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AI Search Optimisation Acronyms & Key Terms
AI (Artificial intelligence)
Computers and software that mimic human thinking and learning.
SGE (Search generative experience)
Google’s AI-driven search feature that gives instant, summarised answers at the top of the results.
SERP (Search engine results page)
The page of results you see after typing a search.
NLP (Natural language processing)
The AI tech that understands human language and meaning.
LLMs (Large language models)
An AI model trained on huge amounts of text to generate human-like answers (e.g., GPT).
E-E-A-T (Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness)
Google’s quality checklist for judging if your content is reliable.
Schema markup / structured data
Extra code that tells search engines and AI exactly what your page is about. E.g., FAQ schema is a type of structured data marking questions and answers, making it easier for AI to pull them.
Entity
A recognisable “thing” (like a brand, person, place or topic) that search engines connect to related data.
Featured snippet
The answer box that appears at the top of some search results.
Zero-click search
When a user gets their answer without clicking any link.
Semantic search
Search that looks at the meaning of a query rather than just matching words.
SEO vs AEO vs GEO vs AIO vs SXO
If you’ve spent any time scrolling through social media recently, you’ll have heard any combination of the following acronyms being banded around. Here’s what they mean.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Making your content easier to find and more appealing in search engines.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
Optimising your content so AI “answer engines” (like SGE, ChatGPT, Perplexity) can easily pull and present it.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
A newer term for tailoring your content so AI-generated search summaries showcase your brand or message.
AIO (AI Optimisation)
A broad approach to making content discoverable, clear, and trustworthy specifically for AI tools and search models.
SXO (Search Experience Optimisation)
Going beyond rankings to focus on the entire user experience – clarity, relevance, speed, trust – in both human and AI search.
Let’s Keep it Simple: Search Everywhere Optimisation
This is our preferred way to talk about SEO (and you don’t even need to change the original acronym!). It’s a catch-all term that means increasing your visibility in all the places where people consume your content. Whether that’s through a classic Google search, watching YouTube, browsing social media or through AI search engines.
AI is Revolutionising the Way We Search
Remember when ‘being found on Google’ just meant cramming your website full of keywords and hoping for the best? Those days are long gone.
As of July 2025, ChatGPT ranks #5 in the world’s most visited websites with over 5 billion monthly visits (SEMrush), and AI overviews appear for over 50% of all Google search results (Advanced Web Ranking). Here at Bubble, we saw client web traffic from AI sources increase by 111% between May and June 2025. We are rapidly changing the way we find information online, so what does this mean for your SEO strategy?
Google’s Search Generative Experience, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT search answers, and a whole bunch of other AI-powered tools, hand over the answers immediately, no need to click through to a website.
Help! My website traffic has dropped
With users getting all the answers to their search queries without even needing to click through to your website, there’s no wonder several third party studies have shown huge drops in click-through rates and drops in traffic to websites from the SERPs (BrightEdge).
Your website is now further down the marketing funnel, where users will have to put more effort into visiting your website based on brand mentions within the AI-generated answers. That means less traffic, but in theory, warmer leads.
However, if your business isn’t showing up in those AI answers, you’re basically invisible to the fastest-growing slice of the internet.
That’s where we can help
To help you navigate the ever-evolving search landscape, we’ve created this handy guide to help you cut through the noise and implement tactics you can use straight away to optimise your website for AI-driven search.
Shall we? Let’s get you AI-search-ready.
The 5 Core Principles of Answer Engine Optimisation
If you want AI search to recommend you, you’ve got to make it as easy as possible for it to crawl your content. So, nothing a million miles away from traditional SEO best practice! If your content is easy for bots and humans to understand, you’re already halfway there.
1. Crawling & indexing
AI tools rely on the same basic principles as traditional search engines to discover, understand and rank your content. If Google’s bots (and their AI cousins) can’t crawl your website or make sense of its structure, the chances are you won’t appear in the SERPs or AI generated answers.
• Create a clear site structure, grouping related pages together in logical categories
• Focus on website speed – run your website through free tools like Google PageSpeed insights to spot quick fixes
• Regularly create fresh, relevant content to signal to AI search engines that your site is active and authoritative
2. Answer the question
AI tools reward content that gets straight to the point. If you’re creating a blog post or adding FAQs to your commercial pages, make sure to lead with the answer to the question. Then go into the details.
3. Make it scannable
People skim. AI skims. Content that’s easy to scan through isn’t just great for human readers. It’s perfect for AI algorithms too. The format you use is often the format AI will pull directly into its answers.
• Use plain, conversational English that sounds natural, avoiding jargon
• Use clear headings, bullet points and short sentences to organise your information
• Break up walls of text with headings and lists (like we’ve done throughout this eBook!)
• Add summaries at the end of each section
• Use tables or bullet points for key facts
4. Trust is currency
Just like with traditional SEO, the more trustworthy your content looks the more likely it is to get featured. Here are some quick tips…
• Show credentials – if you’ve been in business for 20 years and have all the right industry accreditations, make sure this is obvious on your website
• Link to reputable sources
• Keep your ‘About Us’ page regularly updated and detailed
• Create team bios for your blog authors, so every post comes from an expert
• Even small credibility signals, like listing your business address or customer reviews, can tip the AI’s decision in your favour
5. Show context
AI loves context – the surrounding details that tell it who you are, what you do and why you matter.
• Explain acronyms once, at the start of your content piece
• Mention related topics and terms
• Link to related pages of your website to help AI connect the dots
AEO Quick Wins for Non-SEOs
The best part about answer engine optimisation? You don’t have to overhaul your entire website in one caffeine-fuelled weekend. You can make small, smart tweaks that give you an instant edge (without needing to know what an “XML sitemap” even is!).
Here are the fastest, easiest ways to get AI crawlers (and your customers) to notice you.
Use Q&A style formatting
AI loves question-and-answer formats because they mirror how people actually search.
• Populate your FAQ section with actual questions your users or customers ask
• Write short, direct answers under clear questions
• Use plain, yet informative language
• Use FAQs on your site for common queries
Pro tip: Use FAQ Schema (don’t worry, your web person can add it) so bots can pull answers instantly.
Freshen up old content
Much like Google, AI favours fresh information. Plus, updating old posts or pages is one of the best ways to make sure your content is aligned with current search trends and user intent.
• Swap outdated stats for new ones
• Add a quick ‘updated on [date]’ note to old posts
• Replace old images with fresh visuals
Pro tip: Even changing a 2023 headline to 2025 can help.
Focus on entity SEO
You can no longer solely rely on optimising your on-page content based on keyword research. AI search works more like a knowledge graph, so if your brand, products or services are clearly defined as entities in the right context, AI can retrieve them even if the query is phrased differently. Essentially, AI is better at understanding the context behind words than traditional search engines.
To bolster your online presence, focus on the following areas:
• Create an ‘About’ page
• Apply schema markup to your website
• Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across Google Business Profile, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Bing etc.
• Claim and verify social profiles, making sure they use the exact same brand name and logo
• Earn mentions and structured listings in trusted knowledge repositories and industry-specific directories
• Build topical authority with content clusters based on your core offering and related entities
Pro tip: NAP consistency is critical for local businesses, but for global brands, cross-platform name/logo consistency is more important.
Update your content author pages
AI is obsessed with trust signals. If it can’t work out who’s behind the content, it’s less likely to recommend you.
• Add a proper bio with your credentials and experience
• Include your location (helps with local results)
• Link to other reputable sites where you’ve been featured
Pro tip: Add a friendly photo; humans like faces, and AI notes them too.
Optimise for speed
The slower your website, the less likely it is to appear in both organic and AI search results. Not to mention, customers landing on your site are more likely to bounce! Use these quick wins to speed everything up:
• Compress large images before uploading using tools like TinyPNG and Squoosh – aim for image file sizes under 200KB
• Keep your homepage clean and uncluttered
• Ditch auto-play videos that might be slowing your page load speed down
Pro tip: On large websites with many owners independently adding content, there may be webpages with unnecessary code that loads before important page content – ask your web team about identifying and removing this on poorly performing pages.
How to Write Content for AI Search
Like real users, AI crawlers don’t read your website from word-by-word, start to finish (as sad as that makes our content team). Instead, they scan your website and pull out key facts, relationships between pages and various signals to figure out:
• What is this page about?
• Can I trust it?
• Who will find it useful?
When creating content optimised for AI search, the main aim is to make information easily digestible and directly answer user queries. Here are some practical before-and-after examples to show the differences between traditional SEO-heavy writing vs AI-friendly copy.
Keyword-stuffed content → Conversational, answer-first content
Before:
Are you looking for the best hiking boots for women? Our women’s hiking boots are the best hiking boots for women because they are comfortable, waterproof and feature durable soles for women’s hiking boots. Buy the best women’s hiking boots today!
After:
Looking for comfortable, waterproof hiking boots designed for women? Our hiking boots offer durable soles and all-day comfort, perfect for your next adventure.
Long paragraphs → Concise, formatted responses
Before:
Choosing the right laptop can be challenging because there are many factors to consider such as processor speed, RAM, storage capacity, battery life, screen size and weight. Depending on your needs, like gaming, work, or casual use, the importance of these features will vary. For example, gamers may prioritise a high-end graphics card, while business users might focus on portability and battery life.
After:
When choosing a laptop, it’s important to consider these key factors:
• Processor speed: Affects performance for tasks like gaming or editing.
• RAM: More RAM helps with multitasking.
• Storage: SSDs offer faster data access than HDDs.
• Battery life: Crucial for portability.
• Screen size & weight: Balance comfort with mobility.
Your priorities will depend on your use case; gamers need powerful graphics, while business users value portability.
Technical jargon → Simple, user-friendly language
Before:
Our enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure leverages containerised microservices architecture to provide scalable, fault-tolerant, and low-latency solutions that optimise throughput and reduce operational expenditures.
After:
We use cloud technology that makes our services fast, reliable and easy to scale. This helps reduce costs while keeping everything running smoothly.
Passive voice → Active, engaging voice
Before:
The new policy on data privacy was implemented by the company to ensure compliance with regulations.
After:
The company introduced a new data privacy policy to comply with regulations.
Long-winded FAQ answer → Direct answer first, then details
Before:
To renew your driving licence, first check the expiry date on your current photocard licence. You can renew online via the GOV.UK website, by post, or at certain Post Office branches. You’ll need to provide a recent passport-style photo if your appearance has changed significantly. If renewing in person at the Post Office, they can take your photo for you. After submitting your application, you should receive your new licence within about a week.
After:
Here’s how to renew your driving licence:
1. Check the expiry date on your photocard
2. Renew online at GOV.UK, by post or at selected Post Offices
3. Provide a passport-style photo if needed
4. Post Office staff can take your photo if renewing in person
5. Receive your new licence in around a week
The Best Tools for AI Search Optimisation
Optimising your content for AI-powered search engines isn’t just about writing style. Using the right tools can help give your efforts direction, backing up your strategy with data.
Here’s a breakdown of the best tools for AI search optimisation and how to use them…
Keyword research tools
Even though AI search prefers natural language and conversational tone, knowing what users are searching for is still important.
These tools help you discover what questions people ask and which keywords to naturally include.
• Google Keyword Planner: Find popular keywords and see search volume data. Great for discovering broad and related search terms
• AnswerThePublic: Generates questions and phrases people ask around your topic – perfect for AI-friendly, answer-first content
• Ahrefs/SEMrush: Advanced SEO tools that provide keyword difficulty, competitor insights and related keywords to fine-tune your content
How to use:
Start by researching questions and phrases related to your topic. Use these as headings or key points in your content to directly answer user intent.
Content optimisation tools
These tools analyse your content to help you optimise readability, keyword usage and structure, making it easier for AI to understand and rank your writing.
• Surfer SEO: Provides real-time recommendations on keyword usage, content length and structure based on top-ranking pages
• Clearscope: Suggests relevant keywords and content improvements to boost content relevance for AI algorithms
• Grammarly: Ensures your writing is clear, concise, and free of grammatical errors, improving overall readability
How to use:
After drafting your content, run it through these tools to identify missing keywords, unclear sentences or overly long paragraphs. Adjust accordingly to improve AI friendliness.
Question & answer platforms
To better understand what users want, monitor popular Q&A sites to gather real questions and concerns around your topic.
• Quora: See trending questions and detailed answers in your niche
• Reddit: Explore communities related to your subject for authentic user queries and language
• AnswerThePublic: As mentioned, a great source for common questions framed in natural language
• SEMrush Keyword Magic tool: Filter your keyword search by question to see search volume for informational intent keywords
How to use:
Integrate real user questions into your content as headings or FAQs, then answer them clearly and concisely. This directly aligns your content with AI’s goal of providing relevant answers.
Content structuring & formatting tools
AI search engines favor well-structured content that’s easy to scan. Tools that help you format content into clear sections, bullet points, and concise paragraphs enhance readability.
• Microsoft Word/Google Docs: Use these for organising your ideas into headers, bullet points and short paragraphs
• Hemingway Editor: Highlights overly complex sentences and suggests simpler alternatives for clarity and brevity
• Markdown Editors: Perfect for structuring content with headings, lists, and bolding – all good for AI readability
• SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant: Optimise your text in real-time with intuitive editing tools with this Google Docs plug-in
How to use:
Write your content in these tools or transfer drafts to them for polishing. Break long paragraphs into bite-sized chunks and use headings and bullet points to improve scannability.
How to Track AI Traffic in Google Analytics 4
Once you’ve optimised your content for AI, how do you know it’s actually working? As with traditional SEO, AEO is all about trial and error. So being able to track your performance is key.
GA4 remains the most powerful tool to monitor website traffic, including traffic from AI-powered search engines.
How to track AI traffic:
• Look for referral sources such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Discover, Google Assistant, or other AI-related search features under your traffic acquisition reports
• Set up custom reports to analyse traffic by device, location, and behavior to see how AI users interact with your site
• Monitor the pages people land on from AI sources over time
Can I track my brand’s visibility in AI Overviews?
You can use SEO tools and marketing platforms like SEMrush to track and analyse traffic, including visibility in Google’s AI Overviews.
How to track AI traffic in SEMrush:
• Use the Organic Research tool to monitor keywords that drive traffic with conversational or question-based queries often favoured by AI searches
• Analyse Featured Snippets and People Also Ask sections to see which of your pages are capturing AI-driven search results
• Use SEMrush’s Traffic Analytics to understand user behavior and traffic sources, helping identify AI-driven traffic patterns
Why manual checks don’t work
Many clients have spoken to us about relying on manual checks to see which AI tools their brand appears in.
They type a prompt into ChatGPT or similar tools, then screenshot the results to show if their brand is mentioned or not.
However, this won’t always be accurate. LLMs change their outputs based on prompt phrasing, user behaviour and even timing – it’s highly personalised, and hard to predict.
What’s next for SEO?
As AI continues to change the way we find information online, so must our SEO strategies adapt to stay effective.
Many of our clients ask, “will SEO still exist in 5 years time?”
And it will. But the traditional methods of SEO will likely give way to an AI-driven approach.
The key is in getting the blend between tried-and-tested SEO strategies and leveraging AI for optimisation.
AI’s place in SEO – and digital marketing generally
Where traditional SEO is about chasing rankings, AI-powered SEO is about earning relevance. Not just for search engines, but for the way people (and now machines) actually seek out answers.
Search is no longer a static list of blue links. It’s conversational and happens across multiple platforms, from Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) to AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing Copilot and Perplexity.
This is where the future-facing blend comes in:
• Keep the fundamentals: keyword research, on-page optimisation, technical health, high-quality content
• Layer in AI-friendly signals: entity optimisation, structured data, consistent brand presence across the web, and content that AI can easily summarise and pull across
• Use AI as a creative partner: for ideation, audience insights, trend monitoring and even forecasting what your customers will search for next
We’re stepping into an age where SEO isn’t just about being found. It’s about being known. And that’s exactly where the opportunity lies for forward-thinking marketers.
Let’s Get You Showing Up in AI Search
You’ve just read the no-nonsense guide to answer engine optimisation. You now know the principles, quick wins and key steps to show up, wherever your target audience is searching – whether that’s a search engine or AI platforms.
But here’s the truth:
Optimising for AI search is a moving target. This new way of getting information is changing all the time, and staying on top of the latest algorithm updates can feel like a full time job. When you’ve got a business to run, it’s an almost impossible feat.
And your competitors? They’re already figuring out how to get there first.
That’s where we come in.
At Bubble Design, we’ve got a team of SEO experts who live and breathe all things search.
We’ll:
• Audit your site to uncover quick wins you’ve missed
• Optimise your content for AI-powered answers and visibility
• Keep your site fresh, credible, and lightning-fast
• Track your rankings so you know exactly how you’re performing
So you get more visibility in AI and traditional search, and more clicks from the right people.
You’ve done the reading. Now let’s turn it into results.
AI search is reshaping traffic - don’t get left behind
Speak to our SEO team today and future-proof your content for AI search
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AI search is reshaping traffic - don’t get left behind
Speak to our SEO team today and future-proof your content for AI search
