MarketingHow to make your website AI friendly - From search engine optimization to AI optimization

How to make your website AI-friendly: enter the time of new search

The way people search for information will transform. Traditionally SEO optimization has been the core technique to ensure visibility, considering that most online users primarily use Google, Bing, Duck Go Go and other search engines to search information. Slowly the social media platforms (Meta, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Snpachat etc.) have become increasingly more used information repositories especially for Gen Z. According to study created by We Are Social 16 to 34 year-olds are currently more likely to visit a social media platform when looking for information about brands and products than they are to use a search engine.

Now, as we are heading towards another transformative phase, generative AI, copilots and chat interfaces are rapidly changing also the search frontier. According to Morning Consult over half (52%) of consumers believe generative AI is not just a passing trend. There are varying opinions on AI, but there is a core group that's very supportive of AI.

AI reshaping discovery and search

AI assistants, with their analytical and smart searching capabilities, have begun reshaping how information is accessed and consumed online. Luckily the tools and skills marketers practiced for SEO optimization are still valid as many of the same techniques apply to AI scrapers.

As more people use AI assistants to summarize, search and perform various tasks to process information behind websites, it's becoming more important that marketers wish to expand the reach of their messages and make sure the AI doesn't just say "I was unable to access the content due to an error. "

Here's a short list of things to consider in making your website AI-friendly:

Quality Content

Prioritize quality over quantity. Ensure your content is well-researched, original, and provides genuine value to readers. AIs will prioritize information-rich content over fluff.

HTML Structure

• Leverage semantic HTML5 tags to facilitate AI in understanding your webpage structure.
• Assign a unique and descriptive title and meta description tag for every page.
• Use headings (H1, H2, etc.) in a structured manner to further define your content.

Many AI-assistants, such as Superlines landing page analyzer and SEO checker, can analyze better your site's content based on these attributes.

Schema Markup

Incorporate schema.org structured data markup. This clarifies the content nature of your page to search engines and AI platforms.

JavaScript Limitation

Bear in mind that some AI scrapers might not process JavaScript. So, critical content must rely on more than just JavaScript.

Sitemaps

Keep a regularly updated sitemap.xml file in your site's root directory.

Robots.txt

Create a robots.txt file that explicitly directs web crawlers about which parts of your site to scrape. Regular audits will prevent accidental blockages. Blocking unwanted bots and unnecessary crawlers is still a valid tactic, but if you want to make sure all AI-assistants can access your site content, it's good to review your robots.txt file. For example, if you wish to OpenAI's GPT crawler that is called GPTBot to enter some partof your site, your robots.txt file could look like this:

User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /directory-1/
Disallow: /directory-2/

Page Load Speed

Enhance user (and AI) experience by optimizing page load speeds. Strip away unnecessary components that drag your site speed down.

Mobile Optimization

With the rising dominance of mobile searches, ensure your website is responsive and optimized for mobile screens.

Avoid Pop-ups

Such elements can obstruct AI from effectively scraping your content.

Pagination

For multi-page content, ensure clarity in pagination with distinct indicators and links.

Descriptive URLs

Opt for URLs that are descriptive and devoid of redundant parameters, enhancing indexing efficiency. AI assistants are also able to analyze the URLs and determine content based on this.

Consistent Updates

A dynamic, regularly updated website attracts more frequent visits from web crawlers, ensuring your content remains in the limelight.

Use SSL

Prioritize security. A HTTPS-enabled website is not just safer but is also favored by many modern scrapers.

Use Superlines' AI-friendliness checker to make sure your landing page is optimized for AI

We at Superlines want to ensure marketers stay on the curve with the latest developments related to search and marketing. Superlines users can now use our newest easy-to-use AI-friendliness checker to ensure your website is optimized for AI assistants.