AI search is changing websites. Here’s what actually matters
AI is changing the way people find information online.
Google is adding more AI into search. People are asking ChatGPT questions instead of searching for a list of websites. Other AI tools are becoming part of the way people research products, services and businesses.
It can all feel a little overwhelming.
There’s a lot of talk about optimising websites for AI, getting mentioned by AI tools and changing your SEO strategy overnight. But the fundamentals haven’t changed as much as you might think.
If anything, AI search is making it even more important to have a website that is clear, useful and easy to understand.
Amida Health AI
A one-page website for clinical innovation
Make it easy to understand what you do
One of the biggest things you can do for both search engines and AI systems is make your website easy to understand.
That sounds obvious, but plenty of websites make this harder than it needs to be.
Your homepage should make it clear:
• What does your business do?
• Who is it for?
• What services or products do you offer?
• Where do you operate?
• What makes you different?
• What should someone do next?
If a visitor has to work all of this out for themselves, you’re making things harder for search engines and AI systems too.
Clear language matters.
So does having a sensible structure across the website, with dedicated pages for the things you actually want people to find.
Answer the questions your customers are asking
AI search is particularly useful for answering specific questions.
That means the content on your website needs to do more than describe your business.
Think about the questions customers ask before they contact you.
• How much does it cost?
• How long does it take?
• What’s included?
• Which service do I need?
• What happens after I get in touch?
• What are the differences between your options?
• What should I consider before making a decision?
You don’t need to turn your website into a giant FAQ.
You just need to make sure the useful information is there, written clearly and in enough detail to actually answer the question.
So what should you actually do?
If you’re thinking about AI search, start with the basics.
Make sure your website clearly explains what you do.
Review your key services and make sure each one has a useful, focused page.
Answer the questions your customers actually ask.
Make sure your website is technically sound and easy for search engines to crawl.
Review your site structure and internal linking.
Keep your content current.
And most importantly, write for people first.
AI search is changing how people discover businesses, but the goal hasn’t really changed.
Be useful. Be clear. Make it easy for people to understand what you do and why they should choose you.
That’s a pretty good website strategy regardless of what happens next.
