More than 240 businesses register for Google AI webinar

The free online session, “How to Prepare for Google’s AI Mode: What Every Business Should Know”, was hosted by LOCALiQ, part of Newsquest Media Group and recently named SEO Agency of the Year 2024.

The session aimed to help small and medium-sized businesses understand how Google’s AI-powered search will impact online visibility and customer discovery.

A recording is now available to the public here.

“This is one of the most significant shifts we’ve seen in how search works,” said Nick Ashwood, Managing Director of LOCALiQ.

Mr Ashwood continued: “We knew businesses would have questions, but the response has been phenomenal. It’s clear SMEs are hungry for practical, trusted advice.”

AI Mode replaces the traditional list of blue links with conversational AI-generated summaries based on information pulled from across the web.

While this new format improves user experience, it also creates new challenges for businesses that rely on website traffic and organic visibility.

Brandon Griffin, Interim Marketing Director at LOCALiQ, co-hosted the session alongside Head of Web Presence, Shai Khullar.

“Google is no longer just showing what you say about yourself, it’s cross-checking that with other sources,” said Griffin. “Your content needs to be structured for clarity, include FAQs, and reflect trusted third-party validation like Google reviews, schema markup, and digital PR mentions.”

Khullar added: “AI Mode is designed to answer multiple questions behind a single search. That means your website content must go beyond keywords, it needs to anticipate subtopics and be structured in a way that makes it easy for Google’s AI to extract and understand. Crisp, concise writing, clear headers, and comprehensive schema are essential.”

LOCALiQ regularly hosts webinars for business owners and education marketers, offering free insights on digital marketing trends and tools.