There’s a strange thing happening right now where everyone has suddenly decided they are an expert in AI visibility. Terms like AEO, GEO, and “optimising for large language models” are being thrown around as if the entire way people buy services has already changed overnight.

It hasn’t.

A lot of this is being massively overplayed, either to grab attention or to sell something that sounds more advanced than it actually is.

What’s Actually Happening in the Real World

If you step away from the noise and look at what’s actually happening, especially in industries like solar, roofing, or electrical work, the majority of real enquiries are still coming from Google.

Not in theory. In practice.

When someone searches for “solar installers near me” or “solar panel cost UK,” they’re not browsing or exploring. They’ve already decided they want something, and now they’re looking for someone to do it.

That’s buying intent.

And that behaviour hasn’t changed.

Where AI Actually Fits (Right Now)

AI absolutely has a place, but it’s not where most people are pretending it is.

Right now, it sits earlier in the journey.

People use it to:

• understand their options

• compare solutions

• get general information

But when they actually want to take action, whether that’s getting a quote, booking a visit, or speaking to a company, they still go to Google.

Because that’s where decisions get made.

The Problem With “AI-First” Advice

What’s slightly concerning is how many businesses are being pushed towards “future positioning” while ignoring what already works.

They’re being told to focus on:

• AI optimisation

• LLM content strategies

• generative search visibility

While completely overlooking:

• whether they rank on Google

• whether their website converts

• whether their lead handling is even functional

It’s backwards.

The Reality No One Wants to Say

If your fundamentals are weak, AI won’t fix it.

If you don’t show up when people search, if your site doesn’t convert, or if you’re slow to respond to enquiries, then adding AI into the mix doesn’t suddenly create results.

It just spreads the same problem further.

What Actually Drives Revenue

When you strip everything back, it still comes down to three things:

You need to show up when people are searching.
You need to turn that traffic into enquiries.
And you need to handle those enquiries properly.

That’s it.

No buzzwords required.

The Ironic Part

When you actually get those fundamentals right, something interesting happens.

You often start showing up in AI tools anyway.

Not because you tried to optimise for them, but because you built something clear, structured, and trustworthy, which is exactly what these systems are pulling from.

A Simple Way to Think About It

Google is where demand gets captured.

AI is where demand gets explored.

Both matter.

But only one consistently drives revenue today.

Final Take

Will this change in the future?

Probably.

AI will continue to grow, and its role will expand over time.

But right now, the gap between what people are saying and what’s actually working is still pretty wide.