Your mainsail is torn, and you’re due to go sailing on Saturday. Who do you call?
You could start by asking around the marina. Someone knows a sailmaker who does good repair work. Someone else had a similar sail repaired before a race. Finally, you call to see whether she can fit you in before Saturday.
You’ve done what we do all the time when choosing a supplier. You’ve asked who can do the job, found someone who has seen the work up close, and checked what matters right now.
When AI gets the same question
Imagine asking an AI assistant who nearby can repair a mainsail. The sailmaker’s website has photos of a repair. A customer describes what happened to their own sail on the sailing club’s public forum. The company’s contact page tells you where the workshop is and who to call.
Each detail helps in a different way. The photos show that the sailmaker has done this kind of work before. The customer tells you how it went. The phone number lets you check whether she can finish by Saturday. Google describes how its AI search can run several related searches across topics and sources. What interests me is that a search like this can help customers find some of the clues we would look for ourselves. Google Search Central on AI search
A good reputation needs to be findable
There could be an excellent sailmaker two marinas away who gets plenty of work through word of mouth. If all her website says is “We deliver quality and excellent service”, a new customer has little to go on when trying to work out what she does particularly well.
The reverse can happen too. Five websites can repeat the same praise because they copied the same text. There is still only one source behind the claim. A customer describing their own experience adds a separate piece of information.
That possibility makes me optimistic. A small business with skills its customers already value has something worth showing. It can help people outside its usual circle discover someone who can do the very job they need.
Start with one job you’re proud of
I’d pick a job that shows what the business does particularly well. What did the customer need? What did you do? How did it turn out? A photo and a couple of concrete details can make the answer easier to understand. If the customer is happy to tell the story themselves, the next customer gets their perspective too.
It’s also a good moment to look at your About page. If a friend were recommending your business, what would they say? Maybe you can repair something others would rather replace. Maybe you can explain a difficult choice so the customer can make it for themselves. Write that down and show a job where it came into play.
A clear headline and a good link help readers find the story. The story itself is probably already sitting in a folder of photos from last week’s work.