Optimizing your website and digital presence for AI recommendations (like those from Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and other AI-driven search or content systems) requires a strategic blend of SEO, structured data, content clarity, and user engagement signals.
Traditional organic Google search traffic plummeted in the first half of 2025, with more users opting to use AI tools or trust the Google “AI Overview” at the top of search results instead of browsing further.
Here’s how to position your site to be favorably included in AI-generated answers and recommendations:
1. Focus on High-Quality, Helpful Content
AI models prioritize content that clearly answers user intent.
- Use natural language: Write like a human, for humans. Avoid keyword stuffing.
- Address common questions: Use FAQs, how-tos, comparisons, and explainers.
- Go deep: Long-form, expert-level content tends to perform better with AI summarization.
- Freshness matters: Keep your content updated, especially around trends, events, and tech.
AI models are designed to recommend content that provides clear, accurate, and comprehensive answers to user searches and queries. To optimize for this, your website content should be user-focused, written in natural language, and structured to anticipate and respond to common questions. Avoid keyword stuffing and prioritize clarity and value.
Example: A user searches “how to fix a leaky faucet” and Joe Plumbing Bros in Canton, Ohio has a blog post titled “Step-by-Step Guide to Fix a Leaky Faucet” with clear instructions, images, and helpful tips, which is perfect for AI to recommend.
2. Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup)
AI systems use structured data to understand your content more clearly. We build this into every website that we create by default. If you’re doing this yourself, you should:
- Add schema types like:
- Article, Product, Organization, FAQ, LocalBusiness, etc.
- Tools to use:
- Validate with Google’s Rich Results Test
Structured data helps search engines and AI systems understand the context of your content. By using schema markup (like Article, Product, or FAQ), you increase your chances of appearing in rich snippets, AI-generated cards, or voice search results. Proper implementation signals that your content is well-organized and relevant.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros uses FAQ schema on their “Drain Cleaning Services” page. When someone asks their voice assistant “Do I need professional drain cleaning?”, AI may pull the answer directly from their structured content.
3. Optimize for Featured Snippets & Zero-Click Results
AI tools often pull from featured snippets. You can optimize your pages for qualifying searches in a few ways:
- Use concise summaries at the top of pages. Ideally under a paragraph of text
- Structure pages with clear headings (H2, H3) and bullet points.
- Include definitions, steps, lists, and tables when relevant.
AI platforms often draw content directly from featured snippets or answers that appear at the top of search results. Structure your content with summaries, clear subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists. Begin articles with a brief, clear answer or definition, followed by a deeper explanation.
Example: Someone Googles “best pipe material for cold weather plumbing” and Joe Plumbing Bros has a post that starts with a summary like “PEX is the best pipe material for cold climates because it resists freezing and cracking.” This summary gets pulled into a featured snippet.
4. Strengthen E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
AI systems (and Google itself) prioritize trustworthy content.
- Display author bios with credentials.
- Link to or cite reputable sources.
- Include testimonials, case studies, and reviews.
- Ensure your business has clear contact info, an about page, and privacy policy.
AI tools prioritize content from sources that demonstrate expertise and credibility. Include author bios with credentials, cite reputable sources, and showcase testimonials, reviews, or real-world case studies. A professional, transparent presentation builds trust with both users and AI systems.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros includes bios for their licensed plumbers and adds case studies from jobs in Canton, building authority for queries like “licensed plumber near me” or “experienced plumber in Stark County.”
5. Improve Page Load Speed and Mobile Experience
AI systems factor in usability and speed, which affect user signals.
- Use PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix and Pingdom Tools to test your website performance.
- Implement mobile-first design.
- Compress images and use lazy loading.
- Read our “Four Easy Ways to Speed Up Your Website” blog post.
Slow websites and/or poor mobile usability can lead to higher bounce rates for real visitors and AI systems can interpret it as a low-quality user experience. AI systems will NOT recommend your website if the visitor is going to have a bad experience. Optimize images, use responsive design, minimize JavaScript where possible, and regularly test your site with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to maintain fast, mobile-friendly performance.
Example: A mobile user searches “emergency plumbing repair near me” during a water leak. If Joe Plumbing Bros loads fast and is easy to navigate on mobile, AI tools and local search are more likely to recommend it.
6. Make Your Site Crawlable and Understandable
AI tools often start with traditional indexing.
- Use clear internal linking and clean site structure.
- Submit a sitemap to Google Search Console.
- Avoid JavaScript-heavy rendering for critical content.
- Read our “Four On-page SEO Mistakes to Fix First” blog post.
AI content platforms often rely on traditional search engines to find and evaluate your content. Ensure your site has a logical URL structure, internal links between related content, and accessible navigation. Use sitemaps, alt text, and avoid burying key content in JavaScript or PDFs.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros ensures their “Water Heater Repair” page is easily accessible and linked from their homepage. When someone searches “hot water not working Canton Ohio,” the clear structure helps AI surface their page.
7. Create Topic Authority Clusters/Silos
AI favors sources that are seen as topical authorities.
- Create a hub and spoke structure: one pillar page with multiple supporting blog posts.
- Interlink between related content for stronger semantic signals.
AI systems are more likely to recommend your site if it demonstrates comprehensive knowledge on a subject. Build content clusters by creating a central pillar page and linking to related subtopics. This helps establish your domain as an authoritative source on specific subjects.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros creates a main page titled “Home Plumbing Guide for Ohio Homeowners” and links to supporting articles like “Preventing Frozen Pipes,” “Sump Pump Maintenance,” and “Winter Plumbing Tips.” This cluster signals strong topic authority to AI systems.
8. Be Present on Multiple Platforms
AI models often cross-reference multiple data sources.
- Claim and update your Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and X profiles etc.
- Re-purpose web content across channels (e.g., summaries on YouTube, slides on LinkedIn).
AI tools gather data from a wide range of sources, including social media, video platforms, and business directories. Maintain a strong presence across key platforms like Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Consistent, high-quality content across channels enhances visibility and credibility.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros is active on Google Business Profile, regularly posts seasonal tips on Facebook, and has a few helpful YouTube videos. When someone searches “best plumbing companies in Canton,” AI finds their business across platforms and boosts their visibility.
9. Use Descriptive Meta Titles, Meta Descriptions and On-Page Headings
AI uses title tags and headings to summarize your content. The AI will scan your page, looking at the title and the headings, then decide if it wants to read all of your content based on the relevance of these.
- Make titles clear, keyword-rich, and action-oriented.
- Headings should reflect the structure of your content and answer sub-questions.
AI systems rely heavily on metadata to categorize and summarize content. Write concise, informative title tags and use H1/H2 headers that mirror user search intent. This not only helps with SEO but also improves the way your content is interpreted by AI-driven tools.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros titles a page “24/7 Emergency Plumbing Services in Canton, Ohio” instead of “Home” or “Welcome.” This helps AI understand exactly what the page offers when responding to “who offers emergency plumbing near me?”
Recent Results With One Of Our Clients
A client recently reached out to let us know that they got a great lead from a ChatGPT search. The potential customer had inputted their search, including capabilities and experience preferences, into the AI tool in order to find a fabricator that fit their needs. Out of over 10,000 possible national results the AI could have given, our client was one of the 7 recommended partners.
This happened because we had created easy to read pages, with clear headings and descriptions. These pages were indexed with all major search engines, as well as fed to ChatGPT and other AI tools so that they knew the information was available.
Based on this result, our client is excited to explore other ways to optimize their website for AI and encourage new leads.
10. Use First-Person and Real-Life Examples
Especially helpful for AI models trained on dialogue and experience-sharing (like ChatGPT).
- Include personal insights, case studies, anecdotes, and user stories.
- This builds uniqueness and authenticity that stands out from generic web copy.
Content that includes real-world examples, personal insights, or case studies is more engaging and credible. AI systems trained on conversational and experience-based data are more likely to surface content that feels authentic and useful. Use storytelling to make your information stand out.
Example: Joe Plumbing Bros shares a blog titled “How We Helped a Canton Family Avoid a Basement Flood” with photos and a narrative. When someone asks “how to stop basement flooding before it starts,” the AI may prioritize this relatable, story-based content.
Ready to use AI to beat your competition?
This is your chance to get ahead of the AI trend by tailoring your website with content that feeds good information, resulting in more opportunities for your business to appear in searches generated through AI platforms. If you are not sure where to start, we’re here to help! We have worked with numerous Ohio businesses to develop websites with structure, content, and performance designed to effectively communicate your services and provide a great user experience for website visitors and AI alike.
Let’s talk about how we can help you identify areas for improvement on your current website and create strategies to improve your AI rankings. Need a new website? Let’s optimize it from the start to garner the results you need. You can Call or Text us at 888.870.2287 to discuss your website or other digital project.
