AI Is the New Word of Mouth

The New Word of Mouth: How AI Is Changing the Way Customers Discover Your Business

Remember when finding a good café or local plumber meant asking a friend or checking the noticeboard at your local shop? Fast forward to today, and more often than not, people are turning to AI.

From ChatGPT giving local suggestions to Google’s AI-generated snippets appearing before any website link, artificial intelligence is quickly becoming the middleman between your business and your next customer. In fact, according to a 2024 study by Statista, over 52% of users aged 18–44 have used AI tools like ChatGPT to find product or service recommendations, and that number’s growing by the month.

So, what does that mean for your business?

It means your online presence now needs to impress not just people, but algorithms too.

The Rise of AI-Driven Search

We’re entering an era where people ask tools like ChatGPT questions like:

  • "Where’s the best local web designer?"

  • "Can you recommend an eco-friendly café nearby?"

  • "What company builds affordable websites for startups?"

And these tools don’t just guess, they rely on structured data, solid content, local SEO signals, and overall digital credibility to decide what (and who) to recommend.

If your website isn’t being seen, it might not be because it’s not good, it might be because AI doesn’t know enough about you yet.

Why This Matters

Here are some quick facts that might surprise you:

  • 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within 24 hours (Google, 2023).

  • Businesses that show up in AI-powered snippets see 2x higher engagement rates than those who don’t (BrightEdge, 2024).

  • Over 1 billion voice searches happen every month, and AI assistants are filtering those answers (TechCrunch, 2023).

If your site isn’t structured, active, or optimised with clear information about what you do and where you are, you might be invisible to these systems.

So, What Can You Do?

  • Keep your website updated with clear content and keywords about your services and location.

  • Use schema markup (structured data) to help AI understand your site.

  • Build trust signals, consistent reviews, fresh blog content, and accurate contact details.

  • Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile.

  • And, if possible, partner with someone who knows how to build sites for humans and for AI.

At Little Big Press, this is exactly the kind of work we love to do. We're not here to throw buzzwords at you, just clear, thoughtful design and content that gets your business noticed by people and platforms alike.

Curious if your site’s being seen? Or wondering how to show up in future AI searches? Let’s chat. No pressure, just honest advice and ideas.