For most of the years I’ve run Center Street Digital, the job was simple to describe. You needed a website, so we built one. You needed it kept safe and current? We look after it. You wanted to be found on Google? We run an SEO campaign. We delivered a thing, and the thing was the value.
In the new world of AI produced digital marketing, we are seeing the need to double down on what what makes you and I human. We are making some changes to how we deliver our services as well as what our focus is as a website and SEO agency.
Why the Change?
The internet is changing. AI tools can now turn out a presentable web page in minutes. They can draft a blog post, suggest keywords and rewrite a headline ten different ways. There are times where I use these tools in my own work (when appropriate) and they’re often very good at it. They pull search data, suggest creative ideas, and catch details I would miss late in the day.
The making of website has gotten way easier than it was even a year ago. The problem is that most AI produced digital marketing looks solidly mid (as the kids say). Essentially the making of the website has stopped being the hard part. Now the hard part is knowing whether it’s the right page for your business and how to harness the power of the internet for your business. This is as hard as it ever has been
Our Clients are Asking Different Questions Now
The business owners I work with are not asking me for more content. They’re asking different questions.
- Should I let AI write my blog posts?
- When someone asks ChatGPT for a business like mine, does my name come up?
- Is my website still doing its job?
- What are no-click search results?
- Which of these new tools can I safely ignore?
- Where do I rank compared to my competitors?
- How should I organize the content on my site for maximum exposure?
- How does local search optimization work now?
Underneath those questions, sits the concern I’ve heard for years. Owners want to know they’re positioned to connect with their customers, and they want to know the person look after their site. This is more and more challenging as the new world of AI-SEO that makes our heads spin. Yes, it’s true that more and more people are using AI summaries or ask an assistant for a recommendation. Small business visibility now includes harnessing these tools too.
That’s why we’re shifting from…
Vendor to Thinking Partner
A vendor hands over what you ordered. A thinking partner helps you decide what to order, and sometimes talks you out of it.
In practice, that looks like this:
- Telling you what a report means in plain language, and what to do about it.
- Noticing a problem before you do and letting you know it’s handled.
- Saying “don’t spend money on that” when that’s the honest answer.
- Meeting on a schedule to ask where the business is headed, then adjusting the plan.
- Watching where your customers are looking now, including AI answers.
I should be clear about one thing. This doesn’t mean advice in place of work. Busy owners don’t need another list of recommendations. They need someone who handles it and tells them it’s handled. So we still build, maintain and optimize. The difference is that we come alongside you in your business priorities and add proactice strategy to all our services.
So What is Changing at Center Street Digital?
We’re rebuilding our care plans and SEO campaigns around this idea of human connection, proactive thinking and strategic optimization. You probably won’t notice a lot at first, but you can expect some changes over the coming weeks. Here is what you’ll see.
- A person behind every report. All SEO reports will come with a short note from us on what we saw and what it means for you.
- Problems caught early. We’ll flag issues before they turn into emergencies, and tell you when something has been fixed.
- A roadmap for SEO. Campaigns begin with a written plan, and now include reguarly priority reviews to align with your business priorities.
- AI search in view. We track how your business shows up in AI answers alongside traditional search.
- Messaging review with every website. Human review of website messaging to make sure you’re cutting through the noise.
- Content organization. We put ourselves in the position of your customers to help you organize your site for maximum connection.
*There are times where we use AI tools internally, but they are always measured against what provides the most value for our customers, not just an efficiency boost for us.
What stays the same
Access to real humans! You’ll still know who is taking care of your website. When you email or call, a real person who knows the in’s and out’s of your site will be available. Also, we still love working with small businesses and peace of mind is still the point of everything we sell.
Let’s Think it Through Together
If you’re already a client, you may hear directly about what this means for your plan. If you’re not, and you’re wondering what AI means for your website, I’d be glad to talk it over. Schedule a chat and bring your questions.
Matt McComas, Center Street Digital