of queries showing them in its largest markets. Search is changing inside Google as well as beyond it.
Practical optimisation for search, recommendations and AI discovery
Every project is prioritised around the current website, competitive landscape and commercial goals. Ongoing SEO is quoted according to the scope rather than sold as an identical package to every business.
Search behaviour and intent research
Identify the questions, comparisons, topics and commercially relevant searches customers use—not simply a list of high-volume keywords.
Human-centred content improvement
Strengthen important pages so they explain the service clearly, address genuine concerns and make the next step easier.
Traditional on-page SEO
Improve page titles, headings, topical coverage, metadata, image context and internal links so search engines can interpret each page properly.
AI-readable business information
Make services, people, locations, specialisms and relationships explicit so answer engines have less ambiguity about the business.
Technical and structured foundations
Review crawlability, indexing, page experience, site structure and appropriate structured data that support machine understanding.
Authority and recommendation signals
Identify useful opportunities for reviews, profiles, citations, case studies, specialist content and independent corroboration.
What stronger content is likely to look like now
A useful page is made from connected information nuggets: concise facts and answers that work independently, while also contributing to a fuller picture of the subject and the business.
A direct answer
Each important question receives a clear response early, without forcing the reader through unnecessary introductory copy.
Specific supporting detail
Prices, processes, limitations, locations, examples and definitions make an answer more useful and reduce ambiguity.
Evidence and experience
Case studies, first-hand observations, named expertise, reviews and reliable sources give claims substance.
Connected context
Internal links and a logical content hierarchy show how services, problems, locations and expertise relate to one another.
Rankings still matter, but they no longer tell the whole story
Search visibility should still be measured through relevant rankings, impressions, clicks, organic traffic and enquiries. Depending on the project, it can also involve local visibility, branded searches, review growth, citations, AI referrals and whether the business appears in answer-engine responses.
Not every AI mention produces a trackable website visit. That makes honest measurement more difficult, not less important. I focus on useful indicators and commercial outcomes rather than presenting speculative visibility as guaranteed revenue.
For businesses that want to build visibility as a long-term asset
This is most useful when your customers research before buying, your services have meaningful search demand, and you are prepared to improve the substance of the website—not merely adjust a few keywords.
Businesses with expertise that is not yet visible online
You know your subject and answer valuable customer questions every day, but your website does not yet capture that knowledge or communicate it clearly.
Businesses relying too heavily on referrals
You want more potential customers to discover and assess the business before somebody personally recommends you.
Businesses preparing for future search
You want strong Google foundations while also making the business easier for recommendation and AI systems to understand.
Direct, prioritised work based on your actual visibility gaps
I handle the work directly rather than passing it to an outsourced SEO team. The starting priorities depend on the condition of the website, the market and the information customers need before choosing you.
Review the current picture
I assess the website, existing search visibility, important services, competitors, local presence and the main gaps in information or trust.
Research how customers discover and decide
I identify relevant searches, questions, comparison behaviour, topics and recommendation sources rather than relying on keywords alone.
Strengthen the foundations and content
Priority pages are improved through clearer information, on-page optimisation, technical changes, internal links and stronger evidence.
Measure, learn and expand
Performance data and new visibility opportunities guide the next improvements, content and authority-building work.
Common questions about SEO and AI search
Is traditional SEO becoming obsolete?
No. Search engines still influence enormous numbers of decisions, and many AI systems draw upon information they find across the searchable web. Strong technical foundations, useful pages and authority remain valuable; the opportunity is now broader than conventional rankings.
Can you guarantee that ChatGPT or Google will recommend my business?
No credible provider can guarantee rankings, citations or AI recommendations. The work can make the business clearer, better evidenced and easier for these systems to understand, but the platforms control their own results.
How long does SEO take to work?
SEO is normally a medium- to long-term investment. Some technical or page improvements can have an earlier effect, while meaningful growth usually develops as the site, content and authority become stronger.
Do I need to publish large numbers of articles?
Not necessarily. A smaller collection of useful, original and commercially relevant pages is often more valuable than producing generic articles simply to maintain a publishing schedule.
Do you write content for people or algorithms?
For people first, but with a structure machines can interpret. The content should be clear and persuasive to a customer while making its subject, evidence and relationship to the business explicit.
How is AI visibility measured?
Measurement is still developing. Depending on the project, useful indicators may include AI referrals, citations, brand mentions, branded search growth and repeated prompt testing—alongside ordinary search, local visibility and enquiry data.
Do I need a new website first?
Not always. A sound existing website can often be improved. If structural, content or usability problems are severe, rebuilding key parts may be more cost-effective than repeatedly working around them.
How much does ongoing SEO cost?
It is quoted according to the current website, competition and amount of research, content and implementation required. I will recommend a realistic scope before ongoing work begins.
Want your business to remain visible as search changes?
Tell me about your website, your services and where new enquiries currently come from. I will look at the most important visibility gaps and recommend a practical next step.