The advertising landscape is shifting faster than most of us anticipated, and it’s creating both challenges and opportunities for small businesses.
Google Isn’t Going Anywhere – But It’s Changing
Google will likely remain dominant, but how we interact with it is evolving rapidly. With AI-powered search results and voice queries becoming standard, the old “stuff keywords into your website” approach is already outdated.
What this means: Instead of just optimizing for search engines, businesses need to optimize for how people actually ask questions. When someone asks their phone “Where can I get my car fixed near me?” they want immediate, relevant answers – not a list of websites to browse through.
The Rise of AI Intermediaries
We’re already seeing AI assistants making recommendations and even purchases on behalf of users. Imagine someone asking ChatGPT or Google’s AI for restaurant recommendations, and it suggests three places based on reviews, location, and past preferences.
The question becomes: How do you get your business recommended by an AI that never actually visited your restaurant or used your service?
What’s Coming for Small Business
Direct AI Relationships: We might see businesses “training” AI systems about their services, essentially paying to ensure accurate representation when AI assistants make recommendations.
Hyper-Local Becomes King: As AI gets better at understanding context and location, being the obvious choice in your immediate area becomes more valuable than trying to compete nationally.
Conversation-Based Marketing: Instead of creating ads that interrupt, successful businesses will focus on being part of helpful conversations – whether that’s with humans or AI systems.
The Small Business Advantage
Here’s the surprising part: this shift might actually favor small businesses. Large corporations struggle with authentic, personal communication. But small businesses excel at:
- Genuine customer relationships that generate real reviews and recommendations
- Local expertise that AI systems will value when making location-based suggestions
- Agility to adapt quickly as platforms and technologies change
- Authentic storytelling that resonates with both humans and AI systems learning what people value
Preparing for What’s Next
Rather than trying to predict exactly how advertising will work in five years, smart small businesses are building foundations that work regardless of the platform:
- Clear, helpful information about what they do and who they serve
- Genuine customer relationships that generate organic recommendations
- Consistent presence where their customers actually spend time
- Valuable content that answers real questions people have
The future of advertising isn’t about having the biggest budget or the most sophisticated technology. It’s about being genuinely useful and easy to recommend – whether that recommendation comes from a friend, a search engine, or an AI assistant.
The businesses that thrive will be the ones that focus on being worth recommending, regardless of who or what is doing the recommending.
