How to check if your website is ready for AI search a practical SEO checklist

What does it actually mean for a website to be ready for AI search?

There is no separate set of SEO foundations designed exclusively for AI-powered search.

For Google, the situation is relatively clear: AI Overviews and AI Mode are rooted in Google Search’s core ranking and quality systems.

This means that factors such as crawler accessibility, indexing, clear site architecture, useful content and proper relationships between pages continue to matter.^[1]

What is changing is the way users can reach information.

Instead of moving through several search results one by one, a user may receive a detailed answer built from multiple sources and only then visit one of the referenced websites.

Google describes, among other mechanisms, query fan-out, where the system can issue multiple related searches in parallel to gather information needed to answer a more complex question.^[1]

This is one reason to look beyond a single keyword and a single URL.

A website should clearly communicate:

• what the company does;
• which services it provides;
• which areas it has expertise in;
• who is responsible for the published information;
• how individual topics relate to each other;
• where the primary source of information about a particular service or topic is located.

1. Check whether search systems can access the content in the first place

Before thinking about answer formats, schema or paragraph structure, check whether the most important pages can actually be discovered, fetched and indexed correctly.

Google’s guidance for generative Search continues to identify crawlability as one of the fundamental elements website owners should control.^[1]

• important pages return HTTP 200
• important pages do not contain an accidental noindex
• canonical points to the correct URL
• robots.txt does not block parts of the website that should be accessible
• the sitemap contains current canonical URLs
• important content is accessible to crawlers rather than requiring unusual user interaction
• JavaScript does not prevent access to key page content
• a firewall or CDN does not block crawlers that the website owner intends to allow

For ChatGPT search, it is also worth checking OAI-SearchBot.

OpenAI states that if content is to be discovered, included in summaries and clearly cited in ChatGPT search, the website should not block OAI-SearchBot.^[2]

That does not mean that allowing the crawler guarantees inclusion in a particular answer.

It is a technical prerequisite, not a ranking mechanism.

It is also worth being precise: OpenAI notes that a URL blocked from crawling may in some situations still be discovered from another source and surfaced only as a link and page title.^[2]

See also: SEO audit.

2. Organise your information architecture

A good website should make it clear which URL is the primary source of information about a particular service or topic.

Problems arise when several pages attempt to answer almost the same question.

For example, a company might have:

• a service page;
• several very similar articles;
• local landing pages;
• an older version of the offer;
• a category containing almost the same information.

From a traditional SEO perspective, this can lead to fragmented signals, unnecessary duplication and uncertainty about which page should address a particular search intent.

In its current guidance for generative Search, Google also recommends reducing duplicate content, including because duplication can create a poor user experience and waste crawling resources.^[1]

There is no need to invent a new theory of “AI cannibalisation”.

At its core, this remains a problem of website architecture and overall site quality.

What should you check?

• whether every key service has one primary location on the website;
• whether articles expand on a topic rather than copying the service page;
• whether internal linking clearly shows relationships between topics;
• whether old and new content compete with each other;
• whether service naming is consistent throughout the website.

See also: SEO services.

3. Give specific answers instead of relying on generic marketing language

One of the most common problems with company websites is not a lack of text, but a lack of information.

A long description can still say very little if it consists mainly of generic marketing claims.

The second version gives the reader far more concrete information.

They do not have to guess what “comprehensive solutions” actually means.

This principle remains useful regardless of whether the content reaches someone through a traditional search result, an AI Overview, ChatGPT or a direct visit to the website.

What does GEO research tell us?

In the paper “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization”, published in the proceedings of KDD 2024, the authors tested different content modifications in a generative-engine environment.

Within their experimental setup, some techniques increased the authors’ defined measure of source visibility by up to around 40%.^[4]

That result should not be interpreted as meaning that applying one specific technique will increase traffic from Google AI Mode or citations in ChatGPT by 40%.

The study examined a particular experimental environment and a specific stage of answer generation.

A more recent critical survey of GEO research points out that results are highly dependent on the platform, pipeline stage, query and measurement method.

The survey found no single reviewed technique with a demonstrated stable, longitudinal and cross-platform causal effect on organic discoverability or downstream user behaviour.^[5]

What is worth adding to content?

• direct definitions;
• answers to real customer questions;
• descriptions of processes;
• conditions and limitations;
• examples;
• comparisons;
• specific information based on genuine company experience;
• sources, where a claim can be supported by reliable evidence.

This does not mean that every page should become an FAQ or that every paragraph should answer an artificially generated question.

Google’s current guidance explicitly advises against rewriting content solely to make it appear optimised for generative systems.^[1]

Content should still be written primarily for people.

4. Make it clear who is behind the website and its content

A company website should make it easy to understand:

• which company operates the website;
• what the company does;
• how long it has been operating;
• how users can contact it;
• who is responsible for particular areas of expertise;
• what experience those people have;
• how the company’s services relate to the published content.

This does not mean adding a large collection of branding elements to every page.

The point is consistency.

The homepage, About page, service pages, structured data and information published elsewhere should not present several different versions of the same company.

See also: About IT Holding.

5. Schema can describe content, but it does not replace it

Structured data can help describe parts of a page more explicitly.

It should not, however, contain information that users cannot find in the actual website content.

In the context of generative Google Search, it is also worth clearing up one common misconception:

there is no special schema.org type that needs to be implemented to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Google explicitly states that structured data is not required for generative Search and that there is no special schema markup designed specifically for those features.^[1]

In practice, it is better to implement a smaller amount of accurate structured data than to build an extensive graph describing elements that do not actually exist on the page.

6. Authority is also built outside your own domain

A company can write on its own website that it is an expert in any field.

That is still only one source of information.

A brand’s wider presence also includes material published outside its own website:

• relevant backlinks;
• industry publications;
• local sources;
• brand mentions;
• expert commentary;
• profiles and directories that genuinely matter within a particular industry.

This should not be simplified into a rule such as:

“more mentions = more AI citations”.

There is currently no reliable universal relationship that would justify making such a promise.

Google’s official guidance also warns against seeking inauthentic mentions simply to manipulate generative Search features.^[1]

As with traditional link building, the number of references alone is less important than whether the source is genuine, topically relevant and useful to people.

See also: Link Building.

7. llms.txt is not a magic visibility switch

Many new formats, files and names have appeared around AI search visibility.

One of them is llms.txt.

Such a file can serve as a simple, structured description of a website for systems that choose to use it.

For Google, however, the situation is clear.

Google Search does not use llms.txt or other special AI text files to improve visibility in either traditional or generative search results.^[1]

Google also clarifies that maintaining an llms.txt file neither helps nor harms a website’s visibility or rankings.^[1]

This clarification was also widely reported by independent industry media, including Search Engine Land.^[7]

# IT Holding

> SEO agency based in Warsaw, operating since 2008.

## Services

- SEO
- SEO Audit
- Link Building
- SEO & AI

If we implement such a file, we treat it as an additional resource for systems that genuinely decide to support the format.

We do not treat it as a method of “submitting a website to Google AI”.

8. Measure the results, but do not look for one universal “AI ranking”

Traditional SEO has accustomed us to monitoring positions for specific queries.

Generative answers are less straightforward.

An answer can vary depending on:

• how the question is phrased;
• additional context;
• follow-up questions;
• sources currently being used;
• changes to the system itself.

That does not mean that visibility in generative Search cannot be measured at all.

Since June 2026, Google has been gradually rolling out a dedicated Generative AI performance report in Search Console.^[3]

The report covers visibility in features including:

• AI Overviews;
• AI Mode;
• generative features in Discover.

Google provides data including:

• impressions;
• pages;
• countries;
• devices;
• performance over time.

The report is still being rolled out gradually and is not available to every website.^[3]

Current coverage also does not provide a separate report of clicks from generative answers.^[6]

It should therefore not be treated as a complete answer to the question of how much traffic or how many customers AI features generated.

What else can you monitor?

• standard Google Search Console data;
• visits to specific landing pages;
• referral traffic from AI platforms;
• leads and conversions;
• manually selected, commercially relevant search scenarios.

For ChatGPT, OpenAI also makes referral analysis easier.

Links from ChatGPT search may include:

utm_source=chatgpt.com

which can help identify those visits in analytics platforms.^[2]

9. Checklist: is your website ready for new ways of searching?

• Key pages return correct HTTP status codes
• Important content is indexable
• robots.txt does not block resources and crawlers that should have access
• JavaScript does not prevent access to the main content
• Every important service has a clear primary location on the website
• Pages do not compete at scale for the same intent
• Internal linking shows relationships between topics
• Content answers real user questions clearly
• Company information is consistent
• It is clear who is responsible for published content
• Structured data matches visible page content
• The website does not rely on artificial “AI hacks”
• Important topics have appropriate authority signals
• The website is monitored in Google Search Console
• Traffic and conversions are measured, not only keyword counts
• Referral traffic from AI systems is analysed when such traffic occurs

Summary

Preparing a website for the development of AI-powered search usually begins in exactly the same place as good SEO:

technical accessibility, logical architecture and information that genuinely answers users’ needs.

Google itself emphasises that its generative Search features continue to rely on SEO foundations and that many popular “AEO/GEO hacks” do not require special implementation.^[1]

The main difference is the need to look at the website more broadly.

We are no longer considering only one keyword and one URL.

It also matters whether the website creates a coherent picture of:

• the company;
• its offer;
• its areas of expertise;
• its knowledge;
• its authors;
• relationships between topics.

There is no single change that can guarantee inclusion in AI-generated answers.

What you can do is remove barriers, organise information and develop the website so that it is easier to discover, understand and use reliably.

See how we approach SEO and AI visibility →

Frequently asked questions

Can you rank a website in ChatGPT?

There is no traditional ranking list that works in the same way as conventional Google results.

You can, however, improve technical accessibility, the quality and structure of information, consistency of company data and the authority surrounding the website.

OpenAI states that if content is to be used in summaries and snippets in ChatGPT search, the website should not block OAI-SearchBot.^[2]

That still does not guarantee inclusion in any particular answer.

Do I need separate content written specifically for AI?

No.

In many cases, improving existing content provides more value: adding specific answers, organising information, filling important gaps and removing unnecessary duplication.

Google explicitly states that content does not need to be rewritten solely for generative Search systems.^[1]

Does schema improve AI visibility?

Schema helps search systems describe parts of a page, but it is not a separate factor that guarantees visibility in AI-generated results.

Google does not require special schema.org markup for AI Overviews or AI Mode.^[1]

Do I need llms.txt?

It is not a required SEO element or a prerequisite for appearing in Google’s generative Search features.

Google Search currently does not use llms.txt to improve website visibility or rankings.^[1]

Other systems may choose to support the format.

Does traditional SEO still matter?

Yes.

Google explicitly states that its generative Search features are rooted in the core ranking and quality systems of Google Search.^[1]

Technical accessibility, indexing, site architecture, useful content and logical relationships between pages remain fundamental.