Embracing AI for SEO: An Old Git's Guide

My wife is fascinated by Norman.

Over the past six months, she's listened to me drone on endlessly, and then watched as the concept became reality. A few days ago, she said, "You might be smarter than I've given you credit for".

I waited 40 years for that.

Of course, I may have shattered that illusion this morning when, after an hour of trying to get her old Apple Watch to work with her new iPhone, I angrily tossed the iPhone in the bin. Then two minutes later, I had to fish the phone out of the bin, clean off some slimy stuff, and sanitise it before finally getting it sorted.

I told a networking colleague, who's also a client and a huge beta tester for Norman and the KickstartSEO portal, what my wife had said about me being smart. When Nikki said, "I think you're pretty smart, too," I started to feel a little impostor syndrome creep in.

I've built the whole concept of KickstartSEO around transparency and trust. Was I living some sort of lie with Norman?

The Truth About Building an AI-Powered SEO System

I'll be honest. I've had help. Lots of help.

Our primary software partner, the people who built the KickstartSEO portal for us, are smart fellas. They started the ball rolling for Norman last year when they said "What if...". They built most of what makes up Norman, including tying it to the latest models of ChatGPT.

Then, as the idea grew in my head, I added some other pieces. We tied what the software fellas had built into some additional tools, including Claude, and three other AI tools. I won't tell you all the pieces of the puzzle, otherwise you might take advantage of all this transparency and just do it yourself. I have enough competitors, thank you very much.

Why Most Businesses Struggle With AI Adoption

Here's where it gets interesting. I'm in another networking group, more of a mastermind group, with some properly talented business owners who spend a lot of time taking deep dives into all these tools. I recently suggested that they be cautious about chasing squirrels, with so many new and shiny AI apps coming along every few days.

But, with a business built around it, even I spend at least an hour a day looking at what's new. When we first started building Norman, I was putting in 12-hour days for weeks on end, just trying to understand how to make these tools work together. That's thousands of hours you don't have to spend. After all, continuing to evolve Norman into a world-class SEO tool means keeping up with the technology he's built on.

My point? Good question. Suddenly I feel like I've walked into the kitchen and can't remember why I'm here.

Oh. I know. Don't chase squirrels.

The Real Value of AI in SEO (It's Not What You Think)

What I mean is, we've done all the work. We brought all of these tools together under Norman's trained approach to make sure you don't waste time trying to cobble together an SEO tool yourself. Instead of five different AI subscriptions gathering digital dust while you try to figure out how they work together, we've taken the best bits of several tools and tied them together in one simple portal.

You see, the challenge isn't whether AI can help with SEO - it absolutely can. The challenge is figuring out which AI tools to use, how to connect them properly, and most importantly, how to train them to understand the nuances of effective search engine optimisation.

If you've ever asked ChatGPT to write meta descriptions and got corporate waffle back, you know exactly what I mean. Because I know what perfectly written metadata should say, some of ChatGPT's responses made me think AI wasn't as great as everyone was saying. Like we say, AI works best when it's powered by a human who knows what they're doing.

Most business owners I talk to know AI could help their marketing. They've heard the hype. They've maybe even tried ChatGPT a few times. But they're stuck in that awkward space between "this could be brilliant" and "I don't have time to figure this out."

Three Ways We've Made AI Accessible for UK Small Businesses

1. The DIY Approach - Optimiser Essentials

Some of our customers wanted help with SEO analysis and strategy, but preferred to do the work themselves. So, they use the basic DIY tools we offer. Perfect for businesses who have the time and interest to learn, but need proper guidance and the right tools in one place.

2. The Full Service - Optimiser Premium

Some of our clients don't have time, skills, or even just the interest to do it themselves. That's where our fully managed SEO Programme comes in. We handle everything while you focus on running your business.

3. The Hybrid Approach - Optimiser AI

And some are somewhere in the middle. Optimiser AI fills that gap. You're still involved, but Norman handles the heavy lifting. It's like having a personal trainer for your website - you still do the exercises, but with expert guidance every step of the way.

What Makes Norman Different (And Why I'm Not Really That Smart)

Remember that imposter syndrome I mentioned? Here's the thing - being smart isn't about knowing everything. It's about knowing what you don't know and finding the right people to fill those gaps.

I might have started before Google existed (yes, there was an internet before Google - mad concept, right?), but that doesn't mean I can code AI systems. What I can do is:

• Understand what small businesses actually need from SEO
• Know which AI capabilities genuinely help (and which are just shiny distractions)
• Build relationships with brilliant developers who can make it happen
• Test everything relentlessly with real businesses

The result? Norman isn't just another AI chatbot pretending to know SEO. He's a purpose-built strategic commander, trained on decades of real-world experience and powered by the best AI technology available. The Norman Advantage explains exactly how we've engineered him to think strategically about your SEO challenges.

How This Old Git Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI

Right, let me save you from my mistakes. Here's what actually worked when I stopped fighting the technology and started using it properly.

Start With One Stupid Simple Task
Pick something you hate doing. For me, it was writing structured data (JSON-LD). I'd spend ages trying to remember the exact schema format, checking Google's documentation, making sure every bracket and comma was right. Now? I feed ChatGPT the page details and say "Write JSON-LD structured data for this [type of page] including [these elements]". Then I validate it with Google's testing tool. Takes 2 minutes instead of 20. We're currently working on a tool for our clients that will make this even easier.

The Magic Words That Changed Everything
Here's the secret nobody tells you about AI - it's only as good as your instructions. These phrases transformed my results:

• "Write this for UK small business owners who..."
• "Explain this like I'm talking to a mate in the pub"
• "Give me 5 variations and explain why each might work"
• "Now make it less corporate and more human"

Try this tomorrow: Take your worst-performing page title. Ask ChatGPT for "10 compelling page titles under 60 characters for a [your industry] business targeting [your location], focusing on [your main keyword]". You'll get at least 3 worth testing.

Build Your AI Muscle Memory
Just like I had to train myself to say "pavement" instead of "sidewalk", you need to train yourself to think "AI assistant" not "AI replacement". Start with 15 minutes every Monday morning. One task. One tool. Build from there.

The day I realised AI could analyse my competitors' content in seconds (something that used to take me hours) was the day I stopped being scared of it and started seeing it as my secret weapon.

Your Homework (Yes, Homework)
This week, use any free AI tool to:

1. Generate 5 headlines for your next blog post
2. Rewrite your most boring service description
3. Create 10 Google Business Profile post ideas

None of them need to be perfect. That's not the point. The point is to start the conversation with AI. Because once you start talking to it properly, it starts working for you properly.

Or, embrace Norman. He's got everything you need.

The Bottom Line: Stop Waiting for AI to Get Easier

Here's what I've learned after 30 years in this game and six months building Norman: AI isn't going to suddenly become simple. If anything, it's getting more complex every week.

But you don't need to understand how a car engine works to drive to Manchester. You just need the right vehicle and someone to show you how to use it.

That's what we've built with KickstartSEO. All you have to invest is time or money. Whatever fits your own business goals, skill set, and interest level.

Because while I might not be as smart as my wife briefly thought I was (especially after the iPhone-in-the-bin incident), I'm smart enough to know this: UK small businesses need AI-powered SEO tools that actually work, not another complicated system to figure out.

And here's the thing - while you're focusing on what you do best (running your business), we're constantly updating Norman with the latest AI capabilities. The AI landscape changes weekly, but that's our problem to solve, not yours.

Job done.