Cathleen Voss Consulting

If you’ve been in marketing for more than a minute, you’ve probably noticed something weird happening with search lately. Your team is asking ChatGPT for recommendations. Your customers are getting answers from Google’s AI Overviews instead of clicking through to websites. And Perplexity is serving up complete answers with citations, often bypassing traditional search results entirely.

Welcome to the era of AI search—and if your website isn’t optimized for it, you’re already losing visibility.

Here’s the thing: traditional SEO isn’t dead (not even close), but the game has changed. AI search engines don’t just crawl and rank your content—they read it, synthesize it, and use it to answer questions directly. If your content isn’t structured in a way that AI can easily understand and cite, you’re invisible in this new landscape.

Let me walk you through what’s actually happening and how to prepare your website for it.

What Is AI Search (and Why Should You Care)?

AI search refers to the growing trend of people using AI-powered tools to find information instead of traditional search engines. This includes:

• ChatGPT – People are asking questions and getting conversational answers
• Google AI Overviews – Google’s AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results
• Perplexity – An AI search engine that provides direct answers with source citations
• Claude, Gemini, and other AI assistants – All capable of searching and synthesizing information

The shift is real. Instead of typing “best CRM for small business” into Google and clicking through ten different listicles, users are asking AI tools directly—and getting complete answers without ever visiting your site.

The problem? If AI engines can’t easily parse, understand, and cite your content, you won’t be included in those answers. That means lost traffic, lost leads, and lost revenue.

How AI Search Differs from Traditional SEO

Traditional SEO has always been about helping search engines understand your content so they can rank it appropriately. AI search takes this a step further—it’s about helping AI understand your content well enough to use it, cite it, and recommend it.

Here are the key differences:

Traditional SEO focuses on:

• Keywords and search intent
• Backlinks and domain authority
• Technical site performance
• Rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs)

AI search prioritizes:

• Clear, structured content that’s easy to parse
• Authoritative, trustworthy information
• Direct answers to specific questions
• Content that can be cited and attributed

Think of it this way: traditional SEO is about being found. AI search is about being understood and cited.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The New Frontier

You might hear people throwing around the term “GEO” or “Generative Engine Optimization.” It’s basically the practice of optimizing your content specifically for AI-powered search engines and large language models.

GEO includes tactics like:

• Structuring content so AI can easily extract information
• Adding authoritative signals (credentials, citations, expertise markers)
• Using schema markup to clarify what your content is about
• Creating content that directly answers questions
• Building topical authority in your niche

Some people also call this LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization), but honestly, the terminology is still evolving. What matters is the strategy: making your content AI-friendly while maintaining the quality and user experience that traditional SEO requires.

Actionable Steps to Prepare Your Website for AI Search

Alright, enough theory. Let’s talk about what you actually need to do.

1. Structure Your Content for Clarity

AI tools excel at processing well-structured content. That means:

• Use clear headings (H1, H2, H3) – Break your content into logical sections
• Write in short paragraphs – Aim for 2-4 sentences per paragraph
• Use bullet points and numbered lists – Makes information easy to extract
• Answer questions directly – Put the answer first, then elaborate

If your content reads like one giant wall of text, AI will struggle to parse it effectively.

2. Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Schema markup is code that tells search engines (and AI) exactly what your content is about. It’s like giving AI a cheat sheet for understanding your page.

Key schema types to implement:

• Article schema – For blog posts and articles
• Product schema – For e-commerce sites
• FAQ schema – For frequently asked questions
• Organization schema – For your business information
• Review schema – For customer reviews and ratings

You don’t need to be a developer to add schema—tools like Yoast SEO, RankMath, or Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper can help.

3. Build Topical Authority

AI engines prioritize content from authoritative sources. To establish authority:

• Create comprehensive content hubs – Don’t just write one article on a topic; create multiple in-depth pieces that cover different angles
• Cite credible sources – Link to research, studies, and authoritative websites
• Showcase expertise – Include author bios, credentials, and experience
• Update content regularly – Fresh, accurate information signals trustworthiness

If you’re in a regulated industry (like supplements, healthcare, or finance), demonstrating compliance and expertise is especially critical.

4. Optimize for Question-Based Queries

AI search is conversational. People ask questions like “How do I improve my e-commerce conversion rate?” instead of searching “e-commerce conversion tips.”

To optimize for this:

• Identify common questions your customers ask – Use tools like AnswerThePublic, Google’s “People Also Ask,” or your customer support tickets
• Create dedicated Q&A content – Either standalone FAQ pages or Q&A sections within longer articles
• Use natural language – Write the way people actually talk, not in keyword-stuffed corporate speak

5. Focus on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google’s been emphasizing E-E-A-T for years, and AI engines follow the same principle. To improve your E-E-A-T:

• Add author bios – Highlight credentials and experience
• Include case studies and results – Show proof of your expertise
• Use first-person perspective – Share personal insights and real experiences
• Build a reputation – Get mentioned, cited, and linked to by other authoritative sites

This is especially important if you’re in a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) industry like health, finance, or legal services.

6. Make Your Content Citable

AI tools often cite their sources. To increase the chances of being cited:

• Use clear, quotable statements – Make it easy for AI to pull key points
• Include statistics and data – AI loves to cite concrete numbers
• Format quotes and callouts – Use blockquotes or highlighted text for key insights
• Attribute information properly – If you’re citing research, do it correctly

Think about how your content would look if someone quoted a single sentence from it. Does that sentence make sense on its own?

7. Optimize Technical Performance

AI tools can access and process your content, but only if your site is technically sound:

• Improve page speed – Slow sites create barriers to crawling and indexing
• Ensure mobile-friendliness – Most AI queries happen on mobile devices
• Fix broken links – Dead links signal poor maintenance
• Use HTTPS – Security matters for trustworthiness
• Create a clean site structure – Logical navigation helps AI understand relationships between pages

8. Don’t Forget About User Experience

Here’s the thing: AI optimization shouldn’t come at the expense of human readers. Your content still needs to:

• Be engaging and readable
• Solve real problems
• Provide value beyond what a quick AI answer can offer
• Encourage conversions (newsletter signups, purchases, contact forms)

If your content is optimized for AI but terrible for humans, you’re doing it wrong.

What This Means for E-Commerce and B2B

If you’re running an e-commerce store or B2B business, AI search presents both challenges and opportunities.

For E-Commerce:

• Product pages need detailed, structured information (price, availability, specs, reviews)
• Category pages should answer “best X for Y” queries
• Content marketing becomes even more important for building authority
• AI might answer “what to buy” questions, but your brand experience seals the deal

For B2B:

• Thought leadership content positions you as an authority AI will cite
• Case studies and testimonials build trust signals
• Educational content (how-tos, guides) attracts prospects in research phases
• Your expertise becomes more discoverable in AI-driven research

The Bottom Line

AI search isn’t replacing traditional SEO—it’s evolving it. The fundamentals still matter (good content, technical optimization, authority building), but now you need to think about how AI engines will read, understand, and use your content.

The good news? If you’ve been doing SEO the right way all along—creating high-quality, well-structured, authoritative content—you’re already most of the way there. It’s just a matter of fine-tuning your approach to make your content more AI-friendly.

Start with the basics: clean up your content structure, implement schema markup, and focus on answering real questions your customers are asking. From there, you can build out a more comprehensive AI search strategy.

And if this all feels overwhelming? That’s exactly why I offer AI Search Readiness Audits. I’ll assess where your site stands, identify gaps, and give you a clear roadmap for optimization.

Ready to future-proof your website for AI search? Contact me to discuss how I can help your business stay visible in the age of AI-powered search.