AI search is no longer something happening "in the future." Bing Chat (now Microsoft Copilot) uses web content to answer questions and cite sources. Google SGE is being tested in more and more markets. ChatGPT's browsing feature fetches information from websites in real time.

That means your website is increasingly being read and interpreted by AI, not just by people and traditional search bots.

The question is: is your website ready for that?

What does AI search look for?

There is no documented ranking factor specifically for AI search. But we can observe what AI assistants actually do:

They look for clear, well-structured answers. They favour pages with clear author identity and credibility. They pull information that is factual, concrete and precise. They reference pages that have trust: authoritative domains, professional websites, pages with strong E-E-A-T.

Much of this overlaps with standard SEO practice. That is not a coincidence.

Structured content is the key

Clear H2 and H3 headings make it easy for AI to understand what each section is about. A page with flowing text and no structure is harder for AI to extract answers from than a page organised around clear questions and answers.

FAQ sections are particularly valuable. When content is already structured as questions and answers, it is easier to pull directly into AI responses.

Schema markup helps. Structured data that tells search engines who you are, what you offer and what the page contains is even more relevant when AI is interpreting the content.

E-E-A-T is more relevant than ever

Google expanded E-A-T (expertise, authority, trustworthiness) to E-E-A-T by adding "experience." This signals that personal and professional experience with what you write about counts.

For AI search this means: named author, visible professional background, links to external authoritative sources, and content that shows you have done this, not just read about it.

Practical steps:

  • Add author biography to article pages and blog posts
  • Link to your own projects, case studies or relevant experience
  • Make sure your About page is informative and human

Thin and generic content is more at risk than ever

Pages that exist primarily to capture search traffic on broad keywords (without adding real value) are poorly positioned for AI search. The AI generates the answer itself and does not need to send the user to a thin page.

That is not an argument for stopping publishing. It is an argument for publishing content with genuine depth.

Technical foundation

AI search works best with websites that are technically solid:

  • Fast load times
  • Mobile-optimised
  • Correctly indexed (no important pages blocked in robots.txt)
  • HTTPS
  • Clear site structure with internal linking

None of this is new. But it is becoming more important.

What you should not do

Do not write content primarily to be cited by AI. Content constructed to manipulate AI responses will likely produce results as poor as content constructed to manipulate search bots.

Write for people, with clarity and depth. AI systems and search engines reward the same things.

Want to review your website for AI search readiness? We would be glad to help. Get in touch.