An occasional look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from
the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business
assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.
By Missy Burns, market researcher, Wyoming SBDC Network
Remember when getting your business found online was as simple as making sure you
showed up on Google? Those days are changing fast.
If you’re a Wyoming small business owner who’s heard terms like “SEO” and “AEO” thrown
around but aren't quite sure what they mean or why they matter, this article is for
you.
How Online Searches Used to Work
For the past two decades, the game was straightforward: search engine optimization,
or SEO. Someone would type a few words into Google, and it would show them a list
of websites ranked in order. Your goal as a business owner was to get your website
as high on that list as possible, ideally on the first page. To do this, you’d include
the right keywords on your website (words and phrases your customers were searching
for); make sure your site loaded quickly; and try to get other reputable websites
to link to yours.
Search engines used programs called crawlers to explore the web, following links from
one page to another, discovering and indexing content. Then, complex algorithms would
determine which websites were most relevant for specific search queries.
It was all about getting people to click on your website link. The more clicks you
got, the more potential customers walked through your digital door.
What’s Changing Right Now
Today, people are searching differently. And that’s changing everything.
Instead of typing short phrases into Google, people are now:
-- Asking their phone full questions: “Hey Siri, where’s a good breakfast place in
Laramie that’s open now?”
-- Using artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT or Perplexity, to
get recommendations.
-- Speaking to Alexa, Google Assistant or their car’s voice system for immediate answers.
Here’s the crucial difference: These AI tools and voice assistants often give people
a direct answer without sending them to a list of websites to choose from. The AI
simply tells them: “Based on reviews and location, I recommend ...” and it might mention
your business name -- or your competitor’s.
This shift has created a new challenge called answer engine optimization, or AEO.
Instead of competing to be the highest-ranked link that someone might click, you’re
now competing to be the business that AI tools mention and recommend when people ask
questions.
The Numbers Tell the Story
This isn’t some distant trend. It’s happening right now.
-- More than 400 million people use ChatGPT or related AI products for information every week.
-- Industry analysts predict that, by 2026, 25 percent of organic search traffic will shift to AI chatbots and virtual assistants instead of traditional search clicks.
-- Seventy-six percent of voice searches are related to “near me” and local inquiries -- exactly the kind of searches Wyoming
businesses depend on.
What’s especially important for local businesses is this: More than 57 percent of Google searches now end without a click. People are finding their answers directly on the search results page or through
AI responses, which means they never visit your website at all -- unless you’ve optimized
to show up in those direct answers.
Why Wyoming Businesses Should Care
Think about your own behavior. When you’re driving through Cody and ask your phone,
“Where can I get my oil changed nearby?”, you’re expecting an immediate answer, not
a list of links to research. You’ll probably go with whichever business your phone
recommends if it sounds convenient and trustworthy.
Your customers are doing the same thing. Whether they’re tourists asking their rental
car’s voice system for restaurant recommendations or locals using their smart speaker
to find a plumber who’s open on Sunday, they’re bypassing traditional Google searches
entirely.
If your business isn’t set up to be found by these AI systems, you’re invisible to
a rapidly growing segment of potential customers.
What You Can Do About It
The good news is that you don’t need to throw out everything you know about marketing.
Good AEO practices reward the things that make for good business anyway: being clear,
helpful and trustworthy. Here are the practical steps a business can take:
-- Make sure your basic information is accurate everywhere. This is the single most
important step. Your business name, address and phone number must be identical on
your website, Google Business Profile, Facebook page, Yelp and anywhere else you’re
listed online. Voice searches are often location-driven and mobile-based, meaning
customers need fast, accurate answers. If your hours are different on different platforms,
or your address is formatted inconsistently, AI systems get confused and skip over
you.
Your Wyoming SBDC business adviser can help you audit where your business is listed
online and ensure consistency across all platforms. Contact your local adviser to
get started.
-- Write content that answers real questions. Instead of just listing your services,
think about the actual questions your customers ask. Create a FAQ page or blog posts
that address things like:
-- What should I look for when choosing a service?
-- How much does your service typically cost in Wyoming?
-- What’s the difference between option A and option B?
Write your answers in a natural, conversational way -- the way you’d explain something
to a friend who called and asked. AI systems are designed to understand and extract
this kind of clear, helpful information.
-- Think like your customer talks, not how they type. People don’t say “Sheridan Italian
restaurant reservations” to Siri. They say, “Can I make a reservation at an Italian
restaurant in Sheridan tonight?” Your website content should reflect these natural
speech patterns. Include full questions as headings and answer them directly.
-- Optimize for mobile. More than 50 percent of all mobile searches are expected to be made using voice commands, and those searches happen on phones.
If your website is slow, hard to navigate on a small screen or requires a lot of scrolling
to find basic information, you’re losing potential customers.
The Wyoming SBDC Network’s market research team offers website analysis services and
can guide you on your specific website’s performance and areas for improvement. We
can help you identify technical issues that might be hurting your visibility in both
traditional and AI-driven search. Contact your local adviser to get started.
-- Keep Your Google Business Profile updated. Your Google Business Profile is one
of the first places AI systems and voice assistants look for information about local
businesses. Make sure it includes current hours, including special holiday hours;
accurate service descriptions; recent photos; and responses to customer reviews.
The Wyoming Advantage
Here’s some good news: Being a small business in a specific Wyoming location can work
in your favor. When you clearly state that you “serve the Big Horn Basin” or are “located
in downtown Gillette,” you’re giving AI systems exactly what they need to match you
with local searches.
This also levels the playing field against national chains. Voice search and AI tools
often prioritize local, relevant results over generic national brands, especially
when users ask location-specific questions. Your authenticity and local expertise
matter more than ever.
Looking Ahead
The way people find businesses online is evolving from “which link should I click?”
to “which business does this AI recommend?” Traditional SEO isn’t dead. It still matters,
but it’s no longer enough on its own.
Wyoming business owners who take steps now to optimize for AI and voice search will
have a significant advantage over those who wait. The changes don’t require a massive
overhaul of your marketing. They require clarity, consistency and a commitment to
being helpful in the specific ways your customers are now looking for information.
Getting Started
Don't feel overwhelmed. Start with the basics:
-- Check that your business information is consistent everywhere online.
-- Add a FAQ section to your website.
-- Make sure your site works well on mobile devices.
The Wyoming SBDC Network is here to help. Our business advisers across the state can
provide personalized guidance on optimizing your online presence for both traditional
and AI-driven search. Our market research team also can conduct a comprehensive website
analysis to identify specific opportunities for improvement.
Find your local Wyoming SBDC adviser at wyomingsbdc.org.
The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help
Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business.
In 2024, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 46 new businesses;
support 1,870 jobs; and bring a capital impact of $2.9 million to the state. The Wyoming
SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and
funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write Dept. 3922, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071-3922.
For more information, go here.
All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
