What’s changed with Google search?
People used to search, scroll and click. Now they often get the answer right at the top of the page, written by AI. Many never click a website at all.
This is a big shift. Google says its AI Overviews reach over 2.5 billion people every month. Its AI Mode, a chat-style version of search, passed 1 billion monthly users in about a year. On top of that, ChatGPT has 900 million weekly users.
Your customers are using these tools. The question is whether those tools are mentioning you.
Are fewer people clicking on websites?
Yes. And it’s now been measured properly.
- Ahrefs studied 300,000 searches. When an AI summary showed up, the top result got 58% fewer clicks.
- A randomised study of over 1,000 Chrome users, the first of its kind, found AI summaries reduced clicks to websites by about 40%.
That means a business can rank number one and still lose most of its visitors to the AI answer above it.
What does it mean to be “cited” by AI?
When AI tools write an answer, they pull information from websites. Being “cited” can mean three different things:
- Used as a source. The AI read your page, but might not say your name.
- Named. The AI mentions your business in the answer.
- Recommended. The AI suggests your business as a good option.
Number three is the one that wins customers. That’s what puts you on someone’s shortlist.
How does AI choose which businesses to recommend?
AI looks at what lots of different websites say about you. If many trusted places mention you in the same way, AI feels confident naming you.
The research backs this up:
- Ahrefs looked at 75,000 brands. Mentions of a brand around the web were linked to AI visibility about three times more strongly than backlinks. YouTube mentions had the strongest link of all.
- Moz looked at around 40,000 searches. 88% of the sources Google’s AI Mode used were not in the normal top 10 results.
So ranking well still helps AI find you. But being talked about is what gets you named.
What can my business do to get recommended by AI?
Here’s the simple four-step approach I use:
1. Be clear about who you are
Use one clear description of your business everywhere. Your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, Facebook and any directories. Same name, same address, same services. Old details and mixed messages confuse AI.
2. Put your best answer first
A study of 1.2 million ChatGPT responses found 44% of quotes came from the first 30% of a page. So start each page and each section with a short, direct answer. Use headings that sound like real questions, like the ones on this page.
3. Share what only you know
AI can already write generic advice. It needs a reason to choose you. Share real results, real prices, real examples and your own opinions. That’s what makes you worth quoting.
4. Get mentioned elsewhere
This is the step most businesses skip. Aim for local news coverage, podcast or YouTube appearances, reviews on trusted sites and genuine chat in community groups. The more good places that mention you, the more confident AI becomes.
How can I check if AI is mentioning my business?
You can do a quick check yourself in about 30 minutes:
- Write 10 questions your customers ask before buying. For example, “best [your service] in [your town]” or “[your business] vs [competitor]”.
- Ask each one in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google.
- For each answer, note whether you’re named, which competitors are named and which websites are used as sources.
- Check for mistakes, like old prices, wrong opening hours or services you no longer offer.
- Look at the sources. Those websites are where you want to be mentioned.
What mistakes should I avoid?
- Pumping out AI-written content. If AI could write it, AI doesn’t need to quote you.
- Hoping for a magic fix. Some people push tricks like an “llms.txt” file. There’s no proof it helps you get recommended.
- Only counting clicks. People can see your name in an AI answer without ever visiting your site.
- Ignoring wrong information. If AI describes you incorrectly, customers believe it. Fix it at the source.
How do I measure AI visibility?
Track it separately from normal website traffic:
- How often you’re named compared to competitors, across the same set of questions.
- Whether the details are right and whether the tone is positive.
- Knock-on signs, like more people searching your business name or typing your web address directly.
It also seems to help your ads. Seer Interactive found that when a brand was cited in Google’s AI summary, its ads on the same search got clicked noticeably more often: 15.74% of the time, compared with 11.19% when it wasn’t cited.
How long does it take?
Months, not weeks. Be wary of anyone promising overnight results. Updating your information and content can start showing up in AI search tools within a few months. Changing how AI generally talks about your industry takes longer, because it depends on other people mentioning you over time.
Can small businesses compete with big brands?
Yes. AI likes clear, specific expertise. A local business with clear information and a strong reputation in its niche can be named ahead of a much bigger company with fuzzy messaging.
The bottom line
Search didn’t go away. It moved into the answer.
The businesses AI recommends are easy to understand, easy to quote, backed by real proof and talked about by others. Start with the 30-minute check. If the results surprise you, that’s the most useful thing you’ll learn about your marketing this year.
Want to know if AI is recommending you or your competitors? I’ll run the check for you and show you what to fix. Book a free intro call: calendly.com/theadvertelixir/introductory-call
