I have been building websites and managing digital strategies for over 25 years now. In that time, I’ve seen the landscape shift from basic HTML pages to the mobile-first revolution. But right now, we are witnessing a change that makes those previous shifts look minor by comparison.
For years, local businesses here in Northumberland and across the UK have fought for supremacy on Google Maps using a fairly standard playbook: optimise for keywords like “northumberland web design” and build backlinks. But the game has changed. AI search isn’t the future anymore; it is happening right now.
Recent data shows that 19% of consumers are already using AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to find local businesses, and that number is growing rapidly. Instead of typing static keywords, your customers are now having conversations. They are asking complex questions like, “My sink is leaking, how do I fix it?” or “Where can I find the best plumber in the area?”. AI models read this information, analyse it, and provide a direct answer—often recommending specific businesses.
If your website isn’t optimised for these Large Language Models (LLMs), you are essentially invisible to this growing segment of the market. Here is the reality: most of your competitors are still sleeping on this, obsessing over old Google ranking methods. This gives you a massive first-mover advantage if you act now.
Here are the four pillars we need to implement to get your business ranking on AI search engines.
From the 20th anniversary of our prestigious book festival to the thundering hooves at the racecourse, 2026 is shaping up to be a year to remember.
“I’ve spent 25 years managing SEO for businesses right here in Northumberland. In all that time, the goal was simply to get you ‘on the map.’ But with AI, the map is being redrawn, and the old rules of ranking no longer apply.”
Writing the content is only half the battle; we must structure it so the AI can actually read and interpret it. This means including your target keywords naturally in your title tags, meta descriptions, and headers.
However, the real secret here is your internal linking map. You must link every cluster page back to your main pillar page, and link related cluster pages to one another using descriptive anchor text. This creates a “web of topical authority” that allows AI to follow the logic of your expertise.
Without this clear link architecture, AI struggles to understand the context of your content, leaving your pages isolated and undervalued.
In the old days of SEO, we obsessed over backlinks. While those still matter, AI systems place massive weight on citations and mentions. A citation is simply a mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on another website, even without a link.
You must ensure your NAP data is consistent across all platforms, including your Google Business Profile, Yelp, and industry-specific directories like Checkatrade or local chambers of commerce. If your address or phone number is spelled differently on different sites, it confuses the AI and actually lowers your ranking.
Furthermore, reviews are critical. AI views recent, positive reviews as a combination of citations and social proof. Because AI weighs recency heavily, you need an automated system to request reviews within 24 hours of a customer interaction. Consistency is key here; a steady drip of new reviews is worth more than a sudden flood that dries up.
Read – How to Get Your Instagram Posts to Show Up in Google Search
Finally, remember that AI scans the entire internet, not just your website. Your “digital footprint” includes mentions in local news, guest posts, podcasts, and community forums.
We need to create a plan to get you visible in new places—whether that is being interviewed on a podcast or answering questions in a niche forum. AI tracks how often and where you are mentioned as an authority. A consistent presence across diverse, reputable platforms signals to the AI that you are a legitimate entity worth recommending.
To rank on AI, you actually have to rank on traditional Google first, because AI pulls data from Google’s index. But it requires going deeper. It’s about moving from being a brochure on the web to being a resource.
Think of it this way: Traditional Google Search is like a library card catalogue. It matches the keywords you type to the label on the book spine. Ranking on AI is like trying to get a personal recommendation from the head librarian. The librarian doesn’t just look at the title; they’ve read the chapters to see if you actually know what you’re talking about (Topical Authority). They listen to what other people say about you (Reviews). They check if other respected sources mention you (Citations).
To get that recommendation, you can’t just have the right label on the spine; you have to be the most trusted, knowledgeable resource in the room.
If you want to beat the competition to the punch, now is the time to start building these pillars.
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