How Are AI Results Different Than Search Engine Results?
Quick answer: Search engines help users find information; while AI tools help users understand it.
As SEO professionals, we get this question a lot:
“If everyone is using AI tools like ChatGPT now, will my website still show up in search?”
The short answer: Yes — and possibly in more places than before.
But AI results and traditional search engine results are two very different things. Knowing how they work will help you understand why your website still matters and how customers will find you online.
What Search Engines Do (Google, Bing, etc.)
Search engines are designed to find and rank websites across the internet.
When someone searches for your services — “plumber near me,” “custom home builder,” “funeral services,” “physio in Calgary” — Google looks at millions of pages and decides which ones are most relevant based on:
- Content quality
- Keywords and topics
- Trust and authority of the business
- User experience
- Local relevance
- Reviews
A search engine’s job is to send people to real businesses, including yours, which is why Google shows:
- Your website
- Google Business Profile
- Maps results
- Reviews
- Phone numbers
Search engines don’t write answers — they deliver customers to websites.
What AI Tools Like ChatGPT, Copilot & Gemini Do
To begin with, AI doesn’t search the live internet. It creates answers based on what it learned during training, and what you ask it.
So instead of showing 10 links about how to clean gutters, an AI can simply explain the steps.
- AI is great for:
- Summaries
- Explanations
- Learning something quickly
- Getting ideas or instructions
But AI is not where people go to hire a company, check reviews, or call for service. No one is going to ask ChatGPT to clean their carpets or repair their roof — they still need a real business.
In most cases, AI helps people understand information, while Google helps them take action.
Q: Is AI Replacing Search?
A: Not at all.
In fact, search engines are now using AI to improve results.
You’ve likely seen Google’s new AI “answer box” at the top of some searches — that’s Google using AI to summarize web pages but still sending users to the websites that provided the information.
So instead of replacing your website, AI is actually creating more ways for your content to be presented.
Why Your Website Still Matters
Because no matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot replace real businesses. Customers still need to:
- Read reviews
- Compare companies
- Call or email
- Book appointments
- See pricing, services, and location
- Get directions
- Trust a real provider
Search engines are built for exactly that.
If someone searches:
“emergency plumber near me”
“best dentist in Langley”
“custom deck builder Surrey”
“funeral home Abbotsford”
Google doesn’t show an article or a how-to guide — it shows real businesses, and that’s where you want to be.
What This Means for SEO
If anything, for all of the above, AI makes strong SEO even more important.
High-quality content now works in two places: in search engine results and inside Google’s new AI summaries. Google rewards trustworthy, helpful websites. Not keyword stuffing or robotic text. The unicorn is real, useful information for customers.
Businesses with great content, reviews, and authority will appear:
- In traditional search
- In Maps
- In “People Also Ask”
- In AI-generated snapshots
So, the better your content and SEO, the more visibility you get — even as AI becomes part of search.
The Bottom Line
AI explains things. Search engines send you customers. People may use AI to learn, but they still use Google to hire.
A strong website with good SEO ensures that when they’re ready to buy, your business is the one they find, not your competitors.