Why Isn’t My Website Showing Up in AI Search Results?
There are a variety of reasons that can keep your website from appearing in AI results. On your website, these range from content issues to poor backend optimization. Beyond your site, a common issue is an inconsistent, inaccurate online brand image.
- A Lack of a Cohesive Web Presence hurts your business because AI looks for brands that are consistent across multiple sites.
- Disorganized Site Structure makes it harder for LLMs to crawl and interpret your website.
- Content That Isn't Answer-First goes against the style of information that AI searches for.
- Unclear Metadata Signals fail to give AI bots context about your site and business
- Low Authority and/or Outdated Information are passed over in favor of newer and/or more definitive data.
The good news is that all of these issues can be addressed. With a dominant AI search optimization (AIO) strategy, your new site structure and quality content will do the hard lifting of marketing for you.
Table of contents
Does SEO Matter for AI Search Results?
Yes, SEO matters for AI search results. AIO is built on the back of traditional search success. The same pages, if well-written, can rank well for both SEO and in AI search results.
By targeting real user inquiries, building a positive external presence, and using proper page structure, you can both earn web traffic and get cited by AI.
Here's how both can help your business, and how they interact:
| SEO | AIO |
|---|---|
| Content targets real user search terms | Content targets real user questions |
| External links support website authority | External mentions support brand authority |
| Page structure that appeals to readers | Page structure that is easy for LLMs to view |
| Indexing makes your page visible in search results | AI models use search engines to find your content |
| Users find your site | Users discover your brand |
Traditional SEO efforts should not be abandoned to solely focus on AIO – they both work together to improve your website's traffic. A strong SEO plan will position you high in search results, which is still important. Google has stated that many people use both traditional and AI search together to find brands.
Benefits of Getting Into AI Search Results
When your brand shows up in AI search results, it's doing multiple things for you. Most importantly, it builds awareness. Modern audiences are using AI as a part of their decision-making process. Getting recommended in AI responses can influence potential customers.
On top of that, it builds up your authority and the level of trust users have in your site. When they do click on your site from an AI recommendation, you're getting tailored leads with a higher conversion rate.
5 Steps to Get Your Website Into AI Search Results
To show up Google AI overviews and other AI search results, the first thing you need to do is audit your current site. You can then update content, store structure, and metadata. Finally, you need to expand your brand's influence across the internet, building domain authority.
Step 1: Perform an SEO/AIO Audit
- An expert SEO/AIO audit can help you measure AI search visibility for your site
- Check your website speed to ensure bots can quickly scan your content.
- Review content to keep it in line with AI trends
- Review internal linking to evaluate how well your site is interconnected
SEO/AIO Audit Resources:
- Screaming Frog
- Semrush AI Visibility Checker
- ahref's AI Visibility Checker
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Google Pagespeed
Step 2: Rewrite Outdated or Unclear Content
- Update your existing content for AI search visibility
- Clearly structured content performs best in AI search
- Incorporate images and videos with descriptions
Bonus Tip: To boost your domain authority, add notes like author biographies, your credentials, and general information about your brand. This will associate your high-quality content with your real-world experience.
Step 3: Update Site Structure
- Interlinking content in sensible ways makes it easy for AI bots to understand
- Create clusters or buckets of content that all surround a common theme
- Consider using a llms.txt to guide LLMs through your site's content
Bonus Tip: AI bots struggle to understand .pdf files, so convert them into something else! If it's rewritten in an HTML format, it will be more likely to be drawn from by AI.
Step 4: Update Backend/Metadata
- Make sure that your site is not blocking AI bots in its robots.txt
- Use schema to help AI models understand the context of each page
- Write page descriptions in a way that highlights their purpose
Step 5: Develop a Cohesive Online Brand Identity
- List your business in local directories
- Update any outdated profiles for your brand
- Make sure that all information about your business is consistent, no matter where it's posted
- This helps to boost your E-E-A-T (see below)
Bonus Tip: A robust backlinks campaign will help with SEO, but you'll also need positive brand mentions to build your AIO. When your business is mentioned alongside reputable industries sources, AI pays attention to that.
Follow these steps, and you'll improve your chances of showing up in an AI summary when it receives an inquiry.
E E A T Breakdown:
- Experience: Demonstrate that this site is run by people who know what they are doing.
- Expertise: Include accurate, advanced information, presented in an understandable way.
- Authoritativeness: Maintain high standards of quality and receive external recognition.
- Trustworthiness: Be open, be approachable, and keep a positive reputation.
Getting Your Website in AI Search Results | FAQs:
WDAC Error: Missing Title
When you show up in AI search results, a citation means a link to your website, while a mention means that your brand was brought up as a part of the answer to the user's question.
Do people find sites through Google or through AI?
People use both. Google is used more often for general web searches, and attempts to find specific websites. Meanwhile, users will rely on AI more often to answer questions.
How do I make my website visible to AI?
As long as your site is available on Google, it should be visible to most AI models. There's nothing special you need to do besides index your web pages and let AI bots crawl your site.
How do you allow AI to crawl your website?
Most AI models will automatically try to crawl your website, using Google as a backbone for locating it. Ensure that your robots.txt file allows AI bots, and to help things out, add an llms.txt to aid them when they crawl your site.
How do I get my website to show up on Google?
To get your website to show up in Google search results, you need to allow Google crawlers on it and check that it is indexed. A proper SEO strategy will build on this to improve your rankings in Google search.
Key Page Takeaways
- The issues keeping your website from showing up in AI search results can be related to structure, content, or reputation.
- Traditional SEO is still important for AI search.
- Appearing in AI search results can positively influence people's opinion of your brand.
- It is possible to update your site to better your chances of appearing in AI overviews.
Get Your Website Seen by AI
Getting seen by AI means having a plan that elevates your website, from structure to content. You need to feature fresh and authoritative writing, descriptive metadata, an organized site, and a unified online brand.
As more and more people use AI to get business and product recommendations, it's important not to be left behind. You need a forward-thinking marketing strategy, and a plan that gets your content featured, not just taken.
For more information about AIO and SEO, use the links below:
- What Are the Differences Between Showing Up in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity?
- What Kind of Strategy Will Help My Website Appear in AI Search Results?
- Can a Marketing Firm Help My Website Show Up in AI?
Start Showing Up in AI Results With an AI Search Optimization Strategy
Hexxen's proven digital marketing team is prepared to set your website up for success in the modern era. If you're ready to rank in both AI search results and traditional SEO, call us today at (314) 499-8253 or contact us online.