AI Search Optimisation for Letchworth Businesses in 2026

Right, so Google's not really Google anymore

Been having the same conversation three times a week since about March. Business owner in Letchworth rings up, says their Google traffic's gone weird. Not down exactly. Just... different. Turns out half their clicks are coming from AI summaries now, not the old blue links.

And the other half? ChatGPT search. Perplexity. Some new thing that launched last month that does the same thing but with a different colour scheme.

We're past the point where you can just optimise for Google and call it a day. You need to show up in AI answers now, or you're leaving money on the table. Probably quite a lot of it.

What changed (and when you stopped noticing)

Google's AI Overviews went from "occasionally appears" to "basically always there" sometime around late 2025. You probably didn't spot the exact moment. But if you search for anything commercial now, there's a summary block at the top. And if your business isn't feeding that summary, you're not in the conversation.

ChatGPT added search. Then Perplexity got serious. Then Microsoft went all in on Copilot. Your customers aren't just Googling "accountant near me" anymore. They're asking an AI "who should I use for my tax return in Letchworth" and getting three names. If yours isn't one of them, you've lost the sale before you knew it existed.

Here's what I'm seeing with Letchworth businesses specifically: the ones who sorted this out six months ago are fine. The ones who haven't... they're noticing enquiries have dropped but they can't work out why their Google rankings look OK.

It's because rankings don't matter the way they used to.

The actual problem (it's not what you think)

Most business owners hear "AI search" and think it's some sci-fi thing they'll deal with later. But it's not later. It's now. Your competitor down the road might already be doing this, and you wouldn't know until you've lost three clients in a row to them.

The problem isn't that AI search is complicated. It's that it's invisible.

When someone searched for you on Google, you could track it. You'd see the visit in Analytics. You'd know they came from search. With AI? The AI reads your website, your reviews, your citations, decides if you're credible, and either mentions you or doesn't. The person asking never clicks through to you until they've already decided.

So you're being evaluated and you don't even know it's happening.

And here's the bit that makes it worse: AI doesn't rank you the way Google did. Google looked at links and keywords and how fast your site loaded. AI looks at whether you actually answer questions. Whether real humans said you were good. Whether your information shows up in enough places that it seems legitimate.

What AEO actually means for a Letchworth business

AEO is Answer Engine Optimisation. Terrible name, but it's the one that stuck.

Basically: instead of optimising to rank #1 on Google, you're optimising to be the answer an AI gives when someone asks a question about what you do.

Let's say you run a plumbing business in Hitchin. Someone asks ChatGPT "I've got a leak under my kitchen sink, who should I call near Hitchin?"

If you've done AEO right, ChatGPT mentions you by name. If you haven't, it mentions someone else. Or worse, it just says "contact a local plumber" and doesn't name anyone.

That's the difference. Being mentioned or being invisible.

For Letchworth businesses, this matters more than you'd think. We're not a huge town. There's maybe three or four businesses in your category that could legitimately compete for that AI mention. If you're not one of them, you're giving those three or four all the work.

The things that actually make AI mention you

I've spent the last year testing this with about 40 clients across North Herts. Some in Letchworth, some in Baldock, couple in Stevenage. Here's what moves the needle:

Your Google Business Profile has to be complete and current. Not "mostly filled in". Complete. AI pulls from this constantly. If your hours are wrong or your description is from 2023, you're out.

You need reviews that mention specific things. "Great service" doesn't help. "Fixed our boiler on a Sunday when everywhere else was closed" does. AI reads the content of reviews, not just the star rating.

Your website needs to answer actual questions, not just describe what you do. This is the big one. Most business websites say "We are a family-run accountancy firm with 20 years experience". Cool. But someone's asking "how much does a tax return cost for a limited company in Letchworth". If your site answers that, you're in. If it doesn't, you're not.

Your info needs to be consistent everywhere. AI cross-references. If your address is different on your website vs your Google profile vs the local directory listings, it flags you as potentially unreliable. Sounds paranoid but I've seen it happen.

And look, this isn't theoretical. I pulled the data for a client last month, solicitor in Letchworth. Before we sorted their AEO, they were getting maybe two enquiries a week from search. After, they're at seven or eight. Same website, same Google ranking. The only difference is they're now showing up in AI answers.

The local bit matters more than it used to

One thing that's changed: AI is really good at local context now. Better than Google was, honestly.

If someone asks "where can I get my car serviced" without specifying a location, and their phone's GPS says they're in Letchworth, the AI knows. It'll suggest Letchworth businesses. Not Stevenage, not London. Right here.

But only if you've made it clear you're a Letchworth business. That means your Google Business Profile says Letchworth. Your website mentions Letchworth (not just in the footer, actually in the content). Your reviews mention Letchworth.

I know that sounds obvious. But half the websites I audit have maybe one mention of their town in the entire site. Usually in the contact page. That's not enough anymore.

What you actually need to do (assuming you're starting from zero)

Sort your Google Business Profile first. Seriously, if you only do one thing, do this. Make sure every field is filled in. Add photos from the last three months, not 2024. Post updates at least once a month.

Then your website. Go through every service page and add a section that answers common questions. Not an FAQ at the bottom. Actual questions woven into the content. "How long does X take?" "How much does Y cost?" "Do you cover Z?"

Get more reviews. I know, everyone hates asking. But you need them, and they need to be detailed. Send a follow-up email after a job that specifically asks what problem you solved. Those answers become the reviews that AI reads.

Check your citations. That's your business name, address, phone number on directories like Yell, Thomson Local, whatever else is still kicking around. Make sure they all match exactly. Same format, same details.

And actually talk about your location in your content. Not keyword-stuffed nonsense. Just mention Letchworth when it's relevant. "We cover Letchworth and the surrounding areas" in your service description. "Based in Letchworth Garden City" in your about page. Real mentions, not forced.

The bit where I tell you this isn't optional anymore

I get it. This sounds like more work on top of everything else you're doing to keep your business running.

But here's the reality: your customers are already using AI search. They're asking ChatGPT and Perplexity and whatever else for recommendations. And those tools are answering. If you're not part of that answer, someone else is.

And unlike Google where you could get away with being on page two, there is no page two with AI. It mentions three businesses, maybe four. That's it. You're either in that list or you don't exist.

We've been doing this for local businesses in Letchworth since AEO became a thing, and I can tell you the gap between businesses who've adapted and businesses who haven't is getting wider every month.

If you want to actually show up when people are looking for what you do, you need to make sure AI knows you exist. That's just how it works now.

Let's sort your AI search presence before your competitors do.