Published April 13, 2026 | By David Morales, Business Reporter
Todd Hunnicutt is the CEO of Real Internet Sales, a Spartanburg-based AI marketing agency that helps businesses get found by the AI systems now shaping how consumers discover and choose companies. In this interview, Hunnicutt explains why the shift from traditional search to AI-powered search is the biggest change in marketing in a generation — and what Spartanburg businesses need to do about it.
The search landscape has changed. What are you seeing?
Todd Hunnicutt: The way people find businesses has fundamentally changed. When someone asks ChatGPT, Google AI Overview, or Perplexity a question like “best HVAC company in Spartanburg,” the AI doesn’t show ten blue links anymore. It gives a direct answer — and it cites specific businesses by name. The question for every business owner is: are you the one being cited, or are you invisible?
What is Generative Engine Optimization, and how is it different from traditional SEO?
TH: Traditional SEO was about ranking on page one of Google. GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — is about being the business that AI recommends when someone asks a question. The mechanics are completely different. AI doesn’t just look at your website. It pulls from third-party sources — news sites, review platforms, directories, industry publications. If your brand shows up consistently across credible third-party sources, AI trusts you more and cites you more. That’s why having a presence on platforms like local news sites, Reddit, industry directories, and community platforms is now a competitive advantage, not a nice-to-have.
You mentioned third-party sites. How important are they?
TH: Critical. The data shows AI pulls from third-party sources for over 65 percent of its citations. Your own website is only part of the equation. A business that has a strong profile on its local news site, a presence on relevant directories, mentions in community discussions — that business is going to get recommended by AI far more than one that only has a website and a Google Business Profile. This is the concept of zero-click search. The user never clicks through to your site — they get the answer right there in the AI response. So your brand has to be in that answer.
What does this mean for a small business owner in Spartanburg who is used to running Google Ads and doing basic SEO?
TH: It means the rules changed and most businesses haven’t caught up yet. Google Ads still work, PPC still has a place. But the organic discovery layer — the way customers find you without ads — is now AI-driven. If you’re not thinking about how AI sees your business, you’re going to lose market share to competitors who are. The good news is that the businesses who move first have a massive advantage right now because most of the market hasn’t adapted.
Real Internet Sales is based here in Spartanburg. Why does that matter?
TH: Because we understand the Upstate market. We work with businesses across the country, but our roots are here. We know the Spartanburg economy — BMW, Michelin, the manufacturing corridor, the small businesses on East Main Street, the restaurants opening downtown. When we help a local business build its AI visibility, we’re not applying a generic playbook. We understand the competitive landscape they’re operating in.
What’s the first step for a business that wants to get ahead of this?
TH: Start by understanding where you stand. Ask yourself: if someone asks an AI assistant to recommend a business in your category in your city, does your name come up? If the answer is no, that’s the gap. From there, it’s about building a consistent, credible presence across the sources AI trusts — your website, third-party platforms, news mentions, community profiles, structured data. It’s not complicated, but it does require a strategy.
Real Internet Sales is located in Spartanburg, SC. More information is available at realinternetsales.com.
What’s Happening
Q: What is Generative Engine Optimization?
A: GEO is the practice of making a business visible and citable by AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overview, and Perplexity. It focuses on building credibility across third-party sources that AI trusts.
Q: Why do third-party sites matter for AI search?
A: AI systems pull from third-party sources for over 65 percent of their citations. A business with mentions on local news sites, directories, and community platforms is more likely to be recommended by AI than one with only a website.
Q: How can Spartanburg businesses get started?
A: The first step is assessing whether your business appears when AI assistants are asked about your category in your area. Real Internet Sales, based in Spartanburg, specializes in helping businesses build their AI search visibility.
