Out of Sight: Is Your Website Ready for the Age of AI Search?
Over the last two decades, getting your business found online largely meant focusing on search engine optimisation (SEO). We took time in researching keywords, incorporating links, polishing page titles and climbing Google's results in order to draw interest and prompt the viewer to click.
In the age of AI, that model is being drastically reshaped, and recent data indicates the rapid transition. Ofcom's tracker found 54% of UK adults using AI tools, up from 31% in 2024. ChatGPT alone had 1.8 billion UK visits in the first eight months of 2025, against 368 million in the same period of 2024. Data also suggests that around 30% of searches now show AI overviews, with research evidence showing that people who see AI summaries are less likely to click through to the original sources. This is why website analytics may show traffic to your site dropping considerably when compared to previous periods.
That’s not to say traditional search is becoming extinct. Four in five UK adults use Google Search, which handles around 3 billion searches a month. However, it is important to remember that traditional SEO is built around ranking pages, while AI search is built around answering questions. Where SEO will ask "How do I rank higher?" AI optimisation or generative engine optimisation (GEO) asks "How do I become the source an AI trusts enough to quote or recommend?"
AI engines use language models, trained on vast amounts of text and increasingly pulling in live web content, to build an answer. They favour content they can understand, trust and put forward in a clean response. Key points to note include:
· Clarity: A page that plainly states what you do, who for and where is easier to use than one full of vague or ambiguous slogans or statements.
· Structure: Clear headings, short paragraphs, lists and Q&A formats make a quotable answer easier to find.
· Trust: Named authors, cited sources, consistent details across the web and reputable third-party mentions will strengthen your presence and authority.
Although behaviour is shifting, our habits haven't fully changed yet. Research also indicates that while UK consumers have used AI for local search, around half then search Google or Bing to verify what the AI recommends. Therefore, if customers are checking your business and services across channels, your website has to evolve to best satisfy both.
Potential Fixes & Quick Wins
What can you do now? Below are some suggestions for consideration…
· Think of building in FAQs sections or pages which answer common questions directly. Think of what your customers actually ask.
· Describe and summarise your business simply and directly. Does your homepage do this? If not, you may wish to consider rewriting the opening sections of the site.
· Increase your use of descriptive headings. "How much does it cost cost?" will be more direct and retrievable than "Investing in your future".
· Remain consistent by ensuring your name, address, hours and service descriptions are common across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn and directories.
· Showcase your expertise by adding team profiles, cite credible sources and include relevant case studies, feedback or first-hand insight (thought leadership perspective pieces for example).
· Keep content fresh by updating pages on a regular or scheduled basis.
· Test the changes by asking the major AI tools your recently added customer / common questions and repeat the process regularly to monitor change or adjust the content accordingly.
In summary, you may not need rebuild your website. It may simply be a case of selecting some of the most important pages and applying some of these changes. While AI search is still evolving, clear, structured, trustworthy content is a key to maintaining both visibility and prominence.
