Is SEO dead? Nope. Don’t believe the rumors. SEO isn’t dead—it’s just evolving. AI search is changing the game, but SEO for AI search should still be an essential part of any self storage marketing strategy.
AI-powered systems are reshaping how content is discovered. While tools like ChatGPT are starting to take a small slice of the global search market—less than 1%—Google searches remain the dominant force with a staggering 89.71% market share. Traditional SEO methods still play a critical role in search rankings, especially on Google. However, AI-driven SEO demands an added layer of clarity, authority, and topical completeness to stay competitive.
Storagely has deep roots in the marketing world, and we’re constantly researching and improving our strategy to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Believe us, we’ve seen it all—from print marketing to SEO. Storagely’s expertise delivers measurable results. As highlighted in a recent case study, our strategies helped Gatekeeper Self Storage beat the REITs and propelled them from 15th to 3rd place on Google for high-value local keywords and drove a remarkable 43.3% year-over-year increase in rentals. We know how to help self storage facilities stand out, and we’re ready to dive into the next evolution of internet marketing with self storage AI.
How can you optimize AI SEO for your self storage business? Keep reading for all the juicy details.
What’s the Difference Between SEO and AEO/GEO?
Think of traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as a treasure map. It gives users a list of links (X marks the spot!) ranked by SEO signals, and they have to click through to uncover the gold—er, information. It’s all about optimizing your content to charm the search engine algorithms and earn a coveted spot on page one.
Now, enter, the AI-powered sibling that skips the map entirely and hands you the treasure chest. AI search results, like Google AI Overviews or GenAI chat outputs, don’t just rank links—they synthesize high-quality content from multiple sources to deliver direct answers. No clicks, no digging, just instant gratification.
For storage businesses, this means the game has changed. To win at AEO, your content needs to be crystal clear, authoritative, and packed with value. It’s not just about being found anymore—it’s about being featured.
So, if you want your self storage business to shine in the AI spotlight, it’s time to level up your content strategy to be easily understood and utilized by AI systems. This includes prioritizing clarity, authority, and topical depth to ensure their content is featured in AI-generated responses.
Is SEO Still Relevant with AI?
Rumors of SEO’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, AI is shaking things up, but SEO isn’t going anywhere—it’s just expanding with a high-tech makeover.
Let’s break it down.
AI-generated answers are the new kids on the block, and they’re not shy about stealing the spotlight. Google’s AI Overviews, for instance, often push traditional organic listings further down the page. In fact, a 2025 analysis of 300,000 keywords by Ryan Law revealed that AI Overviews correlate with a 34.5% drop in click-through rates (CTR) for the #1 result compared to queries without Overviews. Ouch.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. While AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews are changing user behavior, they’re not replacing traditional search engines—they’re supplementing them. So, while AI might be the shiny new toy, Google remains the heavyweight champ at the moment.
The real game-changer? AI tools are creating a new kind of buyer journey. Users often discover brands through AI-generated answers and then head to Google for deeper research—a sort of reverse causality. This means your SEO strategy needs to evolve to include both traditional and AI-driven tactics.
“AI search is more valuable than traditional search.
Look how it drives a fraction of the traffic, but a large percentage of the sales.
We looked at 50 B2B and 43 B2C companies that all generate at least 10 million dollars in annual sales to see what percent of their traffic comes from AI platforms versus traditional search.
We also looked at how many sales are driven by each channel.
AI traffic converts much higher. One reason is that when people use platforms like ChatGPT, they are doing their research on the platform and are much more ready to make a purchase when they click over.
With traditional search, people research by clicking over to your website. With platforms like ChatGPT, you get a lot of impressions, but unlike traditional search, they don’t click over to learn more… they stay on the platform to keep doing their research.”
—Neil Patel, Co-Founder at Neil Patel Digital
And let’s not forget: AI-generated answers don’t operate in a vacuum. They rely on high-quality, well-structured content to deliver those instant, click-free responses. So, if your content is clear, authoritative, and optimized for both humans and AI algorithms, you’re already ahead of the game.
Why SEO Still Matters in the Age of AI
AI-generated answers may play by a different set of rules, but they still have a soft spot for well-optimized content. In the new world of AI-powered tools, keyword research, backlinks, keyword density, relevant keywords, long-tail keywords, and metadata tuning are more supplemental alongside other AI content optimization tactics. AI search engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews operate on a wavelength of their own. Yet, the content they highlight often shares one key trait: it’s already ranking well on traditional search engine results.
Here’s why traditional SEO metrics remain crucial:
- AI loves a well-organized page. GenAI tools frequently scrape or reference top-performing content from Google and YouTube. Pages with clear headings, semantic markup, and schema are easier for AI to crawl, understand, and summarize.
- Authority still rules. Content that demonstrates topical authority—through internal linking, consistent coverage, and a strong reputation—has a better chance of being cited, even if it’s not explicitly attributed.
- Structure is everything. AI tools prioritize clarity and organization. If your content is easy to parse and directly answers user queries, it’s more likely to be featured in AI-generated responses.
So, while SEO for AI search may use a different ranking logic, the road to inclusion still runs through strong SEO foundations. Think of it as SEO 2.0—less about gaming the algorithm and more about creating content that’s discoverable, authoritative, and context-rich.
How to Conquer Content Optimization: An SEO for AI Search Checklist
Optimizing for AI search? It’s not rocket science, but it does require a fresh approach to how you structure, write, and present your content. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews are picky—they prefer content that’s well-optimized, authoritative, and built to engage.
Here’s your checklist to ensure your content crushes it in both SEO and AI search optimization.
Content Quality: Serve AI SEO What It Loves
AI eats structured, relevant, and easy-to-digest content for breakfast. Statistical significance, contextual references, and clear communication are now the most influential factors in AI Search Optimization (AISO).
Here’s how to dish it out right:
- Be concise AND complete. Don’t leave questions half-answered—AI prefers content that ties the bow neatly, keeping the reader from looking elsewhere. Write content that’s easy to read and understand.
- Add authority to the mix. Regular citations in forums, quotes, and credible statistics? That’s the ticket. Content frequently referenced by trusted sources earns extra spotlight.
- Make examples your BFF. “Generic” is a dealbreaker. For example, “Around 10.6% of U.S. households already use storage units, and there’s a growing preference for climate-controlled environments to keep electronics, documents, and furniture safe from extreme temperatures.” Real-life stats like these show you know your audience’s needs.
- Stay fresh. Stale content creation is a no-go. Update stats, search trends, and tech details regularly to stay relevant for dynamic AI SEO algorithms. Add dates to your published content to indicate freshness.
Pro Tip: A 2025 Ahrefs study showed that 76.10% of AI Overview-cited pages rank in the top 10 of search engine results pages. Translation? If you want your content featured by AI, landing a top 10 spot in traditional search isn’t just nice to have—it’s your ticket to AI visibility. Keep your SEO fundamentals sharp, and you’ll boost your chances of stealing the Artificial Intelligence spotlight.
Tips for Great AI SEO Content Creation
Here are actionable optimization strategies to help you create high-quality, engaging self storage content:
- Showcase E-E-A-T
Demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T). Use storytelling to highlight your experience and build credibility in your writing.
- Cover Topics Thoroughly
Focus on providing in-depth, comprehensive information. Ensure your content covers every aspect of the topic. Yes, you can still incorporate keywords to help you rank. However, you want to put more emphasis on answering tenant inquiries than before.
- Leverage NLP Keywords
Use natural, conversational language to align with how AI-driven search engines process information. Integrate Natural Language Processing (NLP) keywords naturally to improve your website’s visibility. Think “how to rent a storage unit” or “best self storage units in Houston.”
- Collaborate with Experts
Incorporate insights from industry professionals. Have them review content, offer quotes, or provide unique perspectives to elevate your article’s authority.
- Answer Real User Questions
Address the exact questions your audience is asking by using tools like Google’s “People Also Ask” or AlsoAsked. Combine this with your own research to deliver thoughtful and intuitive answers.
- Add Visual Elements
Enhance your articles with visuals like infographics, graphs, or videos. Break up text-heavy sections and make your content more engaging and easier to digest.
- Optimize for Skim-Reading
Structure your content so readers can quickly find what they need. Many readers skim articles, so use:
- Bullet points to summarize key information.
- Logical heading structures (H1, H2, H3) to create a hierarchy similar to chapters in a book.
- Short paragraphs for better readability.
- Images with captions to provide concise insights at a glance.
By applying these techniques, you’ll create content that is not only valuable for your readers but also optimized for modern search algorithms.
Does Your Content Meet the AI Search Optimization Standard?
Quick Questions to Ask Yourself:
- Does the content answer a specific user question?
- Is the information complete and not reliant on extra context?
- Would I quote this in a roundup or summary?
- Is it easy to scan, cite, and reference?
- Does it contain ideas or insights that AI couldn’t generate?
If the answer to all of the above is YES, congratulations. You’re ready to dominate both SEO and AIO. Now, go forth and dominate the self storage AI Overviews!
SEO for AI Search Strategy by Inbound Marketing Stage: Attract, Engage, Delight
Tailor your content for every step of your audience’s inbound journey to ensure it resonates and drives engagement.
1. Attract Stage: Spark Curiosity
- Craft “what is” or “how to” blogs, tutorials, or definitions that draw in curious browsers.
- Use jargon-free, question-matching titles like “What is Climate-Controlled Self Storage?”
- Tap into real user phrasing from Reddit, YouTube, or customer FAQs to increase your chances of being found.
Example Goal? Catch eyes by answering questions like “What do climate-controlled units do?”
2. Engage Stage: Build the Relationship
- Dive deeper with detailed comparisons and context, e.g., “Drive-Up Units vs Climate-Controlled Units—Which is Best for Suburban Residents?”
- Address those real-life what-if scenarios with credible examples that foster trust and keep your audience coming back for more.
3. Delight Stage: Convert Fans into Champions
- “Wow” your engaged leads with “best of” listicles (“Top 5 Best Uses for Business Storage Units”) and reviews.
- Include powerful calls to action—think “Get started today”—to turn leads into loyal tenants.
Quick Reminder: AI-powered search engines recognize content that matches each inbound stage, and it’s most likely to point leads in your direction if you answer their inquiries. Keep your Attract, Engage, and Delight efforts tight and intentional for optimum SEO for AI search results.
How to Get Mentioned in Google’s AI Search Results
Want to be picked by Google’s AI search? Here’s your game plan.
- Check Your Relevance
You can start with free tools like the AI Overviews Visualizer to make sure your content matches what people are actually searching for. Aim for a high relevance score—and check back often, the rules keep changing.
- Be the Expert
Use an authoritative voice, back statements with stats, and sprinkle in expert quotes. AI loves confident, well-supported answers. Showcase unique, in-house research whenever possible.
- Optimize for Shopping & Local
There are three types of AI Overviews: informational, shopping, and local. For self storage shopping search queries, optimize your merchant feeds and encourage product reviews and forum chatter. For local, claim your online listings like Google Business Profile and get those glowing, location-filled reviews.
- Structure Like a Pro
Break up info with clear headings, bullet points, and captions on images. This helps both readers and bots find what they need.
- Watch for Curveballs
AI results are fickle and show up for a tiny slice of searches. Test, tweak, and don’t sacrifice your regular search engine rankings chasing the AI spotlight.
How to Get Indexed by ChatGPT
Want ChatGPT to mention your brand? It’s about smart moves, not luck.
- Show up in public conversations. Share insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, TikTok, and relevant forums like Reddit—AI notices expert voices and real user stories. If you want to give your business an extra boost, get involved in Reddit threads to generate buzz for your business. In fact, OpenAI/ChatGPT has partnered with Reddit, which means Reddit content is much more likely to be showcased in a chat.
Warning: Be careful to avoid any sort of marketing speech on Reddit. They can sniff that out in a heartbeat. Authenticity and genuine connection will win out.
- Publish authoritative content. Write case studies, guides, and thought leadership that other sites and users reference.
- Collect detailed reviews. Encourage customers to leave rich feedback on Google Reviews, G2, Trustpilot, and similar platforms. Social proof is more important than ever with AI platforms like ChatGPT.
- Clarify your positioning. Make your storage website crystal clear about what you do, who you serve, and what sets you apart.
- Use structured data. Add FAQ, Product, and Review schema, and keep language natural and user-focused.
- Leverage YouTube. Create and optimize videos answering real user questions. User intent should always be front of mind.
- Monitor results. Regularly check how ChatGPT sees your brand, address inaccuracies, and keep your online presence up to date. If you notice ChatGPT offering inaccurate information about your self storage business, you can publish blogs or web pages that supply correct information for it to reference.
Bring What Artificial Intelligence Can’t Replace—YOU
AI can summarize data, but it can’t replicate your authentic expertise. Add a dash of humanity to your content. Added bonus: SEO for AI search recognizes and ranks unique expertise (think E-E-A-T).
- Create original frameworks. A self storage size guide, case studies, company-specific FAQ pages, etc. can instantly make your content stand out.
- Real-world nuance wins. Highlight unique challenges—“How Climate-Controlled Storage Can Help You Prepare for Winter.”
- Showcase happily-ever-after stories. Testimonials scream credibility louder than any ad. This is why Storagely emphasizes the importance of generated Google Reviews on your storage website.
- Be relatable and precise. Clearly spell out successes, failures to avoid, and what comes next.
What AI Can’t Do: Replace you. Speak to your audience’s specific problems and situations to show why YOU are the solution—no algorithm can replace that personal connection.
How Do You Optimize Your Website for AI-Driven Search?
Your genius content won’t matter if AI can’t crawl it. Optimize the technical bits to ensure AI sees you, loves you, and recommends you.
- Schema is the MVP. Whether it’s an FAQPage, HowTo, or VideoObject schema, structured markup makes crawling easier. Apply schema to service pages, blog posts, product pages, and any other support pages on your self storage website. AI-generated responses frequently cite support content.
- Speed up your site. AI crawlers lap up quick-loading pages. Delays? Hard pass.
- Stay mobile-first. With crawl preferences moving mobile, make sure your pages look flawless on every device.
- HTTPS is non-negotiable. Bots—and users—trust HTTPS-secured pages more.
- E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness). Author bios, expert quotes, and trust-building pages (hello pricing and FAQs) are not optional; they’re prerequisites.
Insider Scoop: Every Storagely self storage website is optimized for SEO and AI search with the above recommendations. Forget ahead of the curve, Storagely is the curve.
Storagely: Future-Proof Storage Websites, Higher Revenue
Storagely is redefining what it means to run a modern self storage business. With intuitive AI self storage tools like swivl’s AI-powered chat, seamless automation, and optimized self storage websites built for both people and SEO for AI search, we help you work smarter, not harder.
Our self storage platform isn’t just easy to use; it’s engineered for maximum visibility in today’s AI-first search landscape, so you can attract more tenants and stand out wherever renters start their journey. While our technology tackles the daily grind (and the paperwork gathers dust somewhere else), you get to enjoy higher revenue and happier tenants.
The proof? Consider the results of our latest Case Study! Client A saw a 105% increase in online rentals and a 186% Conversion Rate, thanks to Storagely’s exclusive rental system or “Renterface.” With a Storagely website, tenants can search for units, reserve them online, and complete rentals seamlessly all within 30 seconds. It’s all about reducing friction to optimize user experience.
Why settle for outdated systems when you can have sleek solutions that turn operational headaches into simple tasks? Storagely keeps your business ahead of the curve—always ready for the next industry shift, and maybe even a step or two ahead. With our custom Storage Websites, Rental System, Marketing Tools, and Reporting Engine, your business will be ready to conquer the self storage industry and do what matters most—increase rentals.
FAQs: SEO for AI Search
Why Should I Care About AI Search Optimization?
AI search is reshaping how users discover content. By optimizing for AI, you can increase visibility, attract more tenants, and boost revenue.
How Does Storagely Help with AI SEO?
Storagely’s self storage websites are optimized for both traditional and AI search. From structured data to seamless user experiences, we help you stay ahead of the curve.
What is AEO AI Search?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) for AI search focuses on optimizing content to provide direct, concise, and authoritative answers to user queries, catering to AI-driven tools like ChatGPT and voice assistants. It emphasizes clarity, relevance, and structured data to improve visibility in AI-powered search results.
How Do I Get My Content Featured in AI Overviews?
Create content that’s concise, complete, and authoritative. Use schema markup, optimize for local and shopping queries, and ensure your site is technically sound.
How Can I Optimize My Content for AI Search?
Focus on clarity, authority, and topical depth. Use structured data, update content regularly, and ensure your website is mobile-friendly and fast-loading.
What is E-E-A-T, and Why Does It Matter?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. AI loves content that demonstrates these qualities, so include expert quotes, real-world examples, and trust-building elements.
Is SEO Dead in the Age of AI?
Nope! SEO isn’t dead—it’s just evolving. AI tools like ChatGPT are shaking things up, but traditional SEO still plays a critical role in getting your content noticed and featured. AI-generated answers rely on high-quality, well-optimized content. Pages with clear structure, authority, and relevance are more likely to be featured in AI responses.
Don’t wait—schedule your demo now and discover how Storagely can keep you ahead of the competition. The future of self storage starts here!
Want to know more about SEO and storage websites? Keep reading!
- Free eBook: What Makes an Effective Self Storage Website?
- Free eBook: The Ultimate Checklist for Self Storage SEO: Innovative Strategies Guaranteed to Transform Your Business!
- Blog: How to Choose the Right Self Storage Keywords For Your Storage Business
- Blog: Redefine Self Storage SEO Services With Storagely’s Second-Mile SEO
