AI Isn’t Just Your Therapist. It Can Help Your Business Too.

Margaret Civella
Jan 3
3 min read

Confession:I look at a lot of small business websites.

Another confession:I also see how people are using AI right now.

And while I fully support using AI to:

talk through a stressful week
organize your thoughts
ask “is this normal?” at 2:00 a.m.

AI is also quietly becoming one of the most important ways people find businesses.

So yes — it can help you process your feelings.But it can also help customers find you.

Let’s talk about that.

Search Isn’t What It Used to Be (And That’s Okay)

People aren’t just Googling anymore.

They’re asking:

“Who should I call for this?”
“What does this usually cost?”
“Is this business legit?”

They’re asking search engines. They’re asking AI tools. They’re asking full questions like they would ask a human.

Which means your website isn’t just being scanned for keywords —it’s being scanned for answers.

What AI Is Actually Looking For

AI isn’t trying to be impressed.

It’s trying to understand:

what you do
who you help
where you’re located
and whether you sound like a real business

Clear, human language wins here. Not buzzwords.Not marketing fluff.Not “solutions-driven excellence.”

Just… clarity.

How I Figure Out What People Are Asking About Your Business

Here’s the funny part: Most businesses already know what people are asking.

They just don’t realize it.

I hear it every day:

“Do you actually do this?”
“Are you local?”
“How much does something like this usually cost?”
“Is this the right service for me?”

Those questions? They’re search queries.

If people keep asking you something in real life, AI users are asking it too.

And if your website doesn’t answer it clearly, AI has nothing to work with.

Your Website Is Teaching AI How to Talk About You

This part matters.

AI tools don’t magically know what to say about your business.They learn it from your website.

If your site:

explains your services clearly
uses plain language
shows real photos
mentions your location naturally

AI can confidently include you in search results and answers.

If your site is vague, outdated, or trying too hard to sound impressive… AI gets confused.And confused rarely gets recommended.

Local Still Matters (Yes, Even in AI Search)

This surprises people. Even with all the tech, local context is huge.

If you serve Prairieville, Baton Rouge, or Denham Springs — say it. If you’re part of a real community — show it.

AI wants to give relevant answers, not random ones.

Your job is to make it easy for both humans and machines to understand where you belong.

A Quick Reality Check About “AI-Written Content”

I see this a lot lately:

“I’ll just have AI write everything.”

AI can help you brainstorm. AI can help you outline. AI can help you clean things up.

But if your entire website sounds like it was written by a very polite robot, trust takes a hit — with people and search engines.

Your experience still matters.Your voice still matters.Your stories still matter.

AI works best when it supports you, not replaces you.

What This Means Going Into 2026

To show up in AI-powered search:

your website needs to answer real questions
your content needs to sound human
and your business needs to feel real

The good news?If your website is clear, helpful, and honest, you’re already doing most of the work.

AI isn’t here to replace small businesses It’s just changing how people discover them.

Curious How Your Business Shows Up in AI Search?

Sometimes the issue isn’t visibility — it’s clarity.

If you’re wondering what AI tools and search engines think your business does, a simple website review can uncover gaps and opportunities pretty quickly.