Is there any point in starting a new business with a new website?

ByContentify Design
Small business

Has AI search made it impossible to get found on Google?

Is there any point in starting a new business when it is so hard to be discovered?

Short answer: Yes, it can still be worth it – although you might need to rethink your marketing.

Factors to consider:

1. Search Engine Results are Still Important

Yes, it’s more challenging to rank, but search engines (especially Google) are still the most significant traffic drivers for most websites. A good SEO strategy can still bring in solid organic traffic, and ranking well means trust, visibility, and authority in your niche.

However, it’s important to know that ranking well in search has evolved:

  • E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) is now a primary focus for ranking.
  • Content quality has become far more important than keyword stuffing.
  • User experience (UX) factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and core web vitals matter.
  • Local SEO is still valuable for small businesses targeting a specific geographic area.
  • Featured snippets and voice search are new opportunities for visibility.

Did you know that Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, uses OpenAI’s technology, specifically GPT-4, to power its AI-driven search capabilities? This is evident in the new Bing Chat which leverages OpenAI to provide more conversational and informative search results.  

2. Content is King, but Distribution is Queen!

Don’t rely only on organic search – use multiple channels:

  • Social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.) can be powerful for attracting attention and building a community.
  • Email marketing continues to be one of the highest ROI channels (need help with email marketing?)
  • Collaborations and guest posting can help build backlinks and visibility without having to rely entirely on search engines.
  • Paid ads (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.) can boost visibility and supplement your organic efforts, especially when you’re in the early stages.

3. Niche Down

Starting a business in a saturated market may indeed make it harder to rank for highly competitive keywords. But if you can find a niche—something unique or specialised—it’s much easier to rank and become an authority in that space. A lot of businesses are thriving by focusing on a specific niche and dominating that area, even when SEO is competitive overall.

Niching down might also involve finding that

4. Alternative Traffic Sources

While SEO is important, it’s not the only way to bring traffic to your website. Consider creating shareable content (blogs, infographics, videos) and using platforms that rank on search engines themselves (like Medium, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.) to attract potential customers.

5. Building Brand Awareness

Even without ranking in the top positions, building your brand and reputation can get you customers. People are often drawn to businesses they trust, and a lot of that trust can come from great products, customer service, and word-of-mouth (both online and offline).

6. Long-Term Game

Ranking in Google has always been a long-term play. It’s not something that happens overnight. If you’re starting from scratch, don’t expect to dominate the search engine results page (SERP) right away. But with consistent, high-quality content and a strategic approach, you can eventually see the fruits of your labour.

In the end, the answer isn’t “SEO is dead” but rather, SEO needs to be part of a broader digital strategy. If your plan is to rely entirely on search engines to drive traffic, it might be harder now, but if you’re willing to diversify your approach—leveraging social, building partnerships, creating great content, and focusing on user experience—you can still find success.

TAKE ACTION!

Open a chat with me about your marketing strategy.

Peter – Web Designer – Perth, WA.