If you've Googled something recently, you might have noticed something different. Before the usual list of links, there's now a paragraph at the top — written by AI — that tries to answer your question directly.
That's Google's AI Overview. And it's just the beginning of a fundamental shift in how people find businesses online.
What's Actually Changing
For 25 years, Google worked the same way: you typed something in, you got a list of links, you clicked one. Simple. Every business with a website had a shot at showing up in that list.
That's changing. Fast.
Google now uses AI to read all those websites and generate a direct answer at the top of the page. Instead of showing you ten links to plumber websites, it might say: "Here are the top-rated plumbers in Seguin, TX, based on reviews, response time, and services offered." And then it lists three businesses — with the rest buried below.
But Google isn't the only player anymore. People are now searching with:
- ChatGPT — OpenAI's chatbot now has web search built in. Millions of people ask it questions like "best HVAC company in Seguin" instead of going to Google.
- Perplexity — an AI search engine that reads the web and gives cited, conversational answers. It's growing fast, especially with professionals and younger users.
- Apple Intelligence — Siri is getting smarter. When someone asks their iPhone for a recommendation, AI is choosing which businesses to surface.
- Google Gemini — Google's own AI assistant, built right into Android phones and the Google app.
The pattern is clear: people are moving from "search and browse" to "ask and get an answer." And the answer only includes a few businesses — not ten pages of results.
Why This Matters for Local Businesses
Here's the thing most people miss: these AI tools don't have their own information about your business. They get it from your website, your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and your online presence.
If your website has thin content — a few sentences about what you do with no detail, no service areas listed, no real information — AI tools have nothing to work with. They'll recommend your competitor who actually explains what they do, where they do it, and why they're good at it.
Let me make this concrete. Say someone in Seguin asks ChatGPT: "Who's the best roofer in Seguin for a metal roof?"
ChatGPT is going to look at every roofer's website, their reviews, their content. If one roofer has a page specifically about metal roofing in the Seguin area with details about materials, pricing ranges, and local examples — that's the one ChatGPT will recommend. The roofer with a one-page website that just says "We do roofing" doesn't stand a chance.
What AI Tools Look For
AI search tools aren't magic. They're reading the same things Google reads — they're just processing it differently. Here's what helps your business show up in AI-generated answers:
Detailed, specific content
Generic doesn't work anymore. "We provide quality services" tells an AI nothing. "We install and repair James Hardie fiber cement siding for homes in Seguin, New Braunfels, and the greater Guadalupe County area" tells it everything.
The more specific you are about what you do, where you do it, and who you do it for, the more likely AI tools are to recommend you.
Structured information
AI tools love clearly organized information. Service pages, FAQ sections, pricing guides, service area pages — anything that breaks down your business into clear, digestible pieces. This isn't just for customers anymore. It's for the AI that's deciding whether to recommend you.
Reviews and reputation
AI tools heavily weight reviews. If you have 200 Google reviews with a 4.8 rating and your competitor has 12 reviews with a 4.2, the AI is going to recommend you. Reviews aren't just social proof for humans anymore — they're data points for machines.
Technical health
If your website is slow, broken, or not mobile-friendly, AI tools either can't read it or choose not to. They prioritize well-built, fast, accessible websites. A site that takes 8 seconds to load on a phone isn't just frustrating for customers — it's invisible to AI.
What This Means for Seguin Specifically
Seguin is in an interesting position. The city is growing fast — 7,000+ new residents last year, #1 fastest-growing in the San Antonio metro. These new residents don't have a go-to plumber or a favorite restaurant yet. They're going to ask.
And increasingly, they're going to ask AI.
"Hey Siri, find me a good vet in Seguin."
"ChatGPT, what are the best restaurants in Seguin, TX?"
"Google, who does foundation repair in Seguin?"
The businesses that show up in those AI-generated answers are going to capture those customers. The ones that don't are going to wonder where all the new business is going.
What You Can Do Right Now
You don't need to become an AI expert. You need to do the things that have always mattered — but do them well enough that AI tools notice:
- Make your website content specific and detailed. Every service you offer should have its own page with real information. Not a bullet point — a page.
- Keep your Google Business Profile updated. Photos, hours, services, posts. Google's AI pulls heavily from this.
- Ask for reviews and respond to them. Every review is a data point that AI uses to evaluate your business.
- Make sure your website actually works. Fast load times, mobile-friendly, no broken pages. AI tools skip broken websites.
- Add FAQ content. Think about what your customers ask you most, and answer those questions on your website. AI tools love Q&A content because it matches how people search.
I'm Talking About This at Seguin Rotary
On February 10th, I'm presenting on this exact topic at the Seguin Rotary Club. I'll be showing real examples of how AI search is changing local business discovery, and what Seguin businesses can do to stay ahead of it.
If you're a business owner who wants to understand what's coming — or if you're already feeling the shift and want to do something about it — I'd love to talk. Grab 15 minutes on my calendar and I'll show you where your business stands. This isn't a future problem. It's happening right now, and the businesses that adapt first will have a real advantage.
The good news? Most of the things that help you show up in AI search are the same things that help you show up in regular Google search. It's not about chasing a trend. It's about building a strong online presence that works no matter how people are searching.
And in a city growing as fast as Seguin, that's not optional anymore.
