AI SEO Demystified: Effective Strategies and the Myth of a Perfect Solution
As an SEO strategist and agency owner, I’ve closely witnessed the rapid evolution of the digital landscape, especially over the past year with the rise of AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and other emerging platforms. While some have questioned whether SEO still holds value in this era of zero-click searches, the reality is that SEO is far from obsolete but has simply evolved. In this article, I’ll share insights from my own experience working with clients in the AI space as to what strategies are proving effective, and why it’s important to acknowledge that AI SEO is still a moving target. While some may claim they’ve fully cracked the code, the truth is that AI platforms are constantly evolving, and so must our approaches. Let’s dive into what works, what’s changing, and why flexibility is key.
In today’s digital landscape, whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, having a presence on AI platforms like ChatGPT and appearing in Google’s AI Overviews is inevitable. According to a BrightEdge report from May 2025, ChatGPT usage has surged by 21% in just the past month. Additionally, more complex search queries have seen a 49% increase in AI Overview appearances. This matters because click-through rates on Google have declined by nearly 30%, indicating that users are relying more on these AI-generated summaries and recommendations. When your brand shows up in these AI results, it boosts credibility and trust with potential customers, often leading them to seek you out directly. In short, businesses cannot afford to overlook these platforms if they want to stay competitive and relevant.
As an SEO agency for small businesses, we’ve often seen owners express concern that AI SEO could be dominated by larger brands, leaving little opportunity for smaller players to compete.It’s a concern I’ve heard before in the world of traditional SEO, where it seemed like the big players had all the advantages. However, my experience over the past decade has shown that the right strategies can level the playing field. While it’s true that bigger brands might have more resources and visibility, smaller businesses can absolutely compete and thrive with a solid approach that focuses on user experience and best practices. Ultimately, success in AI SEO isn’t reserved for the giants; with the right strategies, even smaller brands can achieve meaningful visibility and growth.
In my experience, whether it’s AI Overviews or platforms like ChatGPT, certain strategies consistently stand out in creating a strong presence.
• User experience is key
Ensuring your website is technically sound, with fast load times and intuitive navigation, remains fundamental. A great user experience keeps visitors engaged and signals to AI platforms that your site is trustworthy and valuable.
• Content that addresses user intent
Content should directly answer the questions your audience is asking. When your content aligns with user intent and provides real value, it’s more likely to get featured and recommended by AI systems.
• Credible mentions and Backlinks
Being featured or mentioned on reputable websites significantly boosts your visibility. The more credible sources talk about your brand, the more likely it is that AI platforms will recognize and highlight your content.
These strategies aren’t entirely new; they’ve always been important in traditional SEO. While keyword stuffing once had its moment, today’s AI-driven landscape prioritizes genuine user value and seamless experiences. Focusing on these principles can help any brand stand out, regardless of size.
While certain strategies are indeed working, claiming to have completely “cracked” AI SEO raises some serious doubts. The reality is that these AI platforms are still evolving. For instance, the results you get from ChatGPT today might differ tomorrow, sometimes drastically. This inconsistency suggests that the system is still being trained and refined. Additionally, there are times when the information these platforms provide isn’t entirely accurate, or the sources they link to are outdated or incorrect. The same goes for AI Overviews on Google, where sometimes a single brand might appear multiple times in ways that don’t quite make sense. All of this indicates that these AI systems are works in progress, and while we can certainly develop effective strategies, it’s important to remain flexible and honest about the limitations.
In conclusion, I want to encourage all businesses, especially small ones, to pursue visibility on these AI platforms. The potential benefits are immense, and being present can truly lead to breakthrough times for your brand. But remember, whether you outsource seo or hire an in-house resource, no one has a 100% perfect solution just yet. The platforms are still evolving, and so should our strategies. Stay curious, stay adaptable, and make informed decisions for your business.
If you’re rethinking your SEO strategy in light of AI shifts, I’m always open to a conversation. We are a trusted SEO outsourcing company in India, helping small businesses navigate this change successfully.
This article was originally published on my LinkedIn. Shared it here for our website visitors.
What is AEO and How to Optimize your Website for the Answer Engines
We’re living in the age of Artificial Intelligence, and 2024 marked a major shift in how and where people search for information online.
For over a decade, Google has been the dominant player in the search space, handling billions of queries every day. But things are changing. Today, people want faster answers and simpler, more direct information. Instead of scrolling through multiple websites, they prefer clear and immediate responses.
This shift has led to the rise of Answer Engines, platforms like Google’s AI Overview, Perplexity AI, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot. These tools are becoming popular alternatives to traditional search engines like Google and Bing. They don’t just show you a list of links they give you direct answers. As more people turn to these AI platforms, it’s important for website owners and content creators to understand how to adapt. That’s where Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) comes in.
How to Rank on ChatGPT?
This is the million-dollar question every forward-thinking business is either asking now or will be very soon.
Is there a guaranteed way to rank on ChatGPT?
Well, not quite. The AI landscape is evolving rapidly, and there’s no single rulebook yet.
But can you increase your chances of being featured or mentioned by ChatGPT and other AI platforms?
Absolutely!
At Growth Accelerators, we’re a boutique SEO agency, and for over a year, we’ve been closely observing how ChatGPT responds to a variety of user queries. In this blog, we’re sharing our firsthand insights and what we’ve learned along the way.
How ChatGPT Works: A Simple Overview
4.6 billion people visited ChatGPT in Mar 2025, as per latest data by Semrush. Interestingly, 78.6% of these users accessed the platform via desktop, while 21.4% used mobile devices. With an average session duration of nearly 14 minutes, it’s clear that ChatGPT is not only drawing massive traffic but also successfully engaging users. What makes the platform so effective? How does it actually work behind the scenes? In this blog, we break down the workings of ChatGPT in the simplest terms to help you understand the technology powering one of the world’s most visited AI tools. Let’s dive in.
LLM (Large Language Model) and NLP (Natural Language Processing) two core technologies form the backbone of how ChatGPT functions. While closely connected, they are not identical.
What is a Large Language Model (LLM)?
An LLM is a type of artificial intelligence trained on vast volumes of text data including books, articles, websites, and more. Its purpose is to recognize language patterns, enabling it to predict the next word in a sentence, understand questions, and generate coherent responses.
ChatGPT is built on one of the most advanced LLMs to date: GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer). This model is designed to produce human-like responses by calculating the most likely sequence of words based on the context it receives.
What is Natural Language Processing (NLP)?
NLP is a field of artificial intelligence that focuses on enabling machines to comprehend, interpret, and generate human language. It allows ChatGPT to understand input, interpret meaning, grasp grammar, and recognize nuances such as tone or sarcasm.
In summary, LLM is the technology behind the scenes, while NLP is the discipline that shapes how language is processed and understood.
Still technical? A real-life example might help to clear your doubts:
Imagine you’re training a customer support agent:
You give them thousands of previous customer conversations (this is like the LLM training on lots of text).
You also teach them how to pick up on polite or angry tones, understand what the customer really wants, and respond clearly (this is like NLP helping with interpretation and interaction).
Below is an example of a prompt, which will make the implication of LLM and NLP in ChatGPT even more clear:
How Does ChatGPT Handle Indexing of Pages?
Unlike search engines such as Google, ChatGPT does not crawl or index the internet. It does not have a live database of websites. Instead, it relies entirely on its pre-trained knowledge base. Therefore, it cannot guarantee that its responses reflect the most current information unless it’s connected to real-time tools or data sources.
Key differences between ChatGPT and Search Engines
⦿ Search Engines and Indexing:
- Search engines like Google have web crawlers that go through the internet, read web pages, and store the content (like a big library). This is called indexing.
- They use that index to quickly find the most relevant pages when you search for something.
⦿ ChatGPT and Indexing:
- ChatGPT does not actively crawl the web to index pages like Google. Its knowledge is based on the data it was trained on, which includes a large amount of text up to a certain point (until mid-2024 was the latest update).
- It does not fetch real-time or live data from the internet. So, for example, if you ask ChatGPT about a product or news event that happened after its last update, it won’t have access to the latest information.
Having said that, ChatGPT excels at providing generalized knowledge, language-based tasks, content generation, summaries, and explanations with human-like fluency.
Absolutely! Here’s the same step-by-step breakdown but tailored to a business example, specifically for a dentist asking ChatGPT a question. This version will work well for professional audiences, such as clinic owners or marketing teams exploring how ChatGPT might help their practice.
How ChatGPT Works (Step-by-Step Process)
Below is the process of how ChatGPT functions, to make it simpler we have explained it with an example:
Step 1. Input (your question)
A user enters a clear, goal-oriented request.
Example Prompt: “Can you suggest some content ideas for promoting my dental clinic on Instagram?”
Step 2. Understanding (using NLP)
Using Natural Language Processing (NLP), ChatGPT analyzes the input to determine:
- Keywords: “content ideas,” “promoting,” “dental clinic,” “Instagram”
- Context: The user is likely a business owner or marketer looking for social media marketing strategies.
- Intent: They want creative, relevant, and practical content suggestions that align with their profession and platform (Instagram).
Interpretation: The model understands this is about generating social media marketing content specifically for a healthcare business.
Step 3. Processing (using LLM knowledge)
Using its training data, the LLM (Large Language Model) references tons of examples for dental social media marketing best practices..
It matches patterns from previous texts, blog posts, and campaign ideas to create high-value suggestions tailored to a dental clinic.
Step 4. Generating Response
The model crafts a response based on what it has “learned,” aiming for engaging, practical, and platform-appropriate content.
Step 5. Output (the final answer)
The user receives a natural, helpful response that can be directly used or adapted in real business activities.
Answer : Here are some Instagram content ideas for your dental clinic:
– ‘Before and after’ smile transformations (with patient consent)
– Oral hygiene tips in carousel format
– Meet-the-team posts to build trust
– Behind-the-scenes of procedures or tools
– Patient testimonials and review highlights
– Fun dental facts or myths debunked
– Seasonal promotions or appointment reminders”
Want to create visibility on ChatGPT for your business?
Absolutely, you must! A platform visited by billions of people across the world every month should be tapped by businesses of all sizes. If you are a small business and worried about how to crack AI SEO, contact our team at Growth Accelerators. We are a trusted SEO outsourcing partner in India, working with small businesses across the globe. As a boutique SEO agency we are equipped with the latest technical skills for the SEO domain whether for search engines or AI platforms.
Digital Marketing Strategies That Works For Small Businesses
With constantly changing times and evolving technologies, small businesses are doing everything they can to keep up. Whether a business sells online or operates a physical storefront, having a strong online presence for your brand is crucial.
In fact, a study says, 70% of consumers visit a store because of information found online. Today’s buyer is a lot more curious and before making a purchase they are most likely to do a research online looking for reviews or seeking more details about your products/ services. Thus, creating your business presence online will boost your credibility amongst the potential customers.
Being a decade old Boutique SEO agency we have experienced it first hand that using digital marketing effectively, small businesses can reach out to a larger audience in a more economical way. Let’s deep-dive into a few key benefits of digital marketing specifically for a small sized business.
Guide to Conducting Competitor Backlink Analysis Effectively
Link building is one of the most important ranking factors on Google and forms a crucial pillar of a successful SEO strategy. Simply put, link building is a process of getting other websites to link to our site and increasing our site’s credibility, trust and authority for search engines.
Whether you have recently started with your SEO endeavour or looking at revisiting your existing link building strategy, a backlink analysis is inevitable. Let’s first understand the meaning of backlink analysis.
SEO Guide for Small Businesses when launching a New Website
You’re all set! Your imagination has now come to life. All the hard work has definitely paid up for your new, beautiful and shiny website is ready to go live. The website undoubtedly is one of the most critical cornerstones for small businesses.
But certainly, the next most essential aspect is to get your website found.
2 Simple Ways To Delete Reviews From Google
We know how disheartening it is to see such reviews when you do your best to deliver quality. That said, having a negative review isn’t the end of the world. Infact, it is healthy to have few negative reviews along with the positive ones, as it shows you are a real business with genuine reviews from real customers.
So, it is fine to have a small percentage of negative reviews and at the end of the day, we all are humans, may make mistakes and sometimes things are out of our control.
Having said that, if the review is explicitly fake or demeans your business falsely, it’s worth trying to get the review removed. So the elephant in the room is : Can I Delete The Negative Reviews on Google? The answer is “YES”, there are ways in which you can get the unwanted reviews removed from the Google Business Listing.
Search Generative Experience: The Future of SEO Is Now (And It’s AI-Powered)
The search landscape is evolving, and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) stands at the forefront of this exciting transformation. By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI), SGE aims to revolutionize how we search for information, moving beyond keyword-driven results and towards a more natural, conversational approach.
SGE, with its deep understanding of context and intent, can navigate this ocean of data and deliver exactly what you’re looking for. But, the question that baffles many business owners and digital marketing enthusiasts alike is what SGE holds in the future for SEO?
In this article, we’ll understand the basics of SGE and how SEO enthusiasts can prepare themselves for the changing trend.
Snapdeal’s Remarkable Comeback: Kunal Bahl’s Journey from Marketplace Giant to Shark Tank India Judge
Entrepreneurship is thriving in India, fueled by a booming economy and the bold aspirations of young minds eager to take risks. Amid this wave, Shark Tank India has emerged as a phenomenon, captivating audiences across generations since its debut in December 2021. Now gearing up for its fourth season, Shark Tank India has created quite a buzz by welcoming Mr. Kunal Bahl, Co-founder of Snapdeal, to its prestigious panel of judges.
Announced on 7th October 2024, Kunal Bahl’s addition to the show is more than just exciting news—it’s an invitation to revisit the incredible journey of Snapdeal, India’s first major online marketplace. Known for his resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, Kunal’s story resonates deeply with anyone who has faced challenges while chasing their dreams. His inclusion has sparked curiosity not just about Shark Tank but also about Snapdeal itself—a brand many remember as a pioneer of online shopping in India.
This season promises not only great business insights but also a closer look at the indomitable spirit of one of India’s most inspiring entrepreneurs.
