by Craig Wilson — Digital Marketing Consultant at Sticky Digital
Key Takeaways
- AI-powered search is changing how people discover businesses online
- Google’s AI Overviews and SGE favour clear, helpful, well-structured content
- Traditional SEO alone is no longer enough to maintain visibility
- Newcastle SMEs must adapt now to avoid being left behind
- Sticky Digital helps future-proof your website for the next era of search
Search Has Changed — And It’s Not Going Back
If you’ve searched Google recently and seen a large AI-generated summary before the usual results…that’s not a test. That’s the future.
AI-powered search (also called Search Generative Experience or SGE) is already rolling out. It’s changing the rules of SEO; and changing how your customers find you.
For Newcastle businesses, this isn’t a technical curiosity. It’s a major shift in how people discover local services, get answers, and make buying decisions.
From 10 Blue Links to AI Overviews
For over two decades, SEO focused on “ranking” in the traditional list of 10 links. But with AI-generated summaries appearing above those results, that visibility is shrinking fast.
Now, Google (and Bing, and ChatGPT search plugins) pull answers directly from websites — often without sending users to those sites at all.
If your business isn’t part of those AI-generated answers, you’re effectively invisible…even if your site ranks well organically.
What AI Looks For in Content
AI tools like Google’s SGE favour websites that:
- Provide clear, concise answers to specific questions
- Use structured formatting (like headings and bullet points)
- Demonstrate authority and expertise
- Offer trustworthy, well-written content
- Are fast, mobile-friendly and accessible
In other words, content that is clear, useful and easy for machines to parse.
That’s very different from just “stuffing keywords” or getting backlinks. It’s about building content that humans and algorithms both understand.
Why Most Business Websites Aren’t Ready
Many local business websites:
- Use generic, vague language
- Lack properly structured content
- Are light on expertise or depth
- Focus only on keywords, not intent
- Haven’t been updated for years
That’s a problem — because AI systems skip over unclear, outdated or poorly structured sites.
Without changes, your site won’t just slide down the rankings — it may not be seen at all.
The Risk of Being Left Behind
Let’s say a Newcastle customer searches:
“What’s the best dentist near me for anxious patients?”
or
“How to get rid of ants in the kitchen Newcastle?”
With traditional search, your ad or organic listing might appear.
With AI-powered search, they may never scroll past the AI summary — unless your content is used to power that result.
If you’re not optimised for AI search, you may not get a look-in.
What You Can Do Now
Here’s what we recommend for Newcastle SMEs:
1. Restructure Your Website Content
Use headings, lists and question-based formatting to match common search queries.
2. Answer Real Questions
Think like your customer. Provide helpful, expert answers to what they actually ask.
3. Focus on Quality
AI systems favour depth, clarity and authority — not fluff. Show that you know your stuff.
4. Update Old Content
Refresh stale content to reflect current needs, trends and structure for AI parsing.
5. Partner With Experts
A local agency (like Sticky) can help review, restructure and re-optimise your content to stay ahead.
FAQs
What is Google’s AI Overview or SGE?
It’s an AI-generated summary shown at the top of search results, which answers the user’s question using information pulled from websites.
Will my site still rank with traditional SEO?
Possibly — but being included in AI summaries is now just as important, if not more, than traditional rankings.
How can I get my content included in AI results?
By structuring your content clearly, answering specific questions, and demonstrating authority. Sticky Digital can help you do exactly that.
How Sticky Digital Helps Newcastle Businesses Adapt
At Sticky Digital, we don’t just focus on rankings — we focus on visibility in all forms of modern search, including AI.
We help Newcastle SMEs:
- Identify content gaps
- Structure pages for AI summarisation
- Build authority through quality and clarity
- Future-proof their SEO strategy
The search game has changed — and we’re helping businesses stay ahead of it.
Contact us today to make sure your business is ready for the AI-powered future of search.
