How to adapt your website and SEO for AI search

Future-proof your web presence with a strong brand foundation

Search engine optimization has been a cornerstone of digital marketing strategy for more than two decades. But that’s all changing fast with the advent of AI.

At the start of 2025, news broke of Hubspot’s organic traffic decline (6 million fewer blog visitors in 5 months). Blame was placed on Google's AI Overviews and core updates, diluted topical authority, and potentially some internal strategic decisions. If content marketing pros like Hubspot are feeling the pain, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Plenty. SEO isn’t dead. It’s just different now. Two big trends are driving the shift:

• Google’s zero-click experience
• The rise of the LLM chatbots

So, how can marketers and brand leaders respond to these disruptions and build audience growth in the era of AI search? The heart of your strategy depends on a strong foundation of core SEO, relevant content, and trust signals. One way to approach this? Build what we like to call your “brand resonance castle:”

By understanding how your differentiators align with your audience’s needs, intent, and preferred channels, you can create a multichannel marketing strategy that best positions your brand for resonance and growth.

Before we dive into solutions, let’s first look at what’s changed.

The new search landscape

Today, people are just as likely to get answers from AI chatbots or summaries at the top of a results page as they are to click a link.

Zero-click search is surging:

• 60% of Google searches result in no click. (SEMrush)
• AI Overviews reduce CTRs for top-ranking pages by 34.5%. (Ahrefs)
• AIOs now appear in 19% of queries — and growing. (Alphabet Q1 2025)

Meanwhile, LLM-based tools are gaining ground:

• ChatGPT: 600M Monthly Active Users (March 2025)
• MetaAI: 500M
• Gemini: 350M
• And a growing share of users say these tools are their primary way to search. A survey of 1,300 Americans by Evercore analysts revealed that 8% of respondents now use ChatGPT as their primary search engine.

At the same time, people are bypassing traditional search entirely in favor of forums and social platforms. Nearly half (44%) of global internet users now use social media to research brands. (SEJ)

Keep in mind that Google is still very much king — for now. There are 14 billion searches on Google per day vs. 38 million for ChatGPT. Cracking Google’s dominance will require a significant shift in value perception and behavior change, but that’s what all great disruptions are about. Remember Skype?

What you can do: A strong brand is your moat

In a search landscape where AI is changing how people find and evaluate information, a strong brand is more important than ever. It acts like a moat, creating recognition, trust, and loyalty that can’t easily be disrupted by shifting algorithms or new platforms.
TL; DR: Make it easy for humans and AI to understand your brand, cast a wide net, and focus on building trust and community.

Step 1: Fortify your SEO foundation

As long as people continue to search for information on digital platforms, optimization of your website remains critical. You’ll still need to meet your audience’s expectations for an easy-to-understand user experience. Plus, AI models train on indexed web content.

• Ensure content structure is intuitive. Optimize headers, subheads, and bulleted and numbered lists for readability.
• Leverage schema markup. Structured data helps search engines to read and index your content in results and rich features. (such as FAQ schema for question-based content)
• Content should be concise, conversational, helpful, and up-to-date. While traditional search is about being “found,” AI search is about being “understood.” Put the most important information higher up on the page.

Step 2: Target long-tail queries

Unless you are a major brand, the SEO strategy of competing for broad keywords with simple, informational content falls short today because it doesn’t drive qualified traffic. Targeting buyers with long-tail keywords based on intent can attract more qualified leads.

• Think like a prompt. The average Google search query is 4.2 words long. The average ChatGPT prompt is 23 words long. (SEMrush)
• Long-tail keywords are generally 3-5 words. These have less competition and allow you to niche down. Use natural, conversational language.
• Cluster and map keyword intent around topics that deeply align with your target audience’s needs and behaviors.
• Forget “how-to” content if your goal is ROI. Focus on middle- and bottom-funnel queries that will drive conversions. (ex: “Why CFOs are Partnering with Marketing Consultancies to Boost Pipeline”)

Step 3: Optimize content for AIOs & LLMs

So, what types of content are AI Overviews and LLMs pulling from? It’s still early days, but some tactics are working better than others.

• Optimize for brand mentions. Branded search results are still one surefire way to measure brand performance. Users searching for your brand are indicating intent and awareness. Create compelling content that emphasizes your differentiators and answers their questions.
• Listicles and comparisons tend to work well for brand mentions. Create your own to give your brand the power to influence the response. Be sure to include pricing to boost your chances of being selected by AI.
• Create more opinion-based content. AI can’t share personal thoughts, real-world situations, or feelings like humans (yet), so that’s where POV-driven content can stand out. (i.e., “I tried these 5 marketing tools — here’s my favorite”)
• Optimize visual content. Images and videos are being pulled into AIOs and featured snippets and play a vital role in search visibility. For best results, be sure to include brand logos on the thumbnail and optimize captions, alt text, and structured metadata.

Step 4: Keep E-E-A-T-ing and build trust

Google and AI models evaluate the quality of content based on Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.

• Show first-hand experience and original insight through interviews, industry research, and case studies.
• Boost the profiles of your content authors and brand leaders with bios, awards, industry mentions, verified credentials, quotes, and citations.
• Get brand mentions and backlinks from influential, authoritative, third-party sources. External mentions strengthen your brand perception. Utilize PR and monitor brand mentions on social and other forums to ensure a positive reputation.
• Invest in user-generated content. Can you get people talking and sharing content about your brand? Real-life insights and recommendations are more trustworthy than AI-generated content.

Bonus step: Build your community

Reduce dependence on Google and diversify where your traffic comes from by showing up on multiple platforms and growing a loyal community. Collect first-party data to engage your audience with compelling experiences like newsletters, exclusive content, and virtual and in-person events.

The bottom line: The more direct relationships you build, the more control you have over your audience, your message, and your long-term growth.

AI is reshaping how people search — but it’s not the end of SEO. It’s the beginning of a new era where brand, authority, and adaptability matter more than ever.