How to Beat Google’s New SEO Reality

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Google’s AI Overviews are taking over the top of search results—and they’re not going away.

Even if your page is ranking #1, there’s a good chance it’s buried under a giant block of AI-generated content that answers the searcher’s question before they ever reach your site. Welcome to the era of zero-click search.

This is especially frustrating for small business owners and bloggers who have spent years optimizing content the “traditional” way. So what do we do now?

Here’s the new mindset:

If you can’t beat the AI, feed it.

Instead of obsessing over just ranking #1, aim to be included in the AI Overview itself. Google often pulls content from sources that:

• Answer questions clearly
• Use structured data (FAQs, How-Tos, Reviews)
• Follow a conversational format

What You Can Do Today:

• Rework some of your blog posts into Q&A format or “People Also Ask” style answers.
• Use headings that match search queries (“How much does it cost to…” or “What’s the best way to…”).
• Add schema markup for FAQs and How-To steps (you can use plugins or tools like Dentsu's Schema Generator).

Bonus Tip: Ask ChatGPT or Perplexity to answer a question related to your business (like “how often should I change my car’s brake pads?”).
Then check what sources it pulls from. If you’re not one of them, ask yourself—why not?

The Power of Reddit

Let’s jump into the first story. This one is from Search Engine Land, and it’s about Reddit. If you haven’t noticed yet, Reddit has become a powerful tool for SMBs.

For example, let’s say you search for “best place to have a first birthday party near me.” The results? You’ll see Yelp, Google Maps, and then right after that, Reddit discussions and Facebook groups—before you even get to actual business websites.

The same thing happens with informational searches like, “How often should you get an oil change?” Reddit is showing up in Google’s AI overviews as a trusted source.

So if you’re a mechanic, or you own an auto body shop, you need to be on Reddit. Go to the “Ask Mechanics” subreddit, monitor the questions that pop up daily, and engage with users. If you love your craft, this won’t even feel like work—it’ll be fun.

Back when I had a fitness website, I used to go to different forums, answer questions, and engage with people. I had my website linked in my signature, and over time, that built credibility and drove tons of traffic.

So here’s what you should do:

• Build out your Reddit profile.
• Add a profile picture and a short bio.
• Link your website.

Test it for 30 days. If it works, great. If not, move on to the next strategy.

Pinterest: A Search Engine You Can’t Ignore

Next up: Pinterest. Surprisingly, Pinterest is a search engine, and I’ve seen search results where the top three results were Pinterest boards.

If you sell furniture, home decor, inspirational quote posters, or even if you’re a food blogger or restaurant owner, Pinterest can drive traffic your way.

Even auto mechanics can test it out. Create a pin answering, “How often should you change your oil?” and see what happens. Again, test it for 30 days.

I’ve personally seen pins drive long-term traffic. Sometimes, all it takes is one or two viral pins, and they’ll keep bringing in visitors for months or even years.

Also, if you have a Pinterest Business account, you can access trends.pinterest.com to see what’s trending. This can help you create content around what people are actively searching for.

Deep Research with AI: Game Changer for Competitive Insights

This one’s still one of my favorite strategies—but it’s gotten even better.

If you’ve ever needed market research or competitor insights, you used to have to pay for a report or hire a consultant. Not anymore. Now, you can use ChatGPT’s deep research feature for just $20/month and get a full report on your industry.

For example, I tested: “Give me competitive insights on auto mechanics in Levittown.” It gave me real market trends, competitor insights, and even unique selling points. One of the key takeaways? Independent, family-run shops tend to enjoy higher ratings and customer loyalty than big chains. That’s powerful information.

This is great! But now? Tools like ChatGPT with browsing, Perplexity.ai, and Claude have leveled up the playing field.

You can get real-time insights—no subscriptions, no scraping tools, no paying for overpriced reports.

Let’s say you’re an auto mechanic in Levittown. Ask:

“What are customers saying about auto repair shops in Levittown on Reddit and Google reviews?”

Here's what we get from Gemini:

In seconds, you’ll get:

• Common complaints and praise
• Real quotes from Reddit threads and review platforms
• Competitor positioning and what services they’re pushing
• Local trends (like growing demand for mobile repair or extended hours)

It’s like having a marketing analyst on call for $20/month.

Try This Prompt:

“Give me competitive insights on [your business type] in [your town]. What are customers saying? What are competitors doing well or poorly?”

This used to take days or cost hundreds. Now it’s 20 seconds and a ChatGPT or Gemini window.

But here's the real shift: **people aren’t just using these tools to do research as business owners—**they’re using them as consumers too.

More and more people are skipping Google altogether and asking:

• “What’s the best Thai food in Queens according to Reddit?”
• “Where should I get my taxes done in my area?”
• “Is [business name] worth it?”

That means your presence on Reddit, Google Reviews, YouTube, and other searchable sources matters more than ever.

What You Should Do:

• Use these tools to run competitive analysis weekly or monthly.
• Test how your business shows up when you ask AI tools natural-language customer questions.
• Optimize your content for the types of queries people are now asking AI: conversational, specific, and real-world.

This is the new normal. It’s not just SEO anymore—it’s AIO: AI Optimization.

Google Business Profile QR Codes

This one’s a quick tip. Google Business Profile now allows you to generate a QR code directly from your profile. While you could always create a QR code using tools like Canva, the key here is strategy.

Most small businesses aren’t taking advantage of QR codes for Google reviews. Here’s what you should do:

• Generate a QR code for your Google Business Profile.
• Print it out and place it at your counter, on receipts, or even in your emails.
• Ask customers to scan it and leave a review.

Simple, effective, and free!

Reviews: Where Should You Focus?

Let’s talk about reviews—but zoom out a bit.

Yes, Google Business Profile reviews are still #1 when it comes to trust and visibility. A recent BrightLocal study showed they’ve exploded in importance since 2020.

Here's the screenshot of the study from Bright Local (brightlocal.com/research/consumer-reviews-historical-trends/):

But here’s what’s new: People aren’t just relying on review platforms anymore. They’re treating social media like search engines.

Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are where the real conversations are happening. And they’re showing up before Yelp, BBB, or even Google reviews in some search results.

A real-world example?
My cousin was planning a trip and didn’t touch Google or TripAdvisor. He searched Reddit for “Things to do in Montreal in April” and built his entire itinerary off comment threads and personal recs.
He also looked up restaurants on TikTok and used Instagram hashtags to check the vibe.

Your customers are doing the same.

What This Means for You:

• If you run a local business, post short videos answering FAQs or showing behind-the-scenes on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.
• Use relevant hashtags and geo-tags—this is how people “search” on these platforms.
• Engage in relevant subreddits where people ask for recommendations.
• Link to your Google review page in your Instagram bio, YouTube descriptions, and Reddit profile.

Quick Wins:

• Create a 30-second video: “What to know before your first oil change” → post it everywhere.
• Screenshot positive reviews and turn them into a carousel or Story highlight.
• Add UGC-style captions like: “Didn’t expect this from a mechanic… but wow.”

You’re not just building credibility—you’re becoming part of your audience’s search behavior.

Final Thoughts: Google Isn’t Everything

The key takeaway from all of this? Google isn’t the only game in town anymore. If you’re a small business owner, you need to start thinking outside the box.

Test different platforms like Reddit and Pinterest. Leverage AI for market research. Optimize your Google Business Profile and make it easy for customers to leave reviews. Be where your customers are—because they’re not just on Google anymore.

That’s all I had for today. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you next week for another round of Monday Marketing Shift!