How to Help Your SMB Clients Navigate AI Search

The digital landscape is evolving quickly, and if your clients aren't prepared, they could fall behind. One of the most significant shifts happening now? The AI search revolution. Platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and even social media sites like TikTok are shifting how customers search for information and find brands. As an SMB-serving organization, your clients are looking to you to help them navigate this change.

This might sound familiar. In 2007, the launch of the iPhone marked the beginning of the mobile revolution. Traditional advertising methods like print ads and billboards took a backseat as customers flocked to digital platforms. As a result, marketers had to rethink their entire approach — suddenly, a brand's website was no longer enough. Smartphones changed how people searched, and apps became new search engines.

Think of today's AI shifts as the mobile revolution all over again — except this time, the stakes are even higher. Here's what's happening, how you can prepare your clients, and how you can position yourself as their trusted partner through this transition.

Here's where the AI revolution is unique: it's happening even faster than the mobile shift did, and it's having a more profound impact on how customers discover information.

AI tools like ChatGPT are providing real-time answers to complex questions. Social media, long seen as a place for brand engagement, is now a primary search tool for many customers. Search engines are losing ground as the dominant gateway for digital information. Some brands are already reporting significant drops in search impressions, while platforms like TikTok and Instagram see engagement soar. This means your clients need to rethink their entire data strategy.

This means your clients need to rethink their entire data strategy. Here are two key takeaways:

1. Put your clients' brand data everywhere: AI-powered search tools pull information from multiple sources — customer reviews, social media posts, local content, and more. If your client's data is siloed, unorganized, or not optimized for AI, it won't be discoverable.

2. Make sure your clients' data is credible: AI models reward consistency, accuracy, and trustworthiness. If your client's data isn't reliable and up-to-date, their brand won't rank well in AI-driven search results. Accuracy is everything when it comes to AI — and it can directly impact customer trust and loyalty.

Your role is to help your clients navigate this seismic shift. They're not just dealing with a new technology — they're facing an entirely new way of reaching and engaging customers. Here's how you can guide them:

1. Educate your clients about AI search: They may not be fully aware of the shift happening in search. Start by explaining the impact AI search is already having on customer behavior. Use examples from popular platforms like TikTok, where users are increasingly searching for information directly in the app.

2. Help your clients build an AI-ready data strategy: Guide your clients in organizing their information — whether through knowledge graphs that centralize structured and unstructured data, schema markup that helps AI interpret content, or automated systems that keep business details accurate across digital channels.

3. Recommend tools and technologies: Help your clients stay ahead of the competition by recommending AI-driven tools that optimize their digital presence. Whether it's AI content creation tools, SEO optimization platforms, or automated knowledge management systems, these tools will help your clients be ready for the future of search.

4. Be a trusted advisor: Position yourself not just as a vendor, but as a thought leader and trusted advisor. Help your clients make sense of the changes in customer behavior, and show them how adapting to AI search now can future-proof their brand.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the rapid pace of change, but the reality is your clients can't afford to wait. Just like with the mobile revolution, the brands that pivot quickly will be the ones that lead the charge. This is where you come in — help them get ahead of the curve.

By embracing AI search now, you're giving your clients the tools to stay visible, relevant, and competitive. In the same way that mobile-first strategies became essential a decade ago, AI search strategies are quickly becoming the new standard for online visibility.

Want to do more to help your clients thrive with AI search? Learn about becoming a Yext Channel Partner.