More and more businesses are becoming aware of the importance of AI search, which is good because it’s not going away.
Tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft Copilot and others are already changing the way people research suppliers and technical services.
Instead of typing a few keywords into Google, people are now asking full questions such as:
- “Who are the best CNC machining companies in the UK?”
- “Which suppliers specialise in injection moulding for medical components?”
- “Who can manufacture low-volume aluminium parts?”
The answer they receive increasingly comes from AI summarising information across the web and suggesting companies that appear credible and relevant.
Which raises an important question for engineering companies:
What are you doing to make sure your company shows up when people use AI to search for suppliers?
It’s a question I’m asking more often lately, and the honest answer is that very few businesses currently know how to approach it.
AI Search is growing quickly
AI search is becoming a bigger part of how people discover companies online.
But it’s still relatively new and still finding its feet.
Because of that, there’s an enormous amount of noise around the subject right now. Every week a new “expert” seems to appear claiming they’ve mastered AI optimisation overnight.
In reality, very few people have been working with this long enough to fully understand how it will develop.
What we do know is this:
AI tools are increasingly acting as interpreters between the user and the web.
Instead of simply returning a list of search results, they analyse information across multiple sources and generate an answer.
And when they do that, they often reference or recommend specific companies.
Those are the businesses that end up in the conversation first.
The mistake some companies are starting to make
One thing that does concern me slightly is hearing people talk about abandoning SEO altogether and replacing it with AIO or GEO.
(Depending on who you speak to, that means AI Optimisation or Generative Engine Optimisation.)
That’s not the right approach.
But equally, it would be wrong to assume that traditional SEO alone will automatically solve the AI search challenge.
The reality sits somewhere in the middle.
SEO and AI Search overlap… but they are not the same
There is a clear overlap between SEO and AI optimisation, particularly at the foundational level.
Things like:
- Clear website structure
- Well explained services
- Technical content and guides
- Case studies and real examples
- Credible mentions across the web
- Consistent company information
All of these help both search engines and AI systems understand what your business actually does.
However, once you move beyond that foundation, the approaches begin to differ.
Search engines are designed to rank pages.
AI systems are designed to interpret information and recommend answers.
That difference changes how information is consumed and how businesses are surfaced in results.
AI models tend to favour content that clearly explains expertise, answers real questions and demonstrates credibility.
Which is why both disciplines now matter.
SEO helps ensure your business appears in traditional search results.
GEO or AI optimisation helps ensure your business is recognised and referenced when AI systems generate answers.
For engineering companies in particular, this distinction is important.
Your website, technical explanations, case studies and overall digital footprint all contribute to how AI tools understand your expertise.
Why Visibility Is Still the Real Issue
n my experience, most engineering companies don’t actually have a sales problem.
They have a visibility problem.
The capability is there.
The quality is there.
The experience is there.
But when you ask how they get in front of new customers, the answer is usually something like:
- Word of mouth
- Repeat business
- Occasional enquiries
That works for a while, but it also means many companies remain largely invisible online.
And when buyers start searching, whether through Google or through AI tools, those companies simply don’t appear.
If you’re not visible in that research process, you’re not even in the conversation.
What Engineering Companies Should Be Doing Now
Right now, the sensible approach is not to abandon existing strategies.
It’s to strengthen them and expand them.
Engineering businesses should still focus on:
- Maintaining a clear and well structured website
- Explaining their services and capabilities properly
- Publishing useful technical content
- Sharing real project examples and case studies
- Demonstrating expertise within their field
These things have always helped with SEO.
They also help AI systems understand what your business does.
But alongside this, companies should also start thinking about how their information is interpreted by AI systems and how clearly their expertise is communicated.
The goal is not simply to rank for keywords.
It’s to become a credible source of information that AI systems recognise and reference.
The Smart Approach: SEO and GEO Working Together
The smartest strategy right now is not choosing between SEO and AI optimisation.
It’s building both together.
SEO ensures your company appears in traditional search results when someone searches for your services.
GEO or AI optimisation increases the likelihood that your company is referenced when AI tools generate answers.
When these two approaches work together, they reinforce each other.
Your website becomes easier for search engines to rank and easier for AI systems to interpret.
That combination is what will drive visibility over the coming years.
A Final Thought
AI search is important and it will continue to grow.
But we’re not yet at the point where it replaces traditional search.
For engineering companies, the best approach today is simple:
Continue investing in strong SEO foundations while also learning how AI systems interpret and surface expertise.
The businesses that understand both will be the ones that remain visible as search continues to evolve.
