What happens when holiday shopping habits shift faster than most small businesses can keep up, and AI becomes the first stop for gift ideas, local searches, and product discovery? In my conversation with Alicia Pringle, Senior Director of Online Marketing at Network Solutions, we look at how the rise of AI-assisted search is changing the game for small business visibility during the busiest season of the year. Alicia brings two decades of marketing experience and a front row seat to the rapid evolution of search, and she breaks down what is really happening behind the scenes as shoppers move from typing into Google to asking Gemini, ChatGPT, and other assistants for personal recommendations.
Alicia explains how early holiday behaviour has become and why the traditional mid-December surge is now simply a final sweep rather than the main event. She talks through the surge in AI driven discovery and how more than a third of shoppers now ask AI for curated suggestions with specific personal details baked in. This has created a rare moment where small businesses can compete with large retailers again because AI search rewards clarity, genuine content, and trustworthy online signals rather than the size of a marketing budget. Her examples make it clear that websites, local listings, and social channels now act as one connected reputation system, and AI will only surface businesses that look consistent, human, and helpful across all of them.
Throughout our conversation, Alicia brings the ideas to life with practical stories. She shares how a retreat centre in Arizona used smarter positioning, thoughtful content, and simple updates to pull in hundreds of organic clicks right as shoppers were searching for meaningful holiday gifts. She explains how small changes to website speed, photos, clarity, and mobile performance can lift a business in both traditional search and AI powered assistants, often in a matter of hours rather than months. And she makes a strong case for curiosity as the new essential skill, because leaders do not need to understand the mechanics of AI to benefit from it, they simply need to be willing to experiment.
As AI search becomes part of everyday life, Alicia’s message is grounding. Visibility can be earned again. Small businesses can adapt. Modern tools can remove a lot of the technical pain. And with a few thoughtful changes, brands can still show up in those key digital moments when customers are ready to buy. So how should small businesses use this moment to build trust, stay discoverable, and meet shoppers where they already are? I would love to hear your thoughts.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 As you all know, I often talk to founders and
00:00:02 --> 00:00:06 business leaders who spend months building incredible
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 products. But it's easy to forget how that one
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 overlooked login or unsecured Wi -Fi connection
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 can bring everything crashing down. That's where
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 NordLayer comes in. It's a business security
00:00:18 --> 00:00:22 platform built for the modern hybrid team. No
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 hardware, no complicated rollout, just a simple
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 toggle ready solution that lets you secure your
00:00:28 --> 00:00:32 entire network in minutes. And it does this by
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 combining VPN, access control and threat protection
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 so your people can connect safely from any device
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 and any network and anywhere. So whether you're
00:00:41 --> 00:00:45 five people or 500, you can scale it within a
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 few clicks and sleep better knowing that your
00:00:48 --> 00:00:52 data is protected. by the same team behind NordVPN.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 So if you've been putting off network security
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 because it feels too technical or too expensive,
00:00:58 --> 00:01:02 don't wait any longer. Please visit nordlair
00:01:02 --> 00:01:06 .com slash tech talks daily and use the coupon
00:01:06 --> 00:01:12 code tech daily dash 28 for 28 % off your plan.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:19 But now on with today's show. How are small businesses
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 supposed to win the attention of consumers during
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 the crazy holiday season when their customers
00:01:24 --> 00:01:28 are no longer... typing long searches into Google
00:01:28 --> 00:01:32 and are increasingly asking AI assistants for
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 personalized gift lists built around tastes,
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 quirks and even favorite sport teams of their
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 gift recipient. And this has been something that's
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 been playing on my mind throughout the last few
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 weeks because I've noticed in my own behavior
00:01:45 --> 00:01:49 that shift from browsing to asking and how it
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 is quietly changing the entire discovery journey.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 Well, today here on the AI at Work podcast, I'm
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 joined by someone who is helping small businesses
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 keep pace with these changes and has been doing
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 so long before many realised the ground was even
00:02:03 --> 00:02:07 shifting. Her name is Alicia Pringle. She's the
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 Senior Director of Online Marketing at Network
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Solutions and she works with teams who are helping
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 SMBs build modern digital visibility across websites,
00:02:17 --> 00:02:21 search and now AI driven recommendations. and
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 she understands exactly how shoppers behave during
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 this peak season and why Discovery is moving
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 from physical shelf to the digital shelf and
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 what businesses can be doing right now to stay
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 right in front of the customers who rely heavily
00:02:36 --> 00:02:40 on AI assistance or even just AI overviews in
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 their search results. So today's conversation
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 is going to demystify this new space and it is
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 going to be packed with practical examples, behavior
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 shifts and surprisingly hopeful messages for
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 any founder who is wondering if it's too late
00:02:53 --> 00:02:58 to sit this one out during the holidays. because
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 Alicia is going to highlight why the playing
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 field has once again opened up why clarity sells
00:03:03 --> 00:03:07 and what simple changes can deliver real results
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 even right in the heart of the holiday season.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 So are you ready to embrace AI? Hopefully you
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 will be after the end of this episode so let
00:03:15 --> 00:03:19 me introduce you to my guest right now. So a
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 massive warm welcome to the show. Can you tell
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 everyone listening a little about who you are
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 and what you do? Yeah, sure. And thanks so much
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 for having me, Neil. I'm Alicia Pringle, and
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 I'm the Senior Director of Online Marketing at
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 Network Solutions. We help small businesses build
00:03:37 --> 00:03:41 their digital presence from everything from choosing
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 a domain name to building and hosting their website,
00:03:44 --> 00:03:48 making sure it's secure, and just helping these
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 websites get long -term visibility in search
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 engines and AI search. And that's a little bit
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 of what I'll talk about today. And my direct
00:03:55 --> 00:03:59 team are made up of some really talented marketing
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 experts. So they focus on helping small businesses
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 get found and grow online. And we do that through
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 something called search engine optimization,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 or SEO for short. And that basically includes
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 helping a website show up higher in Google and
00:04:13 --> 00:04:17 an AI search. And then we also do different tactics
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 like content marketing, paid search, social media
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 marketing. And I've spent about two decades in
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 this space. I really enjoy the pace of change.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 I will say the industry moves and it certainly
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 moves fast. it really does and the holiday season
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 that we find ourselves right in the heart of
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 right now with starting to our inboxes are starting
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 to fill with Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 already and of course it is that time of the
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 year that is so critical for many small to medium
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 -sized businesses many will make more income
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 over the next what six to eight weeks and they
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 will do for much of the year so I've got to ask
00:04:54 --> 00:04:59 what kind of trends are you seeing in SMB holiday
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 shop uping behaviors this year, particularly
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 with the rise in AI, because there's so much
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 going on and be breathtaking trying to keep up
00:05:07 --> 00:05:08 with the pace of technology. But what are you
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 seeing out there at the moment? You're definitely
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 right, Neil. The holidays make up such a huge
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 share of revenue for small businesses. And this
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 year we're seeing a few really interesting trends.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 So first is just how early everything starts
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 now. I know this isn't going to be news for anybody,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:29 but I've been seeing holiday decorations. in
00:05:29 --> 00:05:33 stores since October this year. I know Halloween
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 is a little bit bigger in the US than in the
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 UK, but I'll tell you it's quite a sight for
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 Christmas trees and eight -foot skeletons to
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 be on the shelves next to each other. But it's
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 not just the stores. Research shows that almost
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 half of shoppers start making their holiday shopping
00:05:48 --> 00:05:52 lists and even buying before October. So that
00:05:52 --> 00:05:56 means that what we know as the traditional holiday
00:05:56 --> 00:06:00 push in mid -December is really more of a wrap
00:06:00 --> 00:06:04 -up for shopping these days. And second, AI has,
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 of course, completely changed how people shop.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:12 So instead of going to Google and typing in a
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 phrase like, best gift for my dad, and then clicking
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 through the 10 results or so that you see there,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 over 30 % of shoppers, and that number has actually
00:06:22 --> 00:06:26 doubled from a year ago, 30 % of shoppers are
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 now asking AI chat bots for recommendations.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:33 And they're able to give specifics about, you
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 know, dad's personality, what a big Manchester
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 United or New York Yankees fan he is. And those
00:06:39 --> 00:06:43 answers are giving really curated lists, even
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 with links to products on sites like Etsy. And
00:06:46 --> 00:06:50 This isn't just going to ChatGPT or Google Gemini
00:06:50 --> 00:06:55 or your AI of choice. It's built right into traditional
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 search engines like Google and Bing. So it's
00:06:57 --> 00:07:01 really everywhere. And we know that businesses
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 that have very clear descriptive content on their
00:07:04 --> 00:07:08 website, they're the ones that are going to show
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 up higher in those AI search results. And I'll
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 talk a little bit more about that as we go on,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 but that's going to be really critical to showing
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 up in those results during the holiday season
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 this year. So a lot of new trends that we've
00:07:19 --> 00:07:23 got. Wow and I'm glad you raised that subject
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 because when you began it with your intro talking
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 about search engine optimization SEO one of my
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 first questions was I was thinking was as that
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 change as some people say SEO is dead but of
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 course it isn't it is just evolving but when
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 I look around more and more people are going
00:07:39 --> 00:07:43 to AI assistance or AI overviews at the top and
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 are not focusing as much attention on those those
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 first ten results on page one of Google which
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 is a challenge on it's on its own for businesses,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:55 right? It is. And that's where consumer expectations,
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 they have changed quite a bit. They've really
00:07:57 --> 00:08:02 skyrocketed. So, you know, they, when they go
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 to a search result now, they're not so much differentiating
00:08:05 --> 00:08:10 between a small business and a major retailer.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 So the search results, they are showing small
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 business websites, they're showing major retailers
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 when they're going to AI search, same thing.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 you're going to see them mixed in there. And
00:08:20 --> 00:08:24 in a way, it is very positive. It has really
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 leveled the playing field so that these small
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 business websites can compete with the major
00:08:28 --> 00:08:32 retailers. Now, at the same time, that does present
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 a little bit of difficulty for these small business
00:08:35 --> 00:08:39 websites because the people who are searching
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 are consumers during the holiday season. They
00:08:41 --> 00:08:45 are going to expect the same website speed, the
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 same website security, same ease of use. you
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 know, whether it's your hardware supercenter
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 store with hundreds of locations or it's Paul's
00:08:54 --> 00:08:58 local hardware down the street. So when it comes
00:08:58 --> 00:09:02 to website speed, research shows that one in
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 three shoppers will actually leave a site if
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 it takes longer than six seconds to load. And
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 most will just completely abandon checkout if,
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 you know, fees pop up or you've got a lot of
00:09:13 --> 00:09:17 those pesky pop -ups showing up on screen. But
00:09:17 --> 00:09:22 the flip side, and this is where AI search and
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 the AI overviews in Google, this is where it
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 has been a really positive change in the SEO
00:09:27 --> 00:09:31 world. If you are a small business and your website
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 feels fast, if it feels trustworthy, if it feels
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 genuine, people love and feel really, really
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 good about supporting small businesses. So you
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 got a really nice advantage there. So you don't
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 have to have that massive marketing budget these
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 days to meet those expectations. You just need
00:09:48 --> 00:09:52 to have a very professional, very modern online
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 presence. You need to add text to your website
00:09:55 --> 00:09:59 that helps answer your customers' questions.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 So, you know, why would they be shopping for
00:10:01 --> 00:10:05 you or why would they be getting plumbing services
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 from you? You know, add that text to your website
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 that answers that. add real photos. They want
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 to see who you are. They don't want to see a
00:10:12 --> 00:10:16 stock photo and just try to make it easier for
00:10:16 --> 00:10:20 shoppers to select those services or check out
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 online as easily as possible and just like a
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 massive brand would. I've got a really good example
00:10:26 --> 00:10:31 of this. I saw a vacation rental business use
00:10:31 --> 00:10:35 our AI website builder and they build a professional
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 website including using AI copywriting tools
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 to write copy for it. You could do it in literally
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 minutes these days. So it's pretty extraordinary
00:10:44 --> 00:10:48 how AI is helping small businesses keep up with
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 those changing SEO trends and also just changing
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 consumer expectations. It's a pretty exciting
00:10:53 --> 00:10:57 time for SEO. And I agree, Neil, SEO is certainly
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 not dead. Yeah, 100 % with you and one of the
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 things that I find incredibly interesting listening
00:11:03 --> 00:11:07 to you talk there is how we've almost come full
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 circle. In the very early days of Google there
00:11:09 --> 00:11:13 was that level playing field and then you could,
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 anybody could Google out their business and not
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 pay that much and be on the front page where
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 over time that has become saturated and a lot
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 of the keywords are taken and it can be very
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 difficult to get your name and lights up there
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 but of course that's It's like we've gone back,
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 the playing field's been levelled again. Right
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 now there's a huge opportunity here. I do wonder
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 if it will go the same way again once ads get
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 involved and everything. But right here, right
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 now, let's focus on those opportunities. And
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 I read before you came on today that you've called
00:11:45 --> 00:11:49 digital visibility as the new shelf space of
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 holiday shopping. So tell me a little bit more
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 about what you meant by that and why it's so
00:11:53 --> 00:11:57 critical for SMBs to consider this holiday season.
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 Sure. And that phrase, how digital visibility
00:12:01 --> 00:12:05 is the new shelf space of holiday shopping, that
00:12:05 --> 00:12:09 really came from watching how consumer discovery,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:13 how people shop has completely transformed over
00:12:13 --> 00:12:17 the years. 15 or 20 years ago, shelf space literally
00:12:17 --> 00:12:21 meant being at eye level in a physical store,
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 advertisements, paper advertisements around you.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 That's how shoppers found your product. You wanted
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 to be front and center right where they were
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 walking by, you know, on their doorstep. It was
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 all about proximity, all about placement. But
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 today, that shelf is definitely not physical.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 It is digital. It is in the palm of your hand
00:12:41 --> 00:12:45 or the screen of your computer. It's your spot
00:12:45 --> 00:12:49 on a search results page, a local Google Maps
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 or Apple Maps listing. It is a social media post.
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 Or, of course, you know, these days, it's an
00:12:55 --> 00:12:59 AI generated recommendation. when someone types
00:12:59 --> 00:13:04 or searches for best local bakery near me or
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 unique holiday gifts, those results are really
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 the new shopping aisles that consumers are walking
00:13:10 --> 00:13:14 down. So when I say digital visibility is the
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 new shelf space, I mean, that's where your audience
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 is really browsing now. So it doesn't matter
00:13:19 --> 00:13:23 if you're selling handmade candles or you're
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 running a home services business. If your business
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 does not appear in those digital moments when
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 people need you, you are not on that shelf at
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 all. And I think the like we've been talking
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 about, I think the big takeaway for small businesses
00:13:37 --> 00:13:42 is that visibility can now be earned, not just
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 bought. We might see that in the future with
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 paid ads, of course, but right now we're in a
00:13:47 --> 00:13:51 really sweet spot. You don't need to pay for
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 premium placement. you know, in a store or even
00:13:54 --> 00:13:58 on Google with AI search and AI results, you
00:13:58 --> 00:14:02 can increase your chances of showing up in them
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 by optimizing your site, creating some really
00:14:05 --> 00:14:09 helpful content on your website, keep your local
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 listings like your Google business profile, keep
00:14:11 --> 00:14:14 those current and up to date, and just really
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 build a consistent online presence in all those
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 spots that you own like your website and social
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 media. and that really helps you earn that eye
00:14:23 --> 00:14:27 level digital spot online. And I guess the question
00:14:27 --> 00:14:31 I've got to ask for everybody listening who are
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 currently thinking you know what this is exactly
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 right my behavior's changed so my customers behavior
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 is going to change so what should those SMBs
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 be doing to to better maximize their visibility
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44 this holiday season and and what kind of timing
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 should they be mindful of as well? I appreciate
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 it is the ultimate question everyone wants the
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 secret answer to, but what advice would you offer
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 him? So timing is really everything when it comes
00:14:56 --> 00:15:00 to holiday visibility. We are now seeing that
00:15:00 --> 00:15:04 customers are researching their gifts in September,
00:15:04 --> 00:15:08 creating their list. they're filling their online
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10 parts in October and they're typically buying
00:15:10 --> 00:15:15 before US Thanksgiving even hits. So if you as
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 a small business, if you wait until mid -December
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 to update your website or to launch marketing
00:15:21 --> 00:15:25 campaigns, this is where you really already missed
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 that window where most shoppers have already
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 made their decisions. But one of the best things
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 a business can do is, again, just make sure your
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37 online presence is very polished, make sure it's
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 up to date, and try to do that everywhere people
00:15:40 --> 00:15:45 might look in your industry. So go to Google,
00:15:45 --> 00:15:49 go to ChatDBT, search for your business, just
00:15:49 --> 00:15:53 like someone, just like your audience or one
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 of your shoppers might, and see what's out there,
00:15:55 --> 00:15:59 see what your audience is finding. Go to your
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02 website. Is your website updated? Is it professional?
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 Try to take a really critical eye. Maybe ask
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 some friends and family what they think of it.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:11 Go to your Google business profile. Make sure
00:16:11 --> 00:16:15 that is updated. That's a really great source.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:19 Google, of course, will show that. So will AI
00:16:19 --> 00:16:23 search results? Also go to social media profiles.
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 So think Instagram, Facebook, if it makes sense,
00:16:26 --> 00:16:29 LinkedIn, TikTok, you know, go where your audience
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 really is and make sure that you are posting
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 on those places where they're looking for you.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:38 And this really doesn't require a huge list.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 Simple updates can make a really huge difference.
00:16:42 --> 00:16:46 I go back to this example a lot, but a bakery
00:16:46 --> 00:16:49 that we work with, you know, small local bakery,
00:16:49 --> 00:16:54 They updated their homepage with holiday catering
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 info. They updated some of their photos on their
00:16:56 --> 00:17:00 website, on their social media to show some of
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 the seasonal Christmas cookies that they had.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:06 They added clear pickup hours across all of their
00:17:06 --> 00:17:09 profiles, and they did all of that in a few hours.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:12 And because that info was consistent everywhere,
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 because it was personalized for the holiday season,
00:17:15 --> 00:17:19 their visibility in local search and also in
00:17:19 --> 00:17:23 AI searches went up really quickly. So it's really
00:17:23 --> 00:17:26 those simple changes, consistency is key, and
00:17:26 --> 00:17:30 I would say clarity of content, clarity of what
00:17:30 --> 00:17:34 you do, how you can help your customers and freshness.
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 So how recently you've updated your website and
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 different profiles, those really count these
00:17:40 --> 00:17:43 days. It's so refreshing to hear you say that
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 because I was conscious that we're talking right
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 in the heart of the holiday season. There could
00:17:47 --> 00:17:50 be a lot of SMBs listening thinking, oh, well,
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 it's too late for us now. There's very little
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 we can do. We'll maybe think about this next
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 year. But as you said there, so many of those
00:17:56 --> 00:17:59 changes you mentioned that for people that are
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 playing catch -up, they can be achieved in as
00:18:01 --> 00:18:05 little as a few hours, right? Yeah. And I always
00:18:05 --> 00:18:09 tell small businesses first. breathe, don't panic,
00:18:09 --> 00:18:12 you can still catch up. There's no reason to
00:18:12 --> 00:18:15 feel overwhelmed. Again, there's some really
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18 quick, meaningful changes that can help you get
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 discovered and can help you show up even later
00:18:21 --> 00:18:25 in the season. First, start with the essentials.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:29 So again, I mentioned website speed before. That
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 is really important. You don't want shoppers
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 to just leave your website because it hasn't
00:18:33 --> 00:18:36 loaded fast enough. Mobile friendliness is another
00:18:36 --> 00:18:39 one. So, you know, we all know we're often looking,
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 you know, we're searching from the palm of our
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 hands on our smartphones. You know, they're pretty
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 much glued to us these days. And then like I
00:18:46 --> 00:18:48 had mentioned before, clarity is also really
00:18:48 --> 00:18:53 key. Over half of holiday e -commerce revenue
00:18:53 --> 00:18:56 actually happens on mobile. So if your website
00:18:56 --> 00:19:00 looks and works really well on your phone and
00:19:00 --> 00:19:04 it loads quickly, that alone will help you retain
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 shoppers who might have bounced and gone to your
00:19:06 --> 00:19:11 competitor. So I know all small business owners
00:19:11 --> 00:19:15 out there aren't super tech savvy. So don't worry,
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 that's where. website builders have a lot of
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 those features built in so that you can choose
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 a platform that does help you get your website
00:19:24 --> 00:19:27 mobile friendly and also has some pretty fast
00:19:27 --> 00:19:31 site speed as well. And also for business owners
00:19:31 --> 00:19:35 who feel a little bit overwhelmed writing content
00:19:35 --> 00:19:39 for their website, for their social media profiles,
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 AI is a gem. AI can definitely help you there.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:46 You can use AI writing tools. You can use generative
00:19:46 --> 00:19:50 AI, like ChatGBT, Google Gemini. And they can
00:19:50 --> 00:19:53 really help you create a first draft of content
00:19:53 --> 00:19:56 for your site. But I will caution you, always
00:19:56 --> 00:20:00 be sure to go through. Make sure AI has not hallucinated,
00:20:01 --> 00:20:04 as we call it. Make sure it actually makes sense
00:20:04 --> 00:20:08 for your website. And also really critical, make
00:20:08 --> 00:20:11 sure to go through and add your unique brand
00:20:11 --> 00:20:14 personality to it. Remember, people want to connect
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 with you and your brand. They don't want to connect
00:20:16 --> 00:20:20 with an AI bot. But AI writers can absolutely
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 help you and take away some of that overwhelm.
00:20:23 --> 00:20:26 And then another really critical one, I'm betting
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 all small business owners have tons of photos
00:20:28 --> 00:20:32 of their staff, of the small business owner,
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 the different jobs or products that they have.
00:20:35 --> 00:20:40 So it's really important, add those photos to
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 your site, add them of your products and services,
00:20:43 --> 00:20:47 even you and your staff. Again, people want to
00:20:47 --> 00:20:51 connect with people. These type of real photos,
00:20:51 --> 00:20:54 they make your business feel trustworthy, genuine,
00:20:54 --> 00:20:57 and shoppers will feel more connected to you
00:20:57 --> 00:21:01 as a result. And then last, like I've talked
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 about before, Google Business Profile. a lot
00:21:03 --> 00:21:06 of people don't realize how impactful that truly
00:21:06 --> 00:21:09 is for a local business. Same thing with any
00:21:09 --> 00:21:13 local directory, social media. Make sure they're
00:21:13 --> 00:21:16 updated with your business info, with your website,
00:21:16 --> 00:21:21 with your hours. Use AI writing tools again to
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 create first drafts of social media posts. Again,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:26 make sure They're unique. Make sure you put your
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28 brand personality in them, but they are a great
00:21:28 --> 00:21:31 way to get ahead and schedule them out through
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 the holiday season so that you could focus on
00:21:33 --> 00:21:36 your business. And just remember, it's really
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 not about perfection. It's just about giving
00:21:38 --> 00:21:42 shoppers enough helpful information so that they
00:21:42 --> 00:21:45 have the confidence to choose you over your competitor.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:48 And just to bring to life everything we're talking
00:21:48 --> 00:21:51 about here, we're right in the heart of the holiday
00:21:51 --> 00:21:54 season, the impacts that AI is having on that.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:57 Do you have any real world stories or examples
00:21:57 --> 00:22:00 of brands that you've worked with on this approach
00:22:00 --> 00:22:02 and what kind of ROI or what kind of results
00:22:02 --> 00:22:06 did they get as doing those changes? What did
00:22:06 --> 00:22:10 they achieve? One example I love to talk about
00:22:10 --> 00:22:14 is a wellness retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona.
00:22:14 --> 00:22:16 So you wouldn't automatically think of them as
00:22:16 --> 00:22:19 having a holiday gift angle as a wellness retreat.
00:22:20 --> 00:22:23 But they very smartly packaged one of their weekend
00:22:23 --> 00:22:27 retreats as a retreat for the women who do everything.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:30 And that resonated pretty immediately, especially
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 during that busy holiday season. So what we did,
00:22:33 --> 00:22:37 we helped them add content to their site that
00:22:37 --> 00:22:40 included phrases that their audience would search
00:22:40 --> 00:22:44 for. So, you know, women wellness retreats. women's
00:22:44 --> 00:22:48 spa retreats, things like that. So we added phrases
00:22:48 --> 00:22:52 to their website and we did quite a bit of research
00:22:52 --> 00:22:55 to understand what is our audience actually searching
00:22:55 --> 00:22:58 for. So it's really going to search engines,
00:22:58 --> 00:23:02 going to AI and trying to think like a consumer,
00:23:02 --> 00:23:05 what is that consumer searching for? We also
00:23:05 --> 00:23:09 added question -based content. So think FAQs
00:23:09 --> 00:23:13 that matched how people search for or ask for
00:23:13 --> 00:23:19 those experience type gifts, that type of FAQ
00:23:19 --> 00:23:22 style content tends to do really, really well
00:23:22 --> 00:23:27 in AI search results. We also created blog posts
00:23:27 --> 00:23:30 for their blog, and then we did also connect
00:23:30 --> 00:23:33 with some industry bloggers to mention them on
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 their sites, just to build up a little trust
00:23:35 --> 00:23:38 and confidence that other sites online are talking
00:23:38 --> 00:23:41 about them. So we actually got their site ranking
00:23:41 --> 00:23:45 on the first page of Google for nearly 260 search
00:23:45 --> 00:23:49 queries, including terms around women's healing,
00:23:49 --> 00:23:52 spiritual retreats. And that visibility led to
00:23:52 --> 00:23:55 more than 700 clicks just from organic search
00:23:55 --> 00:23:58 alone. And that was right as shoppers were looking
00:23:58 --> 00:24:01 for those more meaningful experience focused
00:24:01 --> 00:24:06 gifts. And I think it really shows how creative,
00:24:06 --> 00:24:09 thoughtful positioning and then having that clear,
00:24:10 --> 00:24:13 consistent online content that fully answers
00:24:13 --> 00:24:16 what your audience is searching for, that can
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19 really turn a non -traditional offering or any
00:24:19 --> 00:24:22 product or service into a pretty big holiday
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 win. It was really exciting to see. Incredibly
00:24:24 --> 00:24:27 cool and there's so much going on here and I'm
00:24:27 --> 00:24:29 learning so much from listening to you and I'm
00:24:29 --> 00:24:31 sure everybody listening is as well. I'd love
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 to dig a little bit deeper if there's anything
00:24:33 --> 00:24:37 else you could reveal on how websites and social
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 media, the kind of role that they're playing
00:24:38 --> 00:24:41 in that AI search recognition. Are there any
00:24:41 --> 00:24:44 other small things that brands could do to build
00:24:44 --> 00:24:47 trust and ultimately convert those holiday shoppers?
00:24:47 --> 00:24:50 I think all anybody wants right now is how do
00:24:50 --> 00:24:53 I appear in those chat GPT results and other
00:24:53 --> 00:24:55 assist and that AI overview. But anything else
00:24:55 --> 00:24:57 you could share around that on what they could
00:24:57 --> 00:25:03 be doing? Sure. AI pulls from recognizable, consistent
00:25:03 --> 00:25:07 signals online. So if your website, Google business
00:25:07 --> 00:25:11 profile, reviews, social media channels, they
00:25:11 --> 00:25:14 really don't operate as separate worlds anymore.
00:25:14 --> 00:25:18 They really reinforce each other. So that's,
00:25:18 --> 00:25:20 again, where having that consistent messaging,
00:25:21 --> 00:25:25 having quite a bit of helpful content across
00:25:25 --> 00:25:28 all of these platforms. Having that helps AI
00:25:28 --> 00:25:32 treat your business as trustworthy and authoritative
00:25:32 --> 00:25:35 and increases the likelihood that you will show
00:25:35 --> 00:25:38 up in those AI search results. So it's really
00:25:38 --> 00:25:42 not a major departure from what we would recommend
00:25:42 --> 00:25:46 for an SEO campaign, a traditional SEO campaign
00:25:46 --> 00:25:50 today. It's just about doing even more of it.
00:25:51 --> 00:25:55 making sure that you are going to chat to BT
00:25:55 --> 00:25:59 or, you know, perplexity, Google Gemini, searching
00:25:59 --> 00:26:02 like your customer would, seeing what's being
00:26:02 --> 00:26:05 said about you, and then building more content
00:26:05 --> 00:26:08 around that and making sure your content is fresh.
00:26:09 --> 00:26:12 I think trust is really built through the small
00:26:12 --> 00:26:15 details that customers care about. So again,
00:26:15 --> 00:26:18 answer their questions. have your updated hours,
00:26:18 --> 00:26:21 make it easy for them to check out on your website,
00:26:22 --> 00:26:24 you know, easy, you know, pick up information
00:26:24 --> 00:26:27 if your business does that. Just make it very
00:26:27 --> 00:26:31 easy for the customer. And always remember that
00:26:31 --> 00:26:35 search engines and certainly AI search, they
00:26:35 --> 00:26:40 also want to pull search results or mention businesses
00:26:40 --> 00:26:43 that are trustworthy, that are authoritative.
00:26:43 --> 00:26:47 and that have the information that their searcher
00:26:47 --> 00:26:50 is looking for. So if you can answer that, you
00:26:50 --> 00:26:52 have a really good chance of showing up in both
00:26:52 --> 00:26:56 search engines and in AI search. And of course,
00:26:56 --> 00:26:58 as this podcast goes live, everyone's going to
00:26:58 --> 00:27:01 be starting to celebrate three years since chat
00:27:01 --> 00:27:05 GPT first arrived on the scene. 2025 has been
00:27:05 --> 00:27:09 all about agent AI and agents going out and working
00:27:09 --> 00:27:11 on our behalf and talking to one another. And
00:27:11 --> 00:27:14 this space is going to continue to evolve in
00:27:14 --> 00:27:18 2026 and beyond. So as AI does evolve, are there
00:27:18 --> 00:27:22 any skills or knowledge that SMB should be focusing
00:27:22 --> 00:27:25 on to stay competitive to keep moving to keep
00:27:25 --> 00:27:28 adapting and ensuring that their online presence
00:27:28 --> 00:27:33 doesn't suffer during this phase either. I'd
00:27:33 --> 00:27:37 say curiosity is the new superpower in our AI
00:27:37 --> 00:27:41 world. You don't have to know how AI works under
00:27:41 --> 00:27:45 the hood. You just need to be open to using it
00:27:45 --> 00:27:49 and experimenting with it. Generative AI and
00:27:49 --> 00:27:53 AI marketing tools have done wonders to help
00:27:53 --> 00:27:56 simplify marketing, demystify it, and really
00:27:56 --> 00:28:00 help you stay visible and relevant. And I think
00:28:00 --> 00:28:04 even beyond AI tools, the real skill is understanding
00:28:04 --> 00:28:08 your customers, which again will help you with
00:28:08 --> 00:28:12 Google, with AI search. So think about when you're
00:28:12 --> 00:28:15 writing content for your site to help you show
00:28:15 --> 00:28:19 up higher in AI search, think about Why do your
00:28:19 --> 00:28:21 customers, why do they need your product or service?
00:28:21 --> 00:28:23 How do they search for it? How do they talk about
00:28:23 --> 00:28:27 your product? And then use that insight to make
00:28:27 --> 00:28:30 your online content more human, more custom,
00:28:30 --> 00:28:34 more helpful. I think the businesses that blend
00:28:34 --> 00:28:39 that curiosity and empathy with efficiency and
00:28:39 --> 00:28:42 personalization of AI are the ones that will
00:28:42 --> 00:28:46 really win and be successful long term. And for
00:28:46 --> 00:28:49 anybody listening that is incredibly curious
00:28:49 --> 00:28:51 and you've just set off a whole heap of light
00:28:51 --> 00:28:53 bulb moments around the world and got people
00:28:53 --> 00:28:55 thinking of what they should be doing and what
00:28:55 --> 00:28:57 their business should be doing. Where can they
00:28:57 --> 00:29:01 find yourself and learn more about the work you're
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 doing at Network Solutions? Where would you like
00:29:03 --> 00:29:05 to point everyone? The best place is really our
00:29:05 --> 00:29:09 website and that is networksolutions .com. That's
00:29:09 --> 00:29:12 where You'll find everything from domains and
00:29:12 --> 00:29:15 hosting to our AI website builder, which is really
00:29:15 --> 00:29:18 neat. And you'll find our professional website
00:29:18 --> 00:29:21 design and my team, our SEO and AI search marketing
00:29:21 --> 00:29:25 services. It's really our all -in -one home for
00:29:25 --> 00:29:28 small business owners who want to build, want
00:29:28 --> 00:29:31 to modernize their presence, and then scale it.
00:29:31 --> 00:29:33 And if you feel like you're falling behind on
00:29:33 --> 00:29:35 holiday prep, don't worry. We have plenty of
00:29:35 --> 00:29:39 tools. We've got guides, support. on our Network
00:29:39 --> 00:29:41 Solutions blog to help you get back on track
00:29:41 --> 00:29:45 and help you build up your presence. I'm always
00:29:45 --> 00:29:47 happy to connect personally on LinkedIn. I love
00:29:47 --> 00:29:49 hearing from small business owners and other
00:29:49 --> 00:29:54 marketers and just hearing what they're working
00:29:54 --> 00:29:57 on and how they're approaching their online presence.
00:29:57 --> 00:29:59 Well I've absolutely loved chatting with you
00:29:59 --> 00:30:02 today. I for one have learned so much, especially
00:30:02 --> 00:30:05 around the trends that you're seeing in SMB holiday
00:30:05 --> 00:30:07 shopping behaviours this year. I think that's
00:30:07 --> 00:30:10 something we all know as shoppers that our behaviours
00:30:10 --> 00:30:12 are changing and evolving, particularly with
00:30:12 --> 00:30:15 the rise of AI. But the way that you were able
00:30:15 --> 00:30:19 to simplify it, demystify it and put... Put AI
00:30:19 --> 00:30:21 in a language that everyone can understand, so
00:30:21 --> 00:30:24 it's not overwhelming or daunting for business
00:30:24 --> 00:30:27 owners is absolutely priceless. So I will add
00:30:27 --> 00:30:29 links to everything that you mentioned there,
00:30:29 --> 00:30:31 including your blogs and links to tools and things.
00:30:31 --> 00:30:33 So anyone listening, please just go ahead and
00:30:33 --> 00:30:35 click any of that and you'll find out more information.
00:30:36 --> 00:30:38 But more than anything, just thank you for sparing
00:30:38 --> 00:30:41 a bit of time today, Alicia, and guiding everyone
00:30:41 --> 00:30:43 through this. Thank you. Thank you so much for
00:30:43 --> 00:30:46 having me, Neil. I think this episode today has
00:30:46 --> 00:30:49 given me a fresh perspective on how shoppers
00:30:49 --> 00:30:53 really are behaving in this new landscape. And
00:30:53 --> 00:30:56 we often talk about AI as if it almost sits outside
00:30:56 --> 00:30:59 of day -to -day commerce, yet the reality is
00:30:59 --> 00:31:01 that people are already asking these systems
00:31:01 --> 00:31:03 to choose their gifts, to shortlist services
00:31:03 --> 00:31:06 and narrow their choices before they even land
00:31:06 --> 00:31:10 on your website. And this shift I think raises
00:31:10 --> 00:31:13 challenges but most importantly it opens up an
00:31:13 --> 00:31:16 opportunity for small businesses to compete in
00:31:16 --> 00:31:19 ways that would have felt impossible a few years
00:31:19 --> 00:31:21 ago. And one of the big things that stood out
00:31:21 --> 00:31:23 from the conversation was this reminder that
00:31:23 --> 00:31:26 visibility does not come from big budgets anymore.
00:31:27 --> 00:31:30 It comes from clarity, trust signals, up -to
00:31:30 --> 00:31:32 -date information and showing enough personality
00:31:32 --> 00:31:36 for both humans and AI systems to understand
00:31:36 --> 00:31:39 who you are. And that is all within reach for
00:31:39 --> 00:31:43 any SMB, even during the busiest time of year.
00:31:43 --> 00:31:45 So if today's discussion has got you thinking
00:31:45 --> 00:31:49 about your own digital presence, Alicia and the
00:31:49 --> 00:31:51 team at Network Solutions have created a space
00:31:51 --> 00:31:54 filled with tools and guides and support to help
00:31:54 --> 00:31:57 your businesses move quickly. without losing
00:31:57 --> 00:31:59 its identity. So please, I'll add links to everything.
00:31:59 --> 00:32:01 You check that out. And I'd love to hear what
00:32:01 --> 00:32:04 you took away from this episode. Are you already
00:32:04 --> 00:32:07 using your AI? Are you already using AI to shape
00:32:07 --> 00:32:10 how your customers find you? Or is this shift
00:32:10 --> 00:32:13 catching you by surprise? Whatever end of the
00:32:13 --> 00:32:15 scale you are, share your thoughts with me and
00:32:15 --> 00:32:18 we'll keep this conversation going. techblogwriteratoutlook
00:32:18 --> 00:32:22 .com, LinkedIn X, Instagram, just at Neil C Hughes.
00:32:22 --> 00:32:25 And if you pop over to techtalksnetwork .com,
00:32:25 --> 00:32:28 you will find over three and a half thousand
00:32:28 --> 00:32:31 different interviews. So hopefully you'll find
00:32:31 --> 00:32:33 what you're looking for. Other than that, I'll
00:32:33 --> 00:32:35 return again very soon with another guest. But
00:32:35 --> 00:32:37 thank you for listening as always, and I'll speak
00:32:37 --> 00:32:39 with you all soon. Bye for now.