Your questions answered. No technical jargon. Just the reality of how people find businesses now.
AI-driven search is when people ask questions to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Siri, or Alexa instead of typing into Google. In 2026, over 40% of searches now happen this way—especially for local services.
If your business isn't optimized for how AI models find and present information, you're invisible to nearly half your potential customers. When someone asks "Who's the best plumber in St. George?" to ChatGPT, your business either appears in the answer or it doesn't. There's no page 2.
Yes, but it's no longer the only game in town. Think of it like this: traditional SEO is your old landline phone, AI SEO is your smartphone. You could keep both, but one is clearly the future.
The businesses winning in 2026 are optimized for both—and the good news is the technical work often overlaps. When we implement proper structured data for AI models, Google benefits too. You're not paying twice for two separate things.
Three critical elements:
Code that tells AI models exactly what your business does, where you serve, your prices, hours, and services. This is the language AI speaks. Without it, AI models can't understand your business well enough to recommend you.
Instead of keyword-stuffed paragraphs, you need clear answers to questions your customers actually ask. AI models extract direct answers—if your content is optimized for 2015 Google, it's invisible to 2026 AI.
AI models favor fast, mobile-friendly sites that load in under 2 seconds. Slow sites don't just frustrate users—they signal low quality to AI systems deciding which businesses to recommend.
Most websites built before 2024 have none of this. That's the opportunity.
Ask yourself these questions:
If you answered no to any of these, you're losing business to AI-optimized competitors right now. The gap widens every month.
Traditional SEO agencies optimize for Google's algorithm—keyword research, backlinks, meta descriptions. That worked great in 2015.
We optimize for how AI models extract and present information. That means structured data, entity relationships, and content formatted for AI extraction.
Think of it this way: traditional SEO tries to rank your website. AI SEO makes your business the answer AI gives—whether the searcher visits your site or not.
It depends on your current setup:
A rebuild on modern infrastructure is often faster and cheaper than trying to fix fundamental issues. We'll audit your site and give you an honest answer—not just try to sell you the most expensive option.
Dramatic improvements in site speed and proper structured data implementation (verifiable in Google's Rich Results Test).
Google recognizes and displays your enhanced schema. AI models begin extracting accurate business information. Improved rankings for answer-based queries.
Measurable increases in AI search appearances. More qualified leads finding you through specific questions. Better conversion rates (AI-driven traffic is higher intent).
Authority in your local area for your service category. Consistent AI search visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Reduced dependence on paid ads.
Important: Unlike traditional SEO where you're fighting algorithm changes, AI optimization benefits compound. Once AI models recognize your business as authoritative, they continue citing you.
Every industry benefits, but some see faster results based on search volume and question frequency:
• Home services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical)
• Medical and dental practices
• Legal services
• Restaurants & food service
• Real estate
• Retail businesses
• Professional services (accounting, consulting)
• B2B services
• Specialized manufacturing
• Niche professional services
The difference is search volume. High-volume local queries like "emergency plumber near me" see results faster than specialized B2B searches.
Fair question. Here's the reality:
• Learned SEO in 2010-2020
• Offer packages built for old Google algorithm
• Report on "keyword rankings" (increasingly irrelevant)
• Often outsource work overseas
• You'll never meet them in person
• I live in St. George, meet me in person
• I build sites how AI models need them
• I code everything myself
• I track AI appearances, not just rankings
• You know where I live—I'm accountable
Plus: I coach youth soccer at Tech Ridge. If you work with me and it doesn't work, you know exactly where to find me. That's real accountability.
This website you're reading right now is the proof. If you found me through AI search, you've already experienced what I'll build for you.
It's not—but let's say it was. Everything we do for AI optimization also improves:
You're not betting on a fad—you're future-proofing while making your current site better. Even if everyone went back to Google tomorrow (they won't), you'd still have a faster, better-structured site that ranks higher.
Technically, yes. Practically, no.
You could learn JSON-LD schema, Astro.js development, structured data validation, content strategy, and AI model behavior patterns. It'll take 200-300 hours of learning plus 40-80 hours of implementation for your site.
Or you can hire me and have it done correctly in 2-4 weeks while you run your business.
Simple Math:
Your hourly rate × 250 hours to learn and implement = way more than my fee.
Most business owners know their time is worth more than the cost of hiring an expert.
Email me at mike@techridgeseo.com
I'll respond within 24 hours (usually same day). We'll schedule a 30-minute call where I'll:
No sales pitch. No pressure. If it makes sense, we work together. If it doesn't, I'll tell you and possibly refer you to someone better suited.
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