Search engine optimisation: adapting to AI search

AI helps search engines rank content by relevance, improving how businesses appear in search results.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how search engines crawl, understand and rank online content. For businesses, this means creating content that AI models can understand so customers can find you.

LLM SEO (Large Language Model SEO) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) are AI-focused content strategies that differ from traditional search engine optimisation (SEO).

LLM SEO optimises content to be clear, context-rich, and structured for AI language models like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, helping them understand and use the content effectively in responses.

GEO targets generative AI engines that create direct, conversational answers. It focuses on building authority, brand mentions, and citation-worthy content to ensure inclusion in AI-generated summaries from platforms like Microsoft Copilot or Perplexity.

In summary, traditional SEO aims to rank web pages on search engine results pages (SERPs), while LLM SEO focuses on making content understandable by AI. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) ensures that AI cites your content directly in answers.

Positioning your brand for AI visibility

Businesses need to adapt by ensuring they are a trusted brand and creating content that AI models can read and understand.

Here’s things you should consider to positively impact your AI visibility and reach.

Understand what people are really looking for

AI helps search engines understand the meaning behind queries, so your business needs to focus on matching user intent and broader concepts, not just exact keywords. Using techniques like natural language processing (NLP) and semantic analysis, AI interprets the true context of what users ask. For example, if someone searches for "cheap cars," AI knows they want budget options even if your content says "affordable cars" or "car deals."

Ensure high-quality content

AI evaluates your content based on its usefulness, accuracy, and trustworthiness. Publishing clear, reliable, and up-to-date information increases your chances of ranking higher.

Optimise for voice and image search

With growing use of voice and visual searches, AI better understands these types of content. Make sure your images and videos are properly labelled and optimised for search.

Personalise results

AI tailors results based on factors like location and past searches. Ensure your content is relevant and targeted to your audience’s needs.

Learn from user engagement

Search engines analyse how engaging and relevant your content is, including clicks and time spent on pages. Content that is valuable, clear, and current gets preference because AI values user satisfaction and quality signals.

Optimising for AI visibility

To help your business show up in search results, it’s important to follow SEO best practices:

write clear, useful content that answers customer needs
use natural language and long-tail keywords (eg, “How to choose the right product”)
add structured data so search engines can understand content better
optimise for voice search by creating content that answer common questions (e.g., frequently asked questions, how to guides)
make sure your website loads quickly, displays well on mobile, and is easy to use
keep your content fresh and accurate to stay relevant

These approaches align with both traditional SEO essentials and the evolving requirements of AI-driven search engines to maximise your search presence.

Common pitfalls to avoid when using AI in SEO

AI can improve search visibility for businesses, but it’s important to understand and avoid common pitfalls.

Relying too much on AI

AI can’t replace human input or judgement. You still need to review your content and make strategic decisions.

Using poor quality data

If the data you feed into AI tools is poor or inaccurate, the results will be unreliable. Clean, well organised data is key to getting useful insights.