Recently, whilst doing some research with potential clients I wanted to get in touch with, I asked ChatGPT to find the website and Instagram accounts of 70 independent brands. Out of that list, only came through with clear results. The rest are MIA, not because they don't exist, but because their websites aren't being surfaced by search engines or LLMs (large language models like Claude.ai and ChatGPT). That moment crystallised something for me. It is something I have been thinking about for the past six months, if a brand's website is not set up to be found by AI it risks being invisible.
People are not just typing three or four keywords into Google anymore. They are asking AI assistance full sentence questions like: 'What's the best sustainable wallpaper brand in the UK?' or "Show me a list of companies that sell organic floral print linen by the metre." research shows that queries to AI are averaging 26 words rather than the traditional 3 to 8 keywords. That means your website needs to provide enough structured, clear information for machines to understand and recommend you actually.
What does AI-ready mean?
An AI-ready Website is one at both people and machines can understand clearly. It signals who you are, what you sell and why you matter in a way that structured, consistent and easy to index.
That means:
- Clear metadata: yep all those images you haven't named...name them. Page titles and meta descriptions that all explain your brand, not just Homepage or Welcome Page.
- Structured data: schema markup that tells machines you are a homewares brand based in England, you sell hand painted products and you also work with interior designers. Or, you are a jewellery brand that specialises in old-mined diamonds.
- Consistency across all platforms in your digital ecosystem: this means your brand name, your socials and any mentions in any digital content online, all point to the same story and name.
- Fast, access accessible, clean design: because slow, messy sites get penalised by both people and machines.
- Ongoing optimisation: your website journey doesn't end when we launch your website, this is just the beginning.
Why this matters more than ever
When an AI scans the web, it does not look at your website. It cross examines information across multiple touch points, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, Wikipedia etc. It looks at your homepage, your Instagram bio and your post content keywords, any PR mentioned, your stockist listings etc. and any backlinks to your website. If there are gaps, inconsistencies or you have generic, vague messaging anywhere, your brand risks being excluded from AI generated recommendations altogether. Consistency and clarity are key folks!
Being invisible does not just mean fewer clicks, it means missing out on whole conversions where your ideal customers are looking for someone exactly like you.
Building versus optimising
There are two routes to becoming AI-ready:
- Designing from scratch: Build a website with AI Discover ability designed and written in from the get-go. From the way the site is structured to the way the meta data is written, every single decision we make will support both people and machines to help them understanding who you are.
- Optimising, what you already have: if your website is live, but it's under performing, optimisation can get it back on track. This includes optimising your entire digital ecosystem in order to generate a consistent picture for the AI.
The future of discoverability
Being AI-ready is not about chasing the hype. It's about clarity. A website that clearly communicates who you are, what you sell and why you matter will help you rise at the top, whether it's a human or a machine doing searching.
Work with us to design or optimise your website, with a solid foundation your brand has a better chance of thriving in the new www. digital ecosystem.
