People are starting to ask AI assistants questions they used to type into a search box: “Who’s a good electrician near me?” or “How much should a small business website cost?” Search engines are also adding AI-written summaries above their usual results. That changes what a website needs to do, but less than you might think.
What hasn’t changed
AI tools still learn about businesses from the web: your website, your Google Business Profile, reviews and directories. A clear, accurate, well-organised website remains the foundation.
What matters more now
- **Plain answers to real questions.** Pages that answer one question clearly are easier for AI tools to understand and quote.
- **Consistent facts everywhere.** Your name, services, area, hours and contact details should match across your site and your listings.
- **Specifics.** “Emergency boiler repair in Silver Spring, same-day where possible” is easier to match to a question than “quality service you can trust”.
- **Reviews and reputation.** AI summaries often draw on what customers say about you.
- **Structured information.** Behind-the-scenes labels (called structured data or schema) tell machines what your business is, where it is and what it offers.
What to avoid
- Pages stuffed with keywords that read badly to people.
- Thin pages that exist only to rank.
- Content generated in bulk without anyone checking it. It tends to be vague, repetitive and sometimes wrong.
The practical takeaway
Write for the customer first. Answer their questions clearly, keep your details consistent, and collect genuine reviews. That serves people, search engines and AI assistants at the same time.