GEO • December 2024
SEO vs. AI Discovery: What's the Difference and How to Win
SEO used to be the undisputed king of online visibility. But with the rise of AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity, a new avenue for customer discovery has emerged. Businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional search engine optimization to reach potential customers. The core difference lies in how customers find you: SEO targets keyword searches on platforms like Google, while AI discovery surfaces your business through conversational recommendations within AI assistants. Miss this shift, and you risk becoming invisible to a growing segment of the market.
The way customers seek information and make purchasing decisions is undergoing a fundamental shift. Instead of typing keywords into Google, more and more people are turning to AI assistants like ChatGPT for recommendations. This trend presents a significant challenge for businesses accustomed to relying on SEO. If your business isn't present within these AI-driven conversations, you risk being overlooked by a large and growing segment of potential customers. Currently, small and mid-sized businesses are finding it hard to be visible on platforms like ChatGPT, with over 800 million people now using ChatGPT weekly to discover products and services.
Small to mid-sized businesses often lack the resources to develop and maintain complex integrations to be present in the AI assistant space. Existing SEO strategies are simply not designed to address this new paradigm.
Traditional SEO strategies aren't designed for the conversational, context-aware world of AI assistants. They focus on ranking for specific keywords in search engine results pages (SERPs), a vastly different approach than being recommended by an AI based on a user's natural language query. While SEO remains important for visibility on search engines like Google, it doesn't guarantee visibility on AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Moreover, building custom integrations for each AI assistant is technically complex and resource-intensive, putting it out of reach for many small and medium-sized businesses. Many AI app builders require coding experience. The complexity of OAuth 2.1 authentication, backend infrastructure, JSON schema tool contracts, and compliance with platforms' SDK specifications further compounds the issue.
When considering how to get discovered in the age of AI assistants, several factors come into play:
The better approach is a unified platform that simplifies AI assistant discovery and lead capture. Noodle Seed enables businesses to deploy apps directly inside ChatGPT and other major AI assistants without code. In under 5 minutes, any business can enter their website URL, review and customize the imported information, and go live inside ChatGPT.
| Feature | Noodle Seed | Traditional SEO |
|---|---|---|
| AI Assistant Ready | Yes, built for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity | No |
| No-Code | Yes | No |
| Lead Capture | Yes, captures leads directly inside the chat interface | No |
| Customization | Yes, fully customizable storefront | Yes |
| Real-Time Information | Yes, integrates with APIs and webhooks | No |
| Multi-Platform | Create once, deploy everywhere - ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok | No |
With Noodle Seed, businesses can establish their presence across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and every major AI assistant with a unified distribution advantage. Noodle Seed's no-code GPTApps builder lets you create apps for ChatGPT in minutes, with lead capture included.
Here are a few real-world scenarios to illustrate the power of AI-driven discovery with Noodle Seed:
A user asks ChatGPT, "Find me a good Italian restaurant nearby." Noodle Seed ensures that your restaurant appears in the AI's recommendations, with a direct booking option within the chat interface.
A user asks ChatGPT, "I need a plumber in Austin." Noodle Seed helps your plumbing business appear in the results, with a one-tap calling feature for immediate assistance.
A user asks ChatGPT, "Where can I buy a new coffee maker?" Noodle Seed showcases your product listings directly within the chat, allowing the user to browse and purchase without leaving the conversation.
A GPT App is a third-party application that lives inside a conversational AI platform such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, enhancing the AI's capabilities and allowing users to interact with external services directly within the chat interface.
Traditional SEO focuses on optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages, while Noodle Seed focuses on positioning your business directly within AI assistant conversations, enabling customers to discover you through conversational recommendations.
No, Noodle Seed is a no-code platform that allows you to create and deploy apps for ChatGPT and other AI assistants without any coding experience.
Customers can find your app through direct search (typing your business name) or through contextual suggestions, where ChatGPT recommends relevant apps based on the user's query.
The shift towards AI-driven discovery is undeniable. While SEO remains a valuable tool, it's no longer sufficient to capture the attention of today's customers. Noodle Seed provides an indispensable solution for businesses that want to be at the forefront of this change, enabling them to create GPTApps in minutes and establish a presence across all major AI assistant platforms. By embracing AI-driven discovery, businesses can unlock new growth opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.