Suzi Smart Bear…And What It Means for Small Businesses and Charities
The way people search for information online is changing dramatically, and if you’re running a small business or charity in the UK, you need to understand what this means for your website. We’re moving beyond the era of typing keywords into Google and hoping for the best.
Welcome to the age of AI-powered semantic search -and it’s already affecting whether potential customers and supporters can find you online.
What Actually Is Semantic Search?
Let’s start with what semantic search means in plain English, without the technical jargon that usually accompanies these discussions.
Traditional search engines worked by matching the exact keywords you typed into a search box with keywords found on websites. If you searched for “cheap plumber Manchester,” Google looked for pages containing those specific words.
Semantic search is fundamentally different. Modern search engines, powered by artificial intelligence, now try to understand the actual meaning and intent behind your search, not just the specific words you use. They consider context, user location, search history, and the relationships between concepts to deliver more relevant results.
When someone searches “Why won’t my boiler start on cold mornings in Stockport,” semantic search understands they’re looking for a local heating engineer who can diagnose boiler problems, even if those exact words don’t appear on a website as keywords. The search engine grasps the intent, the location, and the implied urgency.
Another of the cross-over between traditional and semantic search is ‘plumbers near me’. The ‘near me’ part doesn’t need to be on the website because Google/the search engine wasn’t using it as a keyword and understood the context of the search. Deducting that the user was looking for a plumber in their local area.
This shift has massive implications for how small businesses and charities need to approach their online presence.
How AI Is Changing the Search Landscape
The introduction of AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Google’s Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft’s Bing Chat has accelerated changes that were already happening in search behaviour.
People are increasingly asking questions to AI assistants rather than typing keywords into search engines. Instead of searching “SEO services Manchester,” they’re asking “Can you recommend a good SEO expert for small businesses in Greater Manchester who won’t charge the earth?”
These AI tools scan the web to find answers, and they’re looking for websites that demonstrate genuine expertise, provide comprehensive information, and answer real questions that people have. They’re not easily fooled by keyword-stuffed content or outdated SEO tricks (which we, here at The Smart Bear, don’t use!).
For small businesses and charities, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that old-school SEO tactics no longer work effectively. The opportunity is that you can compete with larger organisations by demonstrating genuine knowledge and helpfulness, rather than just having bigger marketing budgets.
What This Means for Your Small Business or Charity Website
The rise of semantic search and AI fundamentally changes how you should think about your website content and structure.
Quality and Depth Matter More Than Ever
Gone are the days when you could rank well by repeating your main keyword twenty times on a page. Search engines and AI tools now reward comprehensive, genuinely useful content that fully addresses what people are searching for.
If you’re a charity working with vulnerable families, a thin page saying “We help families in need” won’t cut it anymore. You need content that answers the actual questions people ask: “What support is available for families struggling with energy bills in Manchester?” or “How can I get help with school uniform costs?”
This doesn’t mean every page needs to be thousands of words long. It means your content needs to actually help people, answer their questions comprehensively, and demonstrate real expertise.
Natural Language and Conversational Content Win
Because people are now asking questions naturally to AI assistants and using voice search on their phones, your content needs to reflect how people actually speak and think.
Instead of optimising for “dog grooming services Liverpool,” think about the questions people actually ask: “Where can I get my nervous dog groomed in Liverpool?” or “How much does dog grooming typically cost?”
Creating content, writing in a conversational tone, and structuring it around actual questions your customers ask becomes crucial. This isn’t just about SEO – it’s about being genuinely useful to the people you’re trying to reach.
Local Context Becomes Even More Important
For UK small businesses and charities serving specific geographic areas, local context in your content matters more than ever with semantic search.
Don’t just mention you’re “based in Tameside.” Talk about the specific areas you serve, the local issues you address, and the community context you work within. When a charity in Salford writes about supporting homeless young people, mentioning specific local services, areas, and community partners helps AI understand exactly who you serve and where.
This local specificity helps ensure you appear when people search for services in your area, even if they phrase their search in unexpected ways.
Practical Steps for Small Businesses and Charities
Understanding these changes is one thing, but what should you actually do about it? Here are practical steps that work for organisations with limited time and budgets.
Focus on Expertise and Experience
Google’s guidelines now explicitly prioritise content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). For small businesses and charities, this is actually good news.
You have real experience and genuine expertise in what you do. Share it authentically. Write about the actual problems you solve, the challenges your clients or beneficiaries face, and how you help. Include case studies, specific examples, and real insights from your work.
Structure Your Content Clearly
Help search engines and AI understand your content by structuring it logically with clear and hierarchical headings/heading tags, proper formatting, and organised information.
Use descriptive headings that actually tell people (and AI) what each section covers. Break information into scannable sections. Include summaries for longer content. This isn’t just good for SEO – it makes your content more accessible and useful for everyone.
Don’t Neglect Technical Foundations
Semantic search doesn’t mean technical SEO no longer matters. Your website still needs to load quickly, work properly on mobile devices, be secure, and be accessible to people with disabilities.
These technical foundations ensure search engines can properly crawl and understand your content, and AI tools can access and reference your information when answering user questions.
Keep Building Genuine Authority
Links from other reputable websites, mentions in local press, partnerships with established organisations, and positive reviews all signal to search engines and AI that you’re a trustworthy source of information.
For charities, this might mean getting mentioned in local news coverage, partnering with established organisations, or being listed in relevant directories. For small businesses, it’s about building genuine reputation through quality service, customer reviews, and community involvement.
What You Don’t Need to Worry About
With all these changes, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here’s what you don’t need to stress about:
You don’t need to completely rewrite your entire website overnight. Gradual improvements, consistently applied, work better than panicked overhauls.
You don’t need to hire expensive AI SEO consultants promising magical results. The fundamentals – helpful content, clear information, technical soundness – remain the same. Consider signing up to The Website Club to follow our guides to help.
You don’t need to chase every new AI tool or platform. Focus on making your existing website genuinely useful and the rest will follow.
Looking Forward to the New Search Landscape
The shift toward semantic search and AI-powered discovery is accelerating, not slowing down. Small businesses and charities that adapt now will have significant advantages over those who wait.
The good news is that this shift favours organisations that genuinely help people and provide real value. You don’t need to be a technical expert or have a massive marketing budget. You need to be authentic, helpful, and clear about what you offer and who you serve.
Start by making your website content more conversational, more comprehensive, and more focused on answering real questions. Ensure your site works well technically. Build genuine reputation and authority in your field or community.
These aren’t radical changes – they’re about being genuinely useful online, which is exactly what small businesses and charities should be doing anyway. Semantic search and AI just make being genuinely helpful more important and more valuable than ever before.
The organisations that will thrive in this new landscape aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most technical expertise. They’re the ones that best serve their communities, most clearly communicate their value, and most authentically demonstrate their expertise and experience.
That’s an opportunity every small business and charity can seize, starting today.
If you need help improving your website, feel free to get in touch for a consultation