AI SEO: what it is, what it isn’t, and what we actually do
AI search tools, like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT and others, now answer many questions directly, and sometimes name the businesses behind the answer. So it’s fair to ask how you get named.
Here’s the honest answer: the foundations are the same ones that make a site rank in ordinary search. Clear answers, real expertise, a functional site and a consistent, trusted business identity. We build all of that into every Thickrope package. We don’t sell AI SEO as a separate mystery service, and we’d be wary of anyone who does.
Book a free discovery call
Within 48 hours of our call, you’ll get a free audit of your site.
What you’ll hear, and what’s true
Anyone who sells AI SEO as a separate, guaranteed service is working from limited knowledge or understanding of how these systems work. Here’s how we’d answer the common claims:
| The claim | Our view |
|---|---|
| “We’ll guarantee you appear in ChatGPT.” | Nobody can. AI answers vary by tool, by person and by day. |
| “AI SEO is a completely new discipline.” | Mostly it’s good SEO, done properly. Google’s own guidance says optimising for AI search is still SEO. |
| “You need llms.txt, schema and special files to rank in AI.” | They help search engines and AI understand your site, so they’re worth having. They don’t rank it better, and they’re not the secret people make them out to be. |
| “SEO is dead.” | It has changed shape, and it still decides who gets found. |
| “We can show you exactly where you rank in AI.” | There aren’t reliable tools to measure it accurately, so we don’t claim to. We track what we can trust: rankings, clicks, calls and enquiries. |
| “Do it now or you’ll be left behind.” | Fundamentals done well beat panic. We keep up with changes and adjust. |
Included in every package
AI search readiness isn’t a separate line item. It’s built into how we write, structure and publish your pages.
| Local SEO Foundations | Local SEO Growth | Local SEO Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer-first page structure | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Page matched to search intent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Structured data to help search tools understand your site | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Consistent business details across platforms | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Your own expertise in the content | Yes | Yes | Yes |
More content means more opportunities to be useful, which is why the page counts differ between packages.
FAQs
What is AI SEO?
It’s a name for making your business easy to find and quote in AI-generated answers. In practice it’s built on the same work as ordinary SEO.
Do I need AI SEO?
You need the fundamentals it depends on: helpful content, a working site and a consistent business identity. We include those in every package.
Can you get me into ChatGPT or Google’s AI answers?
We can make your site and pages as clear and credible as possible. We can’t guarantee any tool will name you, and you should be wary of anyone who says they can.
What’s the difference between AI SEO, GEO and AEO?
They’re different labels for similar ideas: being quoted in AI answers. We don’t treat them as separate services.
Will AI answers take my traffic?
Some searches now end without a click. Local searches, where people want to find, ring or visit a business, are less affected than general how-to questions. We track enquiries, so you can see what’s happening in your own case.
Is SEO dead?
No. It has evolved and will keep evolving. We follow the changes closely and adapt.
Can I buy AI SEO on its own?
No. It’s part of how we build every package, because it depends on content, technical health and your business identity all being right.
Want to know how your business looks to search tools today? Book a free discovery call. Within 48 hours we’ll send you an audit of your site.