WHY AI SEO MATTERS NOW
Search has changed. Has your strategy?
50%+
decrease in brands' organic search traffic projected by 2028 as consumers embrace AI-powered search
Source: Gartner
80%
of consumers now rely on AI-written results for at least 40% of their searches, reducing organic web traffic by 15–25%
Source: McKinsey
3x
higher average conversion rate for visitors who discover a brand through AI-powered answers vs. standard organic clicks
Source: CCM client data
What is AI SEO and Why Does it Matter Now?
AI SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence for both traditional search engines and AI-powered discovery tools. It's not a replacement for SEO - it's an evolution.
KEY ELEMENTS
• Technical site health
• Keyword targeting & content
• Link building & authority
• User experience signals
Traditional SEO
Optimization for search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Focus on rankings, organic traffic, and click-through rates.
AI Engine Optimization
Optimization for AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other answer engines. Focus on citations, brand mentions, and direct answers.
KEY ELEMENTS
• Structured answer formats
• Question-based content
• Brand entity recognition
• Citability & source quality
Search is evolving. Your strategy should too.
Three layers. One unified strategy.
SEO
Traditional techniques that improve rankings and build long-term authority. Every other layer depends on this.
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· Technical health and crawlability
· On-page content and keyword strategy
· Link building and E-E-A-T signals
· Schema markup and site structure
AEO
Answer Engine Optimization. Getting your content selected as the direct answer in featured snippets and AI answer boxes.
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· Question-based H2/H3 headings
· Direct answers in the first sentence
· FAQ sections with structured data
· Scannable, bulleted content formats
GEO
Generative Engine Optimization. Influencing how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite your content.
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· Plain, natural language content
· Source credibility and trust signals
· Brand entity data and consistency
· Content structured for AI citation
90%
shared base
One strong content strategy - written clearly, structured well, and built on authority - powers all three channels at once.
What's Included
Our AI SEO service, end to end.
Technical & on-page SEO
The foundation everything else is built on. We audit, fix, and optimize the technical and structural elements that search engines and AI tools need to properly read your site.
· Site architecture and crawlability
· Core Web Vitals and page speed
· Keyword targeting and content structure
· Schema markup and internal linking
AI-ready content strategy
Content structured to rank in Google and be cited by AI. We map questions, build answer-optimized pages, and format everything so both humans and AI engines can use it.
· Question mapping and answer formatting
· Topic clusters and content planning
· FAQ sections with structured data
· Content refreshes and optimization
Brand and entity optimization
AI tools favor sources they recognize as credible and consistent. We build the entity signals (E-E-A-T, brand mentions, knowledge graph data) that tell AI your business is a trusted authority.
· E-E-A-T signal development
· Off-page brand mentions and authority
· Review generation and management
· Knowledge graph and entity consistency
Reporting and visibility tracking
We measure what actually matters. Traditional rankings alongside AI visibility metrics — so you can see how your presence is growing across every discovery channel, not just Google.
· AI Overview appearance tracking
· Brand citation monitoring in LLMs
· Traditional ranking and traffic reporting
· Monthly strategy reviews
Why businesses choose Custom Craft Marketing
We work with a focused number of small and medium-sized businesses at a time, which means every client gets real attention, not a handoff to a junior team after the contract is signed. The person you talk to in the initial conversation is the same person doing the work.
There are no standard packages here. Every engagement starts with understanding your business, your goals, and your market before we recommend anything. If something isn’t the right fit for where you are right now, we’ll tell you that too.
We’re based in Metro Detroit, we know this market, and we treat every client relationship as a long-term partnership, not a one-time transaction.
Testimonial From a Recent Client
"David at Custom Craft Marketing is truly outstanding. I recommend him without reservation. He took great care to understand the Prairie Heights business model and its target audience. I recommend him wholeheartedly."
- Owner, Prairie Heights LLC
Questions We Often Get Asked
Honestly? Not as different as most people make it sound. AI SEO, or search engine and AI engine optimization, is the practice of making your business visible in both traditional search results and the AI-powered tools your customers increasingly use to find answers. About 90% of that work is identical to what strong traditional SEO already covers: solid technical foundations, well-organized content, and a trustworthy online presence. The other 10% is understanding how AI tools specifically pull, format, and cite information, then making targeted adjustments. If you've already invested in quality SEO, you're closer than you think. We build on what's already working before recommending anything new.
Not exactly, and we'd push back on anyone who tells you SEO is dying. What's actually happening is that search is expanding. Your customers are still using Google, but more of them are now getting answers directly from AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity before they ever click a link. If your fundamentals are strong, that's a real advantage, because the same foundation that earns you rankings is what feeds AI search visibility. What we help you figure out is whether there are specific gaps worth closing, and whether optimizing for AI search is even the right priority for your business right now. That conversation is worth having before spending anything.
We hear this constantly, and it's part of why we built Custom Craft Marketing the way we did. We work with a limited number of small and medium-sized businesses at a time, so no client is competing for attention. There's no account manager layer and no junior team handed your project after the contract is signed. The person you talk to in the initial conversation is the same person doing the strategic work. Every engagement is built around your specific goals, industry, and budget, not a standard AI SEO services package applied to everyone. We'd rather act as a long-term strategic advisor than a vendor checking boxes, which means you'll get our honest read even when it's not what you hoped to hear.
Especially yes. AI SEO for local businesses is one of the highest-opportunity areas right now, and most local and regional businesses haven't touched it yet. When someone uses AI Overviews or asks ChatGPT who to call for your service in your area, your business either shows up or it doesn't. That gap is closing fast. Being based in Metro Detroit, we understand this market specifically, and AI SEO services for Michigan businesses is an area where we see real, near-term opportunity for clients who move on it early rather than waiting until the field is crowded.