Your Website Isn't Working Because…
…People Don't Search Like They Used To
Had coffee with a former client last week who was about ready to throw her laptop out the window. Guess what she said?
"I spent $8,000 on this website. Perfect SEO score. First page of Google. And last month? Two leads. TWO. Meanwhile, my competitor who can barely spell is somehow everywhere."
"Someone told me I need to optimize for AI now? What does that even mean? I just figured out what a meta description is."
Sound familiar?
The game changed and nobody sent you the memo.
Remember When We Just Had to Worry About Google?
You learned about keywords. Maybe you started a blog (that you abandoned after three posts, but hey, you tried). You finally started ranking. Life was good.
Now? Your kid asks ChatGPT for restaurant recommendations. Your clients are asking Claude to write their contracts. Your mother -YOUR MOTHER- is asking ClaudeAI which plumber to call and what to ask them, instead of asking you.
And here you are, still optimizing for Google and waiting for leads.
SEO vs AIO: The Difference
SEO is like making sure you're in the phone book. Remember phone books? You're making sure when someone looks up "plumber," they find you.
AIO is like making sure when someone asks their smartest friend for a recommendation, that friend knows who you are and why you're good.
Your beautiful, SEO-optimized website? ChatGPT might have no idea it exists.
I'm serious. You could rank #1 on Google for "best accountant in Denver" and when someone asks AI "I need an accountant in Denver who works with creative businesses," AI might recommend three of your competitors instead.
Want to know why?
How AI Decides You're Worth Recommending (Spoiler: It's Weird)
AI doesn't just scan your homepage and call it a day. It's looking for stories. Context. Proof you're real and know what you're doing.
Your competitor's ugly website that ranks nowhere? They might have a blog post titled "How I Helped a Denver Brewery Save $30K on Taxes" with actual details. Another page explaining their process. A FAQ that answers twenty real questions.
Your website says "We provide comprehensive tax solutions."
Guess who AI thinks is more helpful
Things Businesses Are Missing Out On
Last week alone, I watched people ask AI:
"Find me a contractor who won't ghost me after getting a deposit"
"Which dentist in Boston explains what they're doing and is trauma informed?"
"I need a divorce lawyer who won't make me feel stupid for asking questions"
These are conversations. And if your website doesn't sound like you could answer these questions at a bar, AI won't recommend you.
The Stuff That Works (I’ve Tested This)
1. Stop Writing Like a Corporation Write like you'd explain your job to someone at your kid's soccer game.
2. Answer the Awkward Questions You know those questions every client asks that make you die inside because you've answered them 1,000 times? PUT THEM ON YOUR WEBSITE. All of them. Even "Do you take credit cards?" Even "Can I text you instead of calling?"
3. Tell Stories With Numbers Not "we help businesses grow." Try "We helped Tom's Pizza go from 10 online orders a week to 150 by fixing three things on his website." See the difference?
4. Explain Your Process Like They're Five Not actually five. But close. "First, we meet for coffee. Then I look at your books. Then I tell you where you're bleeding money. Then we fix it." AI loves this stuff.
5. Update Something Every Month That blog you started in 2019 with three posts about "Why Accounting Matters"? It's making you look dead. Add something. Anything. "Tax Changes for 2024" takes 20 minutes to write.
6. Write Headlines As Questions People Actually Ask "How much does a new roof actually cost in Boston?" beats "Roofing Services" every time.
7. Brag With Specifics "In business since 2010, completed 400+ roofs, licensed, insured, BBB A+ rating" tells AI you're legit. "Experienced roofer" tells it nothing.
This Changes Everything
You don't have to choose.
Everything that makes AI recommend you also makes Google love you. Clear explanations? Google wants that. Answering questions? Google's into it. Fresh content? Google's all about it.
The only difference? AI wants you to sound like a human who actually knows what they're talking about. Google's starting to want that too.
Your Move
Tonight, pick ONE page on your website. Just one. Your main service page is usually good.
Read it out loud. If you sound like a robot having a stroke, rewrite it like you're explaining to a neighbor. Include:
What you actually do (in normal words)
Who you do it for (specifically)
What happens when someone hires you (step by step)
What it costs (or at least "typically between X and Y")
Why you instead of someone else (real reasons, not "we care")
That's it. One page.
Want to know how to do all the AIO things?
I wrote it all down. Every single thing you need to change. Templates. Examples.
Just "change this specific thing on this specific page" instructions + explainations.
You've got better things to do than learn marketing. You just need your website to work so you can get back to actually running your business.
Get the guide here when you are ready.
