How can a small organization start adopting AI safely and effectively?

Begin with a workflow audit to find repetitive, rules-based tasks, then pilot no-code automation and AI assistants in one high-impact area. Establish data-handling policies and human-in-the-loop review, and expand based on measurable savings and quality gains.

What’s the difference between GEO, AEO, and SEO?

SEO optimizes for traditional search engines. AEO structures content to answer direct questions clearly. GEO ensures content is cited and retrievable by generative and AI answer engines through explicit entities, schema, and source credibility.

Do you support single sign-on (SSO) implementations?

Yes. We help you evaluate the right IdP, map user roles, configure SSO across core tools, and document change management so teams adopt it smoothly.

Who will we work with?

You’ll work directly with Harrier’s founder, Brian Birch, who leads all engagements end-to-end and coordinates any specialist contributors as needed.

What should small organizations and businesses be doing NOW to begin leveraging AI more creatively and safely? Part 2

What should small orgs and businesses be doing now to begin leveraging AI more creatively and safely?
3-part series

Part 2: Learn about generative search and start laying the foundations for digital authority

Research generative and AI-based search

Search is changing, and while Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t dead, there is a whole new ballgame, and purpose driven orgs and small businesses have a chance to get in early. (additional resources)

Step 1: Do some intensive searching across common AI search spaces

Start with the end in mind. Have yourself and a savvy staffers search for industry keywords, your organization/company name, products or services you may sell, and even your leadership (for example, the CEO). Before you start searching though, take a moment to review not just where you may (or may not) show up in search results, but WHY some entities show up when others don’t. We have to redefine what ‘digital authority’ means.

What does authority mean in terms of AI-based search results?

For SEO, it has always been about keywords, and figuring out how to position your website to leverage the bots that serve the search engines and rank you higher. In generative search, (like ChatGPT or Google's Gemini), Authority is defined as "Consensus" and "Confidence." Really that means that sources/businesses who are consistently reviewed/ranked higher across multiple platforms (think yelp, google businesses, etc.), and citations vs. links. So for example, in this new model, a newspaper article about your business and how great it is carries more wait than just a link to someone else’s website.

The AI is looking for patterns of how well people view your business, and how often you are cited by credible sources.

For small businesses and nonprofits, this puts us at a bit of a disadvantage. Unless we have a really strong niche or well-established digital presence of relevant, highly sourced content, we have some work to do. But don’t stress, the goal is to use this concept to help you redefine your primary areas of expertise, the content pillars or segments your organization is an expert in, and building out strong, robust content to prove it. This will serve you three-fold:

It will help you refine your own mission and goals
It will help you build a content creation and sharing process with more focus
It will begin to lay stronger foundations for your own digital authority

But WAIT! There is a key element that is more important than ever. In technical terms, it's called ‘Entity Association’. Here is what it really means:

The connection between the experts and leadership in your organization, their own digital authority, and their digital footprint is extremely important to the digital authority of the organization as a whole. You must find ways to explicitly link these concepts together, both ways.

Before you worry too much about implementing complex ‘schema’ or other tools, try and make sure you have the foundational connections set up between the entity and the people, so to speak. Let’s ask another question

What are some simple ways small purpose-driven businesses and nonprofit organizations can build authority online?

Here are 3 simple things you can start doing to establish your digital authority more deeply:

Connect content to humans:

Make sure every content post/blog post on your site is clearly attributed in your system to a real person, and that it links to a pre-built ‘author’ page for that individual. Make sure the author page highlights their skills and connects/links to their social media etc.

Utilize Youtube:

Post simple videos that answer questions that you have authority on. AI tools trust Youtube as it is an expansive source of material, so it naturally tends to bring some authority synergy with it.

Go old school with PR:

For major events and milestones, like hiring of a new employee, announcement of a new board chair, or sponsoring a local event or charity, produce a press release and send it to relevant media outlets within your industry and/or community.

Moving from being found online to being trusted online builds authority.

As the leaders of small organizations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven businesses, as we move into the era of Generative Search, the game has changed. We are moving into a web of Confidence and authority building.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini aren't just looking for the website that shouts the loudest, they are looking for the businesses and people who are the most trusted. They are seeking consensus, a pattern of consistent facts, reviews, and expert voices that prove you are who you say you are.

For small businesses and nonprofits, this is actually good news. You don't need to have the biggest budget or the most complex code to win. You just need to prove that you are real, that your people are experts, and that your community values what you do.

In the new world of search, the best way to impress a machine is to be undeniably human and real.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is generative search?

Generative search uses AI tools (like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and AI Overviews in web browsers) to deliver direct, synthesized answers rather than a list of ranked links. These tools look across many sources to identify consensus, confidence, and trusted entities. It keeps people from having to scroll through many pages of information from various sites.

How is generative search different from traditional SEO?

Traditional SEO focuses on optimizing your website for search engine rankings. Generative search evaluates broader authority signals such as citations, consistent facts, reviews, and trusted external mentions across multiple platforms.

What is digital authority?

Digital authority is the overall trustworthiness and credibility that an organization or individual shows across the web. It’s influenced by external citations, consistent online information, reviews, and how clearly your expertise is represented across platforms.

What is entity association?

Entity association is the explicit connection between your organization and your experts, leaders, and creators. AI tools rely on these connections to validate expertise, so clearly linking individuals to the organization, and vice versa, strengthens overall digital authority.

How can small organizations get started?

Begin by searching for your organization, leaders, and core topics in multiple AI tools. Document what appears, identify gaps, and start establishing clear content ownership, expert profiles, and basic authority signals such as reviews, citations, and press mentions.

Sources / Additional Information

ai, small business ai, artificial intelligence, small business, SEO, generative engine optimization, Brian Birch, nonprofit, nonprofit ai