How to Show Up in AI Search Results: A Checklist

AI can feel like a black box, and when it evolves as quickly as it does, it can be hard to keep up. But if you want to stay relevant with new technology, you’ll need to know the SEO-for-AI basics. Let’s start with some common questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About SEO for Gen AI

What is SEO for AI?

SEO for AI is the practice of optimizing your website and content so it can be easily understood and cited by AI tools — like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, or Perplexity. It goes beyond traditional SEO by focusing on clarity, structure, credibility, and usefulness — all of which help AI models pull your content into summaries and answers.

Should I be optimizing my site for AI?

AI-first SEO is an approach to content and website strategy that considers how AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Overviews) interpret and surface information. If you want to stay visible as search evolves, yes — you should start now.

Will optimizing for AI hurt my traditional SEO rankings?

Not if you do it right. In fact, many best practices for AI optimization — like writing clearly, using structured data, and focusing on intent — overlap with traditional SEO. If anything, optimizing for AI just future-proofs your content.

Can I optimize my website for AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews?

Yes — and you should. One of our Golden Rules is “Build Your Site for Humans and Robots” for a reason. While traditional SEO focuses on search engines like Google and Bing, optimizing for AI tools means structuring your content so it can be easily understood, summarized, and cited by large language models (LLMs). That means writing clearly, using structured data, and backing up claims with trusted sources.

How do I rank in AI search results (like AI Overviews)?

To rank in AI-generated summaries, your content needs to be accurate, well-structured, and focused on user intent. Use clear headings, answer questions directly, and link to authoritative sources. AI pulls from high-trust, well-optimized pages — so strong technical SEO, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) signals, and content clarity all matter more than ever.

What types of content perform best in AI search results?

Content that answers specific questions, explains concepts clearly, and stays up to date tends to perform well. FAQ sections, how-to guides, comparison pages, and definitions often get featured. AI tools prioritize concise, helpful, and well-organized information over fluff or keyword stuffing.

Do structured data and schema markup help with AI visibility?

Yes. Structured data like FAQPage, Article, and Product schema helps both search engines and AI tools understand your content better. It gives LLMs more context to pull accurate answers from your site, increasing your chances of being cited or summarized in AI responses.

Should I write differently for AI-powered search?

Not entirely — but clarity is king. Write in a way that’s easy to understand, with clear answers near the top of the page. Use proper formatting (like H2s, bullet points, and short paragraphs) so AI tools can easily parse and repurpose your content in summaries or citations.

Is it better to focus on long-form or short-form content for AI search?

Both can work — but the key is structured content. Long-form articles that are broken into digestible, well-organized sections give AI tools more to work with. Use a table of contents, internal links, and clear headers so the AI can extract relevant pieces as needed. For more ideas, check out Golden Rule #16: “Develop a Content Marketing Plan.”

SEO for AI Best Practices: A Checklist

Now, for the good stuff…We’ve compiled 7 steps to help businesses improve SEO for AI overviews and answers. Follow this checklist to learn how to optimize your website for ChatGPT searches and more.

1. Content Structuring & Formatting

• Use clear headers (H1, H2, H3) to organize content
• Incorporate Q&A-style sections and FAQs
• Write with natural, conversational language
• Highlight definitions, stats, and lists for easy extraction by AI

2. Schema & Technical Markup

• Implement schema.org markup (FAQs, Articles, HowTo, Product, etc.)
• Validate schema with Google’s Rich Results Test
• Use Open Graph and Twitter Card metadata for social sharing

3. AI Search & Visibility Tactics

• Track brand mentions in Perplexity, Claude, and ChatGPT responses
• Publish expert commentary and unique perspectives regularly
• Ensure domain authority and author bios are visible and verifiable

4. Content Quality & Relevance

• Prioritize original content and first-party data
• Refresh high-traffic posts with recent updates and sources
• Avoid over-optimization or keyword stuffing
• Ensure content answers the intent behind queries clearly

5. Entity Building & Brand Signals

• Create or optimize a Google Knowledge Panel
• Maintain consistent online business information across various channels like Google, Bing, and third-party listings
• Use structured author pages for content creators with bios and links to other work

6. Performance Monitoring & Experimentation

• Monitor traffic from AI-driven search tools (as tracking becomes available)
• Run experiments with AI-driven titles, summaries, and snippets
• Monitor featured snippet and “People Also Ask” performance

7. Future-Proofing & Learning

• Stay current with changes to AI tools’ browsing and source attribution behavior
• Subscribe to trusted SAO/SEO newsletters (e.g., Aleyda Solis, Search Engine Roundtable)
• Conduct quarterly reviews of AI/SEO performance and strategy shifts

For more best practices to follow, check out our 20 Golden Rules of smarter working websites.