How to make your website rank in Google and AI Search

If you’re like many small and medium business founders I know, you’ve probably heard about SEO and its benefits. However, many founders get their businesses off the ground without considering SEO, or want to start but feel lost in jargon and tech-speak.

In this post, I’ll break down how SEO helps you rank in Google and AI-search, and how you can get started ranking with a few simple tweaks to your website.

What is SEO and Why Does It Matter?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the art and science of enhancing your online presence so that your business ranks higher in search engine results. In simpler terms, it’s how you get found by potential clients looking for your products or services.

In 2025, Google says there are 5 trillion searches happening each year globally. Perhaps more surprising is that search remains a top way to find information even among gen-z. These 18-24 year olds have been described as power users.

This is a volume unseen elsewhere, not Instagram or Facebook, and despite the threat of it, not AI, which we’ll cover later.

Google essentially works like an amazing friend who only recommends the best restaurant or salon. And just like that friend who keeps her ear to the ground, who hangs out in all the right spaces, and only praises things she’s tried and trusts, Google only gives top billing to websites it decides it trusts.

How does it determine those trust factors? Here are a few of the key considerations:

• Quality of Content: Google loves a website that’s informative and engaging which it sends in response to search terms people use online.

• Expertise and Authority: Search engines prioritizes websites that clearly show expertise.

• User Experience: Is it easy for visitors to navigate your site? Google likes getting results for searchers, so sites where everything is easy to find do better.

• Backlinks: Linking to reputable sources and being linked to by others is another way to prove your service is credible.