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Monday, January 19, 2026
Christopher Sheehy, Guest MINDSETTER™
For most of the internet era, online searches worked like menus. You typed a few words into a search engine like Google or Bing, saw a list of blue links, clicked on some of them, and then made a decision.
PHOTO: Bestami Sarikaya, Unsplash
But that model is fading. Today, search is transitioning to an answer-first service. Rather than starting with a list of links, users often see a written summary at the top of the results page, followed by a smaller set of links.
The behavioral impact is evident in the data. The Pew Research Center found that when a Google AI summary appeared, users clicked on a traditional search result link only 8% of the time, compared with 15% with no AI summary. Websites still matter, but customers are making decisions earlier in the discovery process, and sometimes before clicking a link.
The new scoreboard is presence. In the past, the scoreboard was search engine ranking. If you moved from position 9 to position 3, you would have noticed. In the answer-first world, ranking still matters – for search engines – but it is no longer the whole story. Presence means your business is included, referenced, or cited in an AI-generated answer. If your business is not part of that short list, it may never enter the customer’s consideration set.
This is also why “search” needs a broader definition. Today, customers search across search engines, maps, images, podcasts, videos, social media, online business listings and directories, and AI tools that provide answers with links. OpenAI’s introduction of ChatGPT Search made this shift explicit. Perplexity takes a similar approach. These tools function as an alternate place for people to search for answers, solutions, and to find services and products, even if they do not resemble a traditional results page.
Google’s recent messaging about SEO and AI is helpful, but it has limits. Google has stated that no special optimizations are required for a business to display in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that SEO fundamentals still matter. This is useful guidance for visibility within Google’s ecosystem. At the same time, Google explains that AI Mode can explore multiple related questions before summarizing an answer. This changes which pages are included and how they are used.
So, the message is, that the conversation is not “SEO or AI,” but rather SEO and AI working together as one system. This concept is known as “Search Everywhere Optimization (SEvO)” and is the latest online visibility strategy framework.
When speaking with businesses that are struggling with online visibility and trying to decide what to fix first, I offer this rule:
“If you don't have good visibility on search engines, AI won't fix your problems.
If you don't have good visibility on AI, fix your SEO problems.” — Chris Sheehy
The point is not that AI replaces SEO. SEO remains the foundation. If your website is slow, confusing, or inconsistent, every platform has reason to ignore it. Once the foundation is solid, your information also needs to be easy to understand and quotable in answer-first experiences.
This is why online visibility requires ongoing work, not a one-time jumpstart. Many businesses treat it as something they address only when a new website launches or when leads slow down. That mindset has always been costly, but it is especially so now. Even before AI summaries, many searches ended without a click. A 2024 SparkToro study found that 58.5 percent of Google searches in the U.S. resulted in no website visit. AI summaries now push more answers and decisions directly into search results, reducing the opportunities for businesses to be seen, trusted, or chosen.
In this environment, a practical strategy is not a big push. It is a manageable system that keeps your business visible and influential, even when users never click through to your site. The most reliable way to put that system in place is to start with fundamentals that search engines and AI systems consistently rely on.
Start with the basics and keep them current: a fast, mobile-friendly website; clear pages that explain what you do and where you do it; and consistent business details across your website, Google Business Profile, and major online listings.
Then add answer-ready clarity. Publish plain-language sections that address the questions customers ask every week. Include pricing ranges and the factors that affect them, timelines and what can change them, what is included, and what customers should expect. Use simple headings, provide direct answers, and show proof such as photos of work, customer reviews, and credentials where applicable. If your site supports it, add schema markup, a structured format behind the scenes, so search engines and AI tools can understand key details like your name, address, phone number, hours, services, and service area.
For local businesses in Rhode Island and Central Massachusetts, this is less about chasing trends or applying every trick you read about online, and more about making sure your website and digital assets support the systems people use to discover you.
The latest transformation in search is more than a new feature. It reflects a new habit. Customers want fewer steps, faster confidence, and less risk. The businesses that succeed will be the ones that remain clear, current, and trustworthy wherever customers search.
Christopher Sheehy is the founder of Omni Search Labs and has worked in search optimization since 1997. He was the first recipient of the Rhode Island Tech10 Award in his field and was named a “Tech Entrepreneur to Watch” by GoLocalProv in 2013.
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