To make your website visible to AI search, fix technical access first, then shape key pages so they answer questions clearly. AI tools read public content, extract passages, and attribute sources. Your job is to remove blockers, make expertise easy to parse, and give systems a reason to trust your pages.

For definitions of AEO and GEO, see What is AEO. This article focuses on what to do on your site.

Start with what AI systems can actually reach

AI visibility depends on the same crawl basics as SEO. If a page is slow, blocked, or not indexed, it will not be cited.

Check first:

  • Important pages return 200 (not 404 or redirect chains)
  • robots.txt and meta robots do not block valuable URLs
  • XML sitemap lists the pages you want indexed
  • Google Search Console shows no widespread indexation errors
  • Core Web Vitals are acceptable on templates that matter

No amount of rewriting helps if the page is invisible to crawlers. A technical SEO checklist is a sensible first pass.

Write pages that can be quoted

AI systems favour content they can extract accurately: short, direct passages near the top of the page, not buried below marketing copy.

On each priority page:

  1. Open with a 50–60 word summary that stands alone (what the page is, who it is for, what it covers).
  2. Use one clear H1 aligned with the topic.
  3. Break the rest into H2 sections that match real questions.
  4. Add a FAQ block where genuine questions repeat (three to five is enough to start).
  5. Keep paragraphs short; use lists where they aid scanning.

Service pages often fail here: vague headlines, no plain explanation of what you do, or duplicate boilerplate across locations. Rewrite for clarity, not keyword density.

Structure content so machines can segment it

Headings, lists, and definition-style blocks help parsers separate topics. Walls of prose are harder to quote without error.

Question-led headings

“What is included in a website audit?” beats “Our approach”. Match how people ask.

Topic hubs

Group related articles under a hub index with internal links. See your [Growth](/insights/growth/) or [Technical SEO](/insights/technical-seo/) hubs as examples of the pattern.

Consistent naming

Same business name, URL, and service language across pages. Inconsistent naming weakens entity recognition.

Author and dates on articles

Visible byline and publish or update date signal maintained, attributable content.

Add structured data where it fits

Structured data helps systems understand page type and content. Use markup that matches what is on the page—do not add FAQ schema to content that is not actually FAQs.

Common types for AI visibility work:

  • Organisation / LocalBusiness — who you are, where you operate, sameAs links to profiles you control
  • Service — what you offer, linked from service pages
  • Article / BlogPosting — insight articles with author and dates
  • FAQPage — only when FAQ content is visible and accurate

Validate with Google’s Rich Results Test after changes. Fix errors before adding more types.

Strengthen entity and trust signals

AI systems weigh source credibility. On-site and off-site signals should align.

On-site:

  • Dedicated about and contact pages with clear, specific language
  • Service pages for what you actually deliver (not one generic “services” page)
  • Reviews or testimonials where genuine and permitted
  • Internal links from articles to relevant services and proof (case studies)

Off-site:

  • Consistent name, address, phone where you publish them
  • Google Business Profile complete and aligned with the website
  • Social and directory profiles that link back to your canonical domain

For local businesses, the local SEO guide covers GBP and citations in more detail.

Platform notes: WordPress and Shopify

The principles are the same; common blockers differ.

WordPress — plugin bloat, page-builder markup, thin location pages, outdated schema after theme changes. See WordPress plugin audit if the stack has grown without review.

Shopify — duplicate filter URLs, thin collections, app script weight, migration redirects. See Shopify SEO common issues for typical patterns.

A practical priority order

Work through this sequence rather than trying everything at once:

  1. Indexation and speed on homepage, main services, and top articles
  2. Answer capsules and FAQs on those same URLs
  3. Internal links between hubs, services, and case studies
  4. Schema validation on service and article templates
  5. Entity consistency across site, GBP, and social profiles
  6. Expand to secondary pages once foundations hold

A website audit identifies which step is weakest for your site today. SEO and AEO foundations covers structured implementation when you are ready to commit.

What not to do

  • Chase AI-only tactics that ignore crawlability and traditional SEO
  • Publish thin AI-generated pages with no real expertise
  • Stuff keywords into FAQ schema
  • Duplicate the same service copy across many location pages
  • Expect instant citations—visibility builds as structure and trust compound

What to do next

AI search visibility is not a separate project from sensible SEO. It is the same foundations, with clearer answers and stronger structure on the pages that matter.

Want visibility and tracking set up properly? Explore SEO foundations →