AI SEO for Small Business: Cutting Through the Hype
By Web Vine Marketing — a one-person shop that believes in plain talk, transparent pricing, and doing only what moves the needle.
The Pitch You’re Probably Hearing
“AI is changing everything. You need AI SEO. We have a proprietary system. Pay us to get you into ChatGPT’s ‘best pizza’ list.”
Here’s the truth: AI tools don’t have a magical, separate ranking system. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT aren’t “ranking” your business with secret knobs and dials. They lean on standard trust signals: the same fundamentals of SEO, structured data (JSON-LD/Schema), a strong local presence, brand mentions, and reviews. If someone is selling you a special “AI SEO loophole,” they’re just rebranding the basics.
How AI Actually Decides Who’s “Best”
When you ask an AI model, “What’s the best café in Dutchess County?” a few things can happen:
- It generalizes from patterns it learned during training (not the real-time web).
- If it does browse the web, it still relies on publicly available data, citations, reviews, awards, and well-optimized sites—aka standard SEO inputs.
- It favors entities with clear, consistent, machine-readable signals: your Google Business Profile, NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone), and Schema markup.
No LLM has a “native SEO” you can hack. You win the same way you always have: with clarity, authority, trust, and structure.
JSON-LD / Schema: Why It Matters to AI
Schema (structured data) is how you speak to machines clearly. When your site tells search engines and AIs “I’m a Local Business, here’s my address, hours, reviews, and services,” you make it easier for them to surface accurate information.
Here’s a basic Local Business JSON-LD template you can adapt:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"url": "https://yourdomain.com",
"image": "https://yourdomain.com/logo.png",
"telephone": "+1-845-555-1234",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Harry St",
"addressLocality": "Lagrange",
"addressRegion": "NY",
"postalCode": "12222",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"priceRange": "$$",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/yourpage",
"https://www.instagram.com/yourhandle"
],
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.7",
"reviewCount": "214"
}
}
</script>Red Flags: When “AI SEO” Is Just Snake Oil
If you hear any of these, pause before you pay:
- “We can guarantee you’ll show up in ChatGPT’s ‘best of’ lists.”
- “We built a proprietary AI prompt system that makes AIs recommend you.”
- “Pay monthly for AI-ready metadata that’s just free Schema you can add once.”
- “AEO is the New SEO.” (AEO is just a part of SEO).
What’s Still 100% Worth Doing
1. Google Business Profile Dialed In
Keep your categories, hours, services, and products accurate. Use Posts, respond to Q&A, and encourage real, specific reviews.
2. Consistent NAP Across the Web
Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number are identical everywhere (GBP, Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, Facebook, etc.).
3. Structured Data (Schema JSON-LD)
Implement accurate, validated Schema for your business type, FAQs, and services. Keep it synced with on-page info.
4. Fast, Human-Friendly Website
Focus on Core Web Vitals, clean navigation, and content that actually answers user questions.
