AI-powered search and automation are no longer futuristic concepts—they are fundamentally reshaping SEO right now. If your website isn’t AI-friendly, it could be losing traffic, rankings, and business opportunities. Here’s how to ensure your website remains discoverable in the AI-first era.

How AI is Changing Search in 2025

Google’s AI-driven search updates are changing SEO as we know it. Traditional ranking tactics aren’t enough anymore. If AI can’t understand your content, it won’t show it to users. 

AI-powered search engines like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Bing AI are shifting from keyword-based rankings to context-driven, AI-curated results. Instead of just listing pages, AI now summarises content, reducing clicks to traditional websites. To stay visible, sites must optimise for featured snippets, structured data, and conversational queries. Multimodal search is also rising, with AI interpreting images, videos, and voice searches—favouring sites with rich media content. Additionally, AI-powered assistants like Siri and Alexa prioritise clear, well-structured answers. To succeed, websites must embrace structured data, diverse content formats, and AI-friendly optimisations.

Here’s how to ensure your website remains visible in an AI-first search world.

Key Strategies to Optimise Your Website for AI Search

1. Enhance Content with AI-Optimised Formatting

AI search engines prefer structured, scannable content over long, unorganised text blocks.

DO:

• Use clear heading hierarchies (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
• Format answers in concise, AI-friendly summaries
• Include FAQ sections with conversational, voice-search-ready phrasing

DON’T:

• Overload pages with dense text blocks that AI cannot quickly parse
• Rely solely on short-tail keywords—focus on conversational, long-tail queries

Example:
Bad: "Our running shoes have great durability and cushioning for all kinds of athletes."
AI-Optimised: "Looking for the best running shoes for long-distance runs? Our lightweight, cushioned options are designed to support marathon runners with extra durability."

2. Leverage Structured Data & Schema Markup

AI-powered search relies on structured data to understand and categorise content. 

DO:

• Use Product, Review, FAQ, and Article schema to make content machine-readable
• Include rich snippets (e.g., ratings, pricing, availability) to improve visibility in AI-powered search results

DON’T:

• Leave product pages unstructured—AI search engines might not rank them
• Forget to update metadata and schema markups regularly

3. Optimise for AI-Powered Voice Search & Assistants

Voice searches are more conversational than text-based searches. AI assistants favour direct answers, so content should be optimised accordingly.

DO:

• Phrase information as a question-and-answer format
• Use natural, spoken language in your copy
• Optimise for local voice search (e.g., “Where’s the best coffee shop near me?”)

DON’T:

• Overuse robotic, keyword-stuffed phrases that feel unnatural
• Ignore FAQs and structured Q&A sections

Example:
Instead of:
"Best smartphones 2024"

Try:
"Which smartphone has the best battery life for frequent travelers?"

Websites optimised for voice-friendly queries will have a higher chance of ranking in AI-driven search results.

4. Improve Page Speed & Mobile Usability

AI-driven search engines prioritise websites with fast loading speeds and mobile-friendly experiences.

DO:

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights to analyse page load times
• Compress images and enable lazy loading
• Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for faster global load speeds

DON’T:

• Have large, uncompressed images slowing down page loads
• Overuse JavaScript-heavy elements that AI crawlers struggle to interpret

5. Monitor & Adapt to AI-Driven Search Engines

SEO strategies must evolve alongside AI-powered search. Businesses should regularly analyse how AI interprets their content and adapt accordingly.

DO:

• Test AI search visibility using tools like AndiSearch & Firecrawl
• Track how AI-generated search summaries represent your content
• Continuously update schema markup and metadata for accuracy

DON’T:

• Assume traditional SEO strategies will work forever—AI is constantly evolving
• Ignore AI-generated snippets—optimise content so AI pulls the right insights

Example:
Australian news outlets like ABC News and The Sydney Morning Herald have adapted their content for AI-driven search features by implementing structured article markup, voice-friendly summaries, and AI-generated snippets.

Final Thoughts: Future-Proofing Your SEO for AI Search

AI-powered search is already transforming how users find and interact with content. Websites that fail to optimise for AI-driven search risk fading into digital obscurity.

By implementing structured data, AI-friendly content, voice search optimisation, and mobile performance improvements, you can stay ahead of AI search trends and maintain strong online visibility.

The AI search revolution isn’t coming—it’s already here. The question is: Is your website ready for it? Let’s talk. Contact our Chief Maven Kingston Lee-Young to explore AI solutions for your business.