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Why AI SEO Is Now a Must-Have (Ensuring your brand dominates the AI-powered results)

  • Writer: Mikala O'Connor
    Mikala O'Connor
  • Jun 6
  • 3 min read

You’ve probably noticed those sleek AI-generated summaries appearing at the top of Google searches—and now even in ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI tools. They’re not just a novelty anymore: they’re quickly becoming the go-to for users, shaping how content is discovered and consumed.




🤖 Is AI SEO Different from Traditional SEO?

Yes—AI SEO is not the same as traditional SEO, though they are closely related and complementary.


Traditional SEO is about getting users to click through to your page.


AI SEO is about making sure your content is understood and used by AI tools that may answer on your behalf.


To stay competitive in 2025 and beyond, it’s essential to do both. Strong technical SEO still matters—but now, you also need to structure your content in ways AI can easily understand and cite.


Here’s how they differ:


Traditional SEO

AI SEO / AO SEO

Goal

Rank in Google’s organic search results (Top 10)

Be featured in AI Overviews, LLM summaries, or chat results (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini)

Focus

Keywords, backlinks, content freshness, meta tags

Clarity of answers, structure, context, and E-E-A-T

Optimised for

Google Search crawlers

AI systems like Google’s Gemini, ChatGPT, and Google's AI Overviews

Content structure

Optimised for click-through and engagement

Optimised for answer extraction (bullet points, Q&A, concise intros)

Ranking signals

Page authority, backlinks, on-page SEO

Schema markup, semantic clarity, long-tail relevance, AI readability

Main user journey

User clicks your link to read the full page

AI tools summarize or quote your content directly in the result

Tools involved

Search Console, Ahrefs, Moz, Screaming Frog

Same + llms.txt files, schema.org, and LLM testing (ChatGPT, Gemini)


AI means Web Traffic Is Shifting

Research suggests that Google AI overviews have shown a 5-10% decreases in traffic from search since AI Overviews were launched! This is probably due to the fact that Google’s AI overviews aim to answer queries directly, reducing the need for users to click through to original content and visit the website. This could also impact clicks for google ads too.



What This Means for You

  • Expect traditional click-through traffic to decline in areas well-suited to quick factual answers or summaries.

  • Publishers and content creators may need to pivot—focusing on deep-dive narratives, unique analysis, multimedia, or formats that encourage user engagement beyond AI snippets. For example, Google video and images are being used regulalry ad not impacted by AI summaries.

  • AI SEO strategies are becoming essential—not just to appear in listings, but to be the voice that AI tools pull from and still drive traffic and credibility.



✳️ Key Tips to Optimise for AI Search

The goal is clear: become the source behind that AI answer. Here’s how:


1. Structure & clarity

  • Answer specific questions directly—and early.

  • Use headings, bullet points, and concise language.

  • Ensure the content is fast-loading and mobile-friendly.


2. Boost your credibility (E‑E‑A‑T)

  • Highlight your Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness.

  • Include author bios, credentials, and references.


3. Use structured data & schema

  • Add FAQ, HowTo, or Article schema so AI tools can parse your info accurately.

  • Semantic markup helps with Google Overviews, ChatGPT’s browsing plugins, and Gemini.


4. Create an llms.txt file

  • This is like robots.txt for Large Language Models—guide AI on what’s important or off-limits.


5. Target long-tail questions

  • AI loves answering detailed, user-style queries (e.g., “How to optimise schema for AI search?”).


6. Monitor AI visibility

  • Keep an eye on your positions in AI Overviews, not just page rank or CTR.



Free Tools to Get You Started


You don’t need enterprise software to begin:

  • Google’s Rich Results Test – Validate your structured data.

  • Schema Markup Generator – Build FAQ or HowTo schema.

  • Screaming Frog (free limited plan) – Check for structured data, page speed, mobile experience.

  • ChatGPT / Gemini – Test your pages by prompting the AI to summarize or answer queries.

  • Rank Math or Yoast SEO – These WordPress plugins guide you through schema and readability checks.



🧩 AI SEO Works With Traditional SEO

Think of AI SEO as a powerful extension—not a replacement:

  • Maintain strong traditional SEO (keywords, backlinks, etc.).

  • Align content to user intent—AI needs clarity and context.

  • Build authoritative, question-focused content that AI tools are likely to cite.


Final words:

AI search—whether on Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other LLMs—has leapt from niche to mainstream. But the good news? With structured, high-quality content and a few smart tweaks, you can position your site to take centre stage in AI answers. Get in touch for AI SEO support.


 
 
 

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