So some websites don't show up in AI search results (how to fix this)

Following on from my previous post...

When I tried to pull up those 17 independent brands and only 9 of their details pulled through it really got me thinking...WHY? The reset all had websites and social accounts that existed, but they were buried. It's not that they didn't exist, it's just that search engines and AI assistants couldn't confidently connect the dots. If machines cannot find you then your customers probably won't either, your competitor will come up instead.

Here are the core reasons why some website stay invisible till they are optimised.

Name ambiguity

Some brand names overlap with other industries, products or even everyday words. Unless the exact URL is strongly indexed, search turns into a haystack. Eg. Linné Clothing (the dreamiest Swedish brand) was overshadowed by Linné Botanicals (a skincare brand with better SEO).

Low authority or younger domains

Search engines rank website with strong backlinks, consistent press mentions, good socials post keywords and regular updates higher. Newer independent brands often do not have that digital reputation yet, so their websites whisper instead of shout online. Backlinks is a whole other topic, which I'll let you research yourself.

Social First brands

Some brands build their presence primarily on social channels. Without a well-linked domain to anchor them, their websites disappear in to the algorithm ether. This is the case with LInné Clothing. Heavy socials, no proper domain to anchor the name.

Technical SEO gaps

If a homepage metadata says 'Welcome to our website' instead of 'Nomad Design | Artisan homewares' you can guarantee you are not going to be ranked. Crawlers like Google Search Console do not know what to associate your copy and metadata with . Missing metadata, yes alt tags matter, poor structure or no schemea markup all make you harder to find.

LLMs are not live web indexes

AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.ai do not crawl the web directly, they rely on what Reddit, Google and Bing brings up. Trusty Google still matters. If you website is buried there it is invisible to AI generative search too.

How to fix it

Be unambiguous: add context, make the H1 tag on your homepage matter, keep the keywords on your socials consistent with those on your website.
Build authority: get listed in directories, secure backlinks, put yourself out there and do guest posts on other folks' blogs, get your name in the digital press ecosystem and update your website regularly!
Anchor your socials: link clearly between platforms and your website, use your keywords (if you worked with me you will have a list of long and short in your GD folder).
Fix the basics: metadata, schema, alt text on images, test your site speed in Lighthouse and figure our which images or videos are HUGE, compress these in Lightroom.
Use an accessibility checker like Accessibility Checker to see where you can improve on your user experience.
Treat your visibility as an ongoing task on your business' to do list: optimisation takes time.

Your brand is most definitely brilliant, that is not the hurdle. It is just that machines do not understand it yet. To solve this, speak their language as clearly as you speak your customer's.

Homework checklist for you folks:

Google Search Console

Ahrefs

Lighthouse

Accessibility Checker

Claude.ai

Linné Botanicals

Linné Clothing

At Folklore we design and optimise sites that cut through the noise so both humans and AI agent know who you are, what you do and what you need to be found for.