SEO and AI: strategies to optimize your website
With the rise of artificial intelligence in search engines, the way your website is found (and ranked) is changing rapidly.
Now, it’s not enough to have well-placed keywords. Now, your content needs to make sense in a broader context, be useful to users, and be optimized for the new generation of AI-assisted searches.
But what are the new rules of the game? And how can you ensure that your platform remains relevant? Let’s dive in!
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept in the daily lives of all online users, especially in the searches we make. But how do search engines use AI, and how does it impact SEO?
Today, advanced algorithms like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and RankBrain analyze each search with an unprecedented level of depth. Instead of just identifying keywords, these systems can interpret intent, context, and relevance.
Here’s what happens when someone performs a Google search:
1️⃣ Understanding intent – AI doesn’t just see the words you type; it tries to understand what you really want to know. A search for “best running shoes” can have different intentions: comparing brands, finding discounts, or learning about cushioning technology.
2️⃣ Context analysis – Search engines no longer look at individual pages in isolation. They analyze your entire website, brand authority, user experience, and even recent trends.
3️⃣ Optimized answer generation – More and more, search engines use AI to create direct answers at the top of the results, eliminating the need for users to click on links. This means your content must be structured clearly and objectively to be featured.
Welcome to the era of smart content
If you still think SEO is just about scattering keywords across your website, we have a problem. With AI, search engines analyze each page as a whole. They’re not just looking for the keyword “best running shoes” — they want to understand if your article answers the right questions, is well-structured, and genuinely helps the user.
How can you do this in practice?
✅ Write for people, but structure for machines – Use clear headings, lists, and well-organized content.
✅ Provide complete answers – AI-powered search engines prefer content that fully resolves queries without requiring further searches.
✅ Connect concepts – Use synonyms and related topics to enhance the semantic understanding of your website.
A new search language
Did you know that more and more searches are being conducted in a conversational tone? With the rise of voice search and virtual assistants, search engines now prioritize natural questions and direct answers.
Going back to our initial example, this means that phrases like “best running shoes 2025” are being replaced by questions like “What are the best shoes for long-distance running?”
A simple strategy? Create content in a question-and-answer format. Use more natural phrasing and answer queries as if you were speaking to someone. You can also create smart FAQs, structuring content in a Q&A format to increase the chances of appearing in featured snippets.
UX and SEO: the duo that will define your ranking
Technical SEO and UX were never separate worlds. But now, they are more interconnected than ever. AI evaluates how users interact with your website and uses those signals to determine whether it’s worth displaying in search results.
For example, if a user enters your site and leaves after five seconds, AI understands that something is wrong. So, your mission is to ensure that every visitor has a flawless experience:
✅ Speed matters (a lot!) – Slow websites are penalized because they harm the user experience.
✅ Engagement counts – AI analyzes time on page, clicks, and scroll depth to understand user involvement.
✅ Mobile-first is not optional – If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re losing relevance.
Structured data and technical SEO for AI
You can have the best content in the world, but if search engines can’t interpret it correctly, you won’t get anywhere. And this is where technical SEO comes in.
Search engines use AI to understand your website, but they need structure. This means that elements such as schema markup, well-organized internal links and a fast, responsive website are essential to ensure that your content is indexed well.
Another essential point? Make sure you don’t have errors such as chain redirects, orphan pages or duplicate content. AI loves organization – if your website is well structured, it will reward you.
Visual search: the new SEO frontier
If you think search is still dominated by text, think again. Visual search is growing rapidly, and AI can now identify and categorize images with incredible precision.
This means that optimizing images is no longer just an “extra”—it’s essential.
- Start by giving strategic names to files (forget “image123.jpg”), and use descriptive alternative text (alt text).
- If you have videos, optimize file sizes to ensure fast loading times.
- Make sure images are lightweight and quick to load, especially on mobile.
If AI can “read” your images, your content has a much higher chance of being suggested.
The future of SEO: what to expect and how to prepare
So, where are we headed? Here are some trends to keep on your radar:
- Zero-click searches will increase.
Search engines want to answer questions directly—without users having to leave the results page. - Voice search will continue to grow.
SEO strategies must include more natural and direct answers. - AI will predict user intent.
Search engines will become increasingly precise in understanding what users want—even before they explicitly say it.
What does this mean for you? That SEO has never been more challenging, but it has also never been so full of opportunities.
