Updated November 2026
AI-powered search is already changing how people discover commercial real estate companies, and we're seeing that firsthand at Right Space Commercial. We've begun receiving qualified inquiries from people who found us through ChatGPT, many of whom arrive with a clear understanding of the type of property they need.
What's interesting is that we haven't accomplished this through some entirely new marketing strategy. We've done it by taking traditional SEO seriously, using AI to improve our workflow, and continuously refining our website based on research and performance data.
And despite the growing discussion around SEO, AEO, and GEO, we believe the three are essentially the same discipline.
SEO, AEO, and GEO Are More Alike Than Different
Search engine optimization (SEO), answer engine optimization (AEO), and generative engine optimization (GEO) are often discussed as separate strategies. There are differences in how traditional search engines and AI platforms present information, but the underlying objective is remarkably similar: make your content easy to find, understand, and trust so your business appears when someone needs what you offer.
A website that answers relevant questions, demonstrates firsthand expertise, establishes local authority, and is technically accessible has a stronger foundation for visibility across all three. AI search hasn't made traditional SEO irrelevant. If anything, it has reinforced the importance of doing the fundamentals well.
One adjustment we've made is getting to the point much faster. Someone asking how long it takes to lease commercial space shouldn't have to read through several paragraphs before finding a realistic timeline. We provide the answer early, then use the rest of the article to explain the details. This makes the content more useful for human readers while also making important information easier for search and AI retrieval systems to identify. It doesn't guarantee an AI citation, but it's a sensible approach regardless of how someone finds the page.
How We Use AI Without Producing Generic Content
There's a reason some marketers warn against using ChatGPT to create SEO content. Asking AI to write an article with little direction often produces something generic, repetitive, and disconnected from real experience. We agree that's a problem, but we don't believe the solution is to avoid AI altogether.
Instead, we've developed our AI assistant alongside our own understanding of SEO. As our marketing director researches new strategies, reads industry publications, and evaluates what is working, those findings become part of the ongoing context we use with the assistant. Over time, that has helped us build a more consistent research and content workflow. It can retain and apply information across projects that would otherwise be difficult to keep track of, although its recommendations still require fact-checking and human judgment.
We also make a point of bringing firsthand commercial real estate knowledge into our content. Rather than simply asking AI to write about a topic, we often have it interview our marketing director or ask our brokers questions about their experiences. An article about improving a property before leasing it, for example, becomes much more valuable when it reflects what our team has actually seen with tenants, renovations, and leasing decisions.
AI helps us organize and communicate that expertise. It doesn't replace it.
Research, Measurement, and Constant Improvement
The other major part of our strategy is something much less exciting than AI: reviewing performance data and making improvements consistently.
We regularly monitor Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and our website analytics to understand how our content is performing. If a new article hasn't been indexed after several weeks, we investigate whether the issue involves accessibility, internal linking, overlapping content, or the value and structure of the article itself. If an existing page isn't attracting the searches we expected, we look at what could be improved rather than assuming publishing it was enough.
This has also meant revisiting a substantial amount of older website content. We've updated articles, service pages, and market information to provide clearer answers, incorporate local expertise, and create more useful connections between related topics. Sometimes that means adding important information, but other times it means removing unnecessary copy or reorganizing what is already there.
Publishing content is only one step. Understanding how it performs and improving it over time is just as important.
Why Commercial Real Estate Websites Need to Evolve
One thing we've noticed is how many commercial real estate websites still function almost exclusively as property listing catalogs. You can browse an IDX feed, view available spaces, and find an agent's phone number, but there's often very little information addressing the questions people have before they're ready to inquire about a property.
A common argument in our industry is that people only want to see listings when they visit a real estate website. There's certainly truth to that, but it overlooks an important question: How are you getting those people to your website in the first place?
A business owner might research commercial lease costs before looking at available properties. Another might ask ChatGPT which areas of Tuscaloosa are worth considering for a warehouse. A property owner could be searching for advice about why their building isn't leasing. If your website can provide useful answers to those questions, you have an opportunity to reach people before they've even started comparing listings.
We've seen encouraging results from this approach, including AI-generated recommendations and inquiries from people who discovered Right Space through ChatGPT. Many of these prospects are well-informed and have already researched their requirements, making the initial conversations particularly productive.
What's been especially encouraging is seeing our relatively young website gain visibility alongside more established competitors, some with older domains and larger review profiles. Those advantages still matter, and AI recommendations aren't consistent across every platform or search. But our experience suggests that actively developing useful content can create opportunities that simply relying on an established online presence may miss.
It's similar to the evolution from marketing commercial properties primarily through signs and personal relationships to putting listings online. Those traditional methods didn't disappear, but companies that embraced digital marketing gained another way to reach potential clients. AI search represents another step in that evolution, and we believe brokerages need to adapt rather than assume the methods that worked yesterday will always be enough.
The Goal Hasn't Changed
We're going to continue researching, testing, reviewing data, and refining our content as search technology evolves. We'll also keep using AI as a research and writing partner while making sure the information we publish reflects real commercial real estate experience.
But whether someone finds us through Google, Bing, ChatGPT, or another platform, the objective is the same: connect the right people with the information and services they're looking for.
For commercial property owners, that same approach carries over into how we market properties for lease and sale. Our goal isn't simply to put a listing online, but to make sure the opportunity reaches people who may actually need it.
Learn more about how Right Space Commercial helps owners lease commercial property or sell commercial property.
