The way we search the internet has changed. Has your website?

I don’t know about you, but I love it when I search on Google and it comes up with a clear and concise AI generated summary (AI Overview) in response to my query. Sometimes I glean all the information I need from that neat little summary. Sometimes I’ll glance to the right, click on the source article and dive a bit deeper. And sometimes I’ll hop on an AI assistant, like Chat GPT, and have a little conversation to get key points and summaries.

In the olden days (circa 2024) searching for something online often meant trawling through multiple sites, scanning online forums and discussions, reading multiple review sites and having to come to my own conclusions (yawn!).

If you’re like me and part of the growing number of people relying on AI for your internet searches, you’ll have noticed that AI-driven search is completely reshaping how websites are discovered, structured and written. Because people are no longer just searching for information, they’re asking AI to interpret it for them.

So the million dollar question is…

How well does your website perform in AI searches?

It’s a great question (even if I do say it myself). The short answer is: it’s an emerging science. There’s no single “AI ranking” dashboard (yet), but there are ways to check. Start by asking your web designer for which tools they use to measure AI visibility. You can also perform your own test – literally by asking your AI assistant of choice to describe your business and see what it says. Or google queries relating to your business and see if you appear in an AI Overview.

If your content is quoted or linked – congratulations. You’re “AI visible”. If not, your content may be too generic, unstructured or perceived as lacking authority for AI’s liking. Harsh – but not to be ignored.

Which brings me onto my next question…

How does your website copy need to be adapted for AI search?

Let’s be clear: traditional SEO is still essential. It’s what gets your site seen in the first place. Search engines still match users’ keywords with your content, ranking your pages by relevance, structure and authority. That means you still need thoughtful keywords in headings, text, and meta data.

But now, your copy must also be understood and trusted by AI.

AI tools function more like research assistants. AI Optimisation (AIO) is about making it easy for Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, to find, understand and summarise your content accurately.

Then there’s Generative Engine optimisation (GEO) to consider - the next step beyond SEO and AIO. It’s about being quoted, cited or featured in AI generated answers – like the AI Overviews I mentioned at the start.

In summary:

• SEO is about being found
• AIO is about surfacing in AI tools
• GEO is about being quoted, cited or featured in generative overviews

LLMs scan your site for content that’s clear, factual and trustworthy. For a copywriter like me, that’s great news. Because it means website copy must now be written in plain, factual language, that demonstrates authority - avoiding language that’s either too vague or thin, or overly flowery or complex (just like the sort of copy that Chat GPT tends to spew out).

Why this matters for anyone with a website

In the old SEO world, we were forced to shoe-horn keywords and cram keyword phrases into sentences, making them clunky. It worked for search engine algorithms, but sounded impersonal to readers.

Now, AIO and GEO reward clarity, authority and originality.

AI tools aren’t looking for keywords, they’re looking for meaning, context and trust signals. They need things explaining clearly and factually. That means you need to:

• Use a clear, logical structure
• Feels human, conversational and confident
• Demonstrates expertise or first-hand experience
• Includes named entities (people, places, brands) to give context
• Answers real questions directly (hello FAQs!)
• Stays current with fresh, updated content

It’s almost like algorithms have finally caught up with good copywriting principles!

The era of human clarity

The challenge now isn’t writing for search engines. It’s writing for understanding. AI is rewarding that are written with precision and authenticity. 

If you need help rewriting your web copy to make it AI-visible, credible and human-sounding - get in touch. I’d love to help you refine your brand’s voice and adapt your words for this new era of search, so your website is not just found, but trusted and quoted as a relevant, credible source.