Will Lockard, Founder
Updated October 15, 2026 Search is changing. A homeowner who used to type “security guard company near me” now asks an AI tool which security companies are reputable, what they cost and what to ask before hiring one. Google shows an AI Overview at the top of many searches before any link. If your business is not one of the sources in that answer, you are invisible at the moment the decision gets shaped.
AI SEO, also called answer engine optimization, is the work that makes your business one of those sources. We do it for service businesses, alongside the local SEO that still brings in most of their calls.
How AI tools pick their sources
AI answers are built from pages the tools can find, read and trust. In practice that comes down to a few things:
- Pages that already rank. Google’s AI Overviews draw heavily on pages that rank well in normal search. Weak SEO means weak AI visibility.
- Clear, direct answers. A page that answers the question in its first lines, in plain language, is easier to quote than one that buries it.
- Consistent facts about your business. Your name, services, location and credentials should match everywhere: your site, your Google Business Profile, directories and reviews.
- Structured data. Schema markup tells machines exactly what your business is, what it does and where.
- Mentions from other sources. Reviews, press, industry directories and other sites talking about you add trust.
What we do
Find the questions that matter
We list the questions your customers ask before hiring someone like you, with the commercial ones first: cost, how to choose, what to look for, which companies to consider.
Build pages that answer them
Service pages and answer pages structured to be quoted: the direct answer first, then the details, with your real experience and credentials. No filler.
Fix the facts and the markup
Schema markup across your site, a complete Google Business Profile and consistent business details on the directories AI tools read.
Track citations
We test your key questions in Google AI Overviews and AI assistants, record where you are cited and repeat it over time, so you can see the trend instead of guessing.
Result: Semper Secure
Semper Secure is a security company in Cherry Hill, NJ. We structured its pages around the searches that turn into contracts, such as event and venue security and executive protection, and built them to be quotable. In our test of 20 high-intent Google AI Overviews, Semper was cited as a source in 8, which is 40%. The same work helped it take 335 calls in one month. Read the Semper Secure case study.
Where to start
AI SEO works best on top of solid local SEO. The free growth plan checks both: how you rank today, and whether AI answers mention you for the questions your customers ask.
