It’s Not Just SEO Anymore — How to Optimise Your Website for AI Search
- tracyarmstrongmark
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
AIO, GEO and AI Search Are Changing How Businesses Get Found Online.
For years, if you had a website, the advice was simple: work on your SEO.
Search Engine Optimisation helped people find your business online. You wrote helpful content, structured your pages properly, optimised your keywords — and don’t forget the backlinks!!
If you did all of that well enough, the hope was that Google would reward you by showing your website in search results. And for a long time, that was the game.
But something has quietly started to change. More people are beginning their searches not on Google, but inside AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Instead of typing keywords into a search engine, they ask questions.
“Who is a good marketing consultant for a small business?”(TAM obvs.)
“Best interior designers in Galway.”“How can a small business start using AI?”
Instead of ten blue links, these tools generate a single answer, often summarising information pulled from multiple websites. Which means the rules of online visibility are starting to evolve.
From SEO to AIO, GEO
As you might expect, the marketing world has responded to this shift in the only way it knows how — by inventing a lot of new acronyms.
Now we have:
SEO – Search Engine Optimisation
AIO – Artificial Intelligence Optimisation
GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation
LLM Optimisation – Optimising content for Large Language Models
It can feel like marketing jargon overload but behind all the acronyms is a simple shift.
Search is no longer just about ranking in Google. It’s about whether AI systems can understand your business well enough to reference it when answering questions.
What AI Search Tools Look For
Unlike traditional search engines, AI tools are trying to understand meaning and context, not just keywords. That means they favour websites that:
• clearly explain what the business does
• use structured headings and well-organised content
• demonstrate expertise in a topic
• include examples or case studies
• answer real questions people might ask
In other words, AI tools are trying to surface the most useful explanations, not just the most optimised pages. Which is actually quite refreshing!
How to Optimise Your Website for AI Search
While the technology is new, the fundamentals are surprisingly practical.
Here are a few simple ways small businesses can improve their chances of appearing in AI-generated answers.
1. Clearly explain what your business does.
Many websites assume visitors already understand their services. AI tools work better when your website clearly and simply describes what you do and who you help.
2. Use clear headings and structure
AI tools rely heavily on page structure. Articles, service pages and FAQs with clear headings and organised sections are easier for AI to interpret.
3. Publish helpful content
Blog posts, guides and practical articles help demonstrate expertise in a topic. AI tools often reference websites that consistently explain concepts clearly.
4. Include case studies or real examples
Real examples help AI systems understand how your services work in practice. Case studies also reinforce credibility.
5. Make your website easy to understand
The simpler and clearer your website is, the easier it is for both humans and AI systems to interpret it.
The New Question for Businesses
As AI tools become more widely used, an interesting question is emerging.
If someone asked an AI tool about your industry today, would your business appear in the answer?
And more importantly — would the AI understand what your business actually does?
Many websites were built with traditional search engines in mind. But AI systems interact with websites differently, relying heavily on clarity, structure and context.
The Bottom Line
Whether we call it SEO, AIO, GEO or something else entirely, the core principle hasn’t really changed. Businesses that clearly explain what they do and demonstrate real expertise will always be easier to find. The technology is evolving, but the fundamentals of good communication still apply. And for small businesses, that’s actually good news.
Free AI Search Visibility Check
TAM is now offering a free AI Search Visibility Check for a limited number of small businesses. If you're curious about how AI currently interpret your website, I’ll run a quick analysis and send you a short summary including:
• whether your website appears in AI-generated answers
• simple improvements that will increase your visibility
• how clearly your services are understood
• whether AI understands what your business does• whether AI understands what your business does
If you'd like to take part, simply send me your website via the contact form and we will get back to you within 1-2 business days and show you how your website ranks.
We would love to hear from you!
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