.avif)
People no longer discover businesses only through a list of search results. They may ask a detailed question in Google Search, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot and receive an AI-generated answer that draws on web sources.
For a business, this raises a practical question: Can these systems find accurate, useful information about what you offer? AI search optimisation explores how to make that more likely while creating a better website for the people who eventually visit it.
What is AI search optimisation?
AI search optimisation, often shortened to AIO, is the practice of improving a website’s discoverability and usefulness in AI-assisted search experiences. It focuses on clear, accessible information that can help answer relevant questions and, where a platform provides sources, may be cited or linked.
You may also hear the terms answer engine optimisation (AEO) and generative engine optimisation (GEO). People use these labels in different ways. In this article, AIO means optimising your website for discovery through AI-powered search, not using AI software to automate your marketing.
There is no universal switch that makes an AI system recommend your business. Different platforms use different sources and controls, and their answers can change with the question and context.
How does AI search work?
Traditional search commonly presents a set of results for someone to explore. AI-assisted search may retrieve relevant information, combine it into an answer and show links or citations to supporting pages. The exact process varies by platform.
For example, Google’s AI search features draw on its Search index and existing ranking systems. ChatGPT Search can surface websites through its search crawler. Bing says its search and Copilot experiences share a foundation in crawling, indexing and ranking. developers.google.com
This means the basics still matter: the content needs to be accessible, relevant and useful. Being available to a platform does not guarantee that it will mention or link to your page in any particular answer.
How is AIO different from SEO?
SEO helps people discover your website through search engines. It includes technical accessibility, useful content and a site structure that helps search engines understand pages. AIO examines how those same foundations support visibility when an AI system assembles an answer to a question.
The distinction is in the experience being considered. Someone might search “website optimisation company” and compare results. Another person might ask, “Why does my website get traffic but no enquiries, and what should I fix first?” The second question invites a more detailed answer that may draw on several sources.
AIO therefore pays close attention to whether your website explains its expertise and services clearly enough to be useful in that context. It builds on SEO rather than replacing it. Google explicitly advises site owners to keep following foundational SEO practices for its generative AI search features. developers.google.com
What should businesses optimise for AI search?
Answer real customer questions clearly
Start with questions customers ask before they contact you. These might concern a problem, a comparison, a process, cost or what to expect after making an enquiry.
Give a direct answer early, then add the detail needed to make it genuinely useful. For example, a website audit page could explain what an audit examines, what the client receives and when an audit is appropriate. Clear headings help readers find those answers. They also give a page a logical structure.
Do not create dozens of thin pages for slight variations of the same question. Write for the person who needs the answer.
Publish knowledge that is specific to your business
Generic advice is easy to repeat. Your experience, process, examples and informed perspective can add something readers cannot get from a summary of common tips.
A consultancy might explain an issue it found during a website review, how it investigated the cause and why it recommended a particular change. Protect client information where necessary, but show the reasoning behind the work. Google’s guidance emphasises original, valuable content over material that simply restates what is already available. developers.google.com
Make important pages accessible
An AI search system cannot reliably use a page it cannot reach. Check that important content is published in accessible pages and that technical settings do not block the search platforms you want to reach.
For Google’s AI search features, pages generally need to be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a snippet. OpenAI documents a separate crawler, OAI-SearchBot, for ChatGPT’s search features. Its GPTBot control concerns potential model training and is separate from search visibility. Site owners should review their settings according to their own preferences. developers.google.com
Technical access is a prerequisite, not a promise of inclusion.
Keep business information accurate and consistent
Make it easy to verify who you are, what you provide and where you operate. Your service pages, about page and contact details should agree with one another. Update them when your offer changes.
This matters to visitors as well as search systems. If a summary sends someone to your website, the page should confirm the service and answer their next question. A clear path to the relevant service or enquiry page helps turn discovery into a useful visit.
Use structured data where it genuinely applies
Structured data can describe certain page information in a format search engines recognise. Use supported types accurately when they fit your content, and keep the markup consistent with what visitors can see.
It is not a special ticket into AI answers. Google says no special schema markup is required for its generative AI search features. Likewise, it does not use an llms.txt file as a requirement for appearing in Google Search. developers.google.com
How can you measure AIO?
AI search visibility is harder to measure than a conventional search ranking. A citation, a visit and a qualified enquiry represent different outcomes. Review them together where data is available.
- Visibility: Which relevant questions or topics lead to your pages being cited? Bing Webmaster Tools provides an AI Performance report for supported Microsoft experiences. Google Search Console offers reporting for Google’s generative AI features. bing.com
- Visits: Look for traffic referred from AI search experiences. OpenAI says links from ChatGPT Search include a
utm_source=chatgpt.comparameter that can help identify those visits. OpenAI Help Center - Business outcomes: Did visitors enquire, book or purchase? Were those leads suitable for your service?
- Accuracy: When your business is mentioned, is the description correct and current?
Use manual prompt checks as observations, not as a fixed ranking report. Results can vary by wording, location, timing and platform. Some tools also report aggregated or incomplete citation activity, so avoid treating one dashboard as a complete picture. bing.com
What does AIO look like in practice?
Imagine a business that provides specialist website audits. Its service page says little beyond “We improve performance.” It also has several short blog posts repeating broad SEO advice.
An AIO review might suggest a more useful approach:
- Explain the specific problems the audit investigates.
- Describe the research methods, deliverables and suitable clients.
- Publish a detailed example showing how a website issue was diagnosed.
- Answer common questions in plain language and link to the relevant service page.
- Check crawl access, indexing and whether the pages work well on mobile.
- Track relevant search visibility, AI referrals and qualified enquiries over time.
These improvements help people evaluate the service even if an AI system never cites the page.
Can AIO guarantee that an AI tool recommends your business?
No. A business cannot control every source an AI system selects or every answer it produces. Promises of guaranteed citations, rankings or recommendations should be treated carefully.
The more dependable goal is to make your website a credible, accessible and useful source on the topics you genuinely know. Then measure whether relevant people discover it and find enough value to take the next step.
