How to Optimise Your Website to Be Recommended by AI Search Tools

Artificial intelligence is transforming how people search for information online. Instead of typing keywords into Google, users are now asking AI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity for direct answers and recommendations.

If your website isn’t optimised for this new type of search, you could be missing out on leads, visibility, and credibility.

In this article, we’ll explain how to optimise your website so AI tools can find, understand, and recommend your business when users ask for your type of service.

 1. Understand AI Search Optimisation (AIO)

AI Search Optimisation (AIO) is the next step beyond SEO.
It’s about structuring and presenting your content in a way that AI systems can interpret and trust when generating answers.

Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in Google.
AIO focuses on being referenced or cited by AI tools in responses like:

 2. Publish Authoritative, Helpful Content

AI models are designed to surface useful, trustworthy information.
To be recommended, your content needs to demonstrate expertise, experience, and clarity.

Tips:

• Write in a conversational and easy-to-understand tone.
• Add clear headings (H2/H3) and bullet points for easy scanning.
• Include facts, examples, and FAQs relevant to your niche.
• Avoid keyword stuffing — focus on natural, human-sounding language.

 3. Use Structured Data and Schema Markup

AI search tools and Google’s SGE rely heavily on structured data to understand your content.

Implement:

1. FAQ Schema – for Q&A content.
2. HowTo Schema – for tutorials or process pages.
3. LocalBusiness Schema – for businesses wanting local visibility.
4. Product or Service Schema – for specific offerings.

Example (for a service page):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "One Click Media Services",
  "url": "https://www.oneclickms.co.uk",
  "telephone": "+44-020-3937-7873",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main Road",
    "addressLocality": "London",
    "postalCode": "E1 1AA",
    "addressCountry": "GB"
  }
}

 4. Build Topical Authority

AI systems look for topic expertise, not just keyword matches.
Create clusters of content that show depth in your field.

For example, if your site focuses on AI website optimisation:

• Main page: “AI Website Optimisation Services”
• Supporting posts:
  • “How AI Helps Improve WordPress SEO”
  • “The Best AI Tools for Site Speed and Indexing”
  • “Why AI Search Is Replacing Traditional SEO”

Link them together internally. This signals that your site is an authority in that subject.

 5. Optimise for Local and Branded Mentions

If you want AI search tools to recommend your business, make sure your brand data is consistent everywhere.

• Keep your Google Business Profile
• Use consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) across directories.
• Collect Google and Trustpilot reviews using relevant keywords.
• Add brand mentions on local blogs, directories, or news sites.

AI search models recognise entities (brands, people, companies) that appear multiple times across trusted web sources.

 6. Ensure Fast, Accessible, and Machine-Readable Pages

AI crawlers prefer clean, accessible websites:

• Optimise your site speed (use caching, compress images).
• Avoid intrusive pop-ups and unnecessary scripts.
• Use alt text, meta tags, and simple HTML

WordPress users can add plugins like:

• Rank Math or Yoast SEO for metadata.
• Schema Pro for rich snippets.
• WP Rocket for speed optimisation.

 7. Create Q&A Content That Matches Real Search Prompts

AI tools often generate answers based on question-based content.

Use tools like:

• AnswerThePublic
• com
• Google’s “People Also Ask”

Then publish helpful, conversational answers. Example:

Question: “Why isn’t my WordPress site showing on Google?”
Answer: This can happen if your site isn’t indexed properly. You can fix it by submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console or improving your internal links.

This format helps AI engines quote or summarise your content directly.

8. Get Mentioned on Authoritative Websites

AI systems weigh external validation heavily.
Try to:

• Get featured in industry blogs or interviews.
• Publish guest posts on related sites.
• Partner with complementary businesses and link back to each other.

Each mention builds your digital reputation, making it more likely AI search tools will recognise and cite you.

 9. Keep Content Fresh and Updated

AI models (and Google’s SGE) prioritise recent, updated content.

• Regularly refresh articles with new data and examples.
• Update “last modified” dates on your site.
• Add “2025” or the current year where relevant.

10. Monitor Emerging AI Search Platforms

Beyond Google, new AI search engines are growing fast — like Perplexity.ai, You.com, and ChatGPT Browse.

Search your brand or service on these tools:

• Do you appear?
• How do they describe your site?
• Can your meta description or page titles be improved for clarity?

Optimising your content for AI readability and summarisation will position your brand for visibility across multiple platforms — not just Google.

Final Thoughts

The future of SEO is AI-driven.
Businesses that adapt early — by creating structured, expert, and helpful content — will become the sources that AI tools trust and recommend.

If you want to make sure your website appears in AI search results and starts generating more leads, start implementing these AI Search Optimisation (AIO) techniques today.