Your website isn’t just being checked out by humans anymore. It’s getting visits from artificial intelligence—no, not the robot apocalypse kind. More like research assistants and nosy little bots peeking through your pages, deciding whether you’re worth recommending.
So here’s the big question for today:
Is your website AI-friendly?
This isn’t just tech talk. It’s about making sure your future customers can find you—because increasingly, they’re asking AI tools for help choosing who to hire, what to buy, or where to go.
Meet Your New Visitors
There are two kinds of AI that “visit” your website:
- AI Bots (Web Crawlers):
These are like digital vacuum cleaners sucking up every bit of info they can for training. Think of them as the AI version of that nosy neighbor who notices when you switch brands of fertilizer. - AI Agents (Virtual Task Doers):
These are smarter tools acting like humans—browsing sites, filling out forms, even making purchases on behalf of a real person. Not common yet, but they’re coming fast.
So the big idea?
Your future customer might never even visit your website themselves. AI might visit for them. Will it understand what you do? Will it recommend you? That depends on what it finds.
1. AI Visitors Can’t Guess What You Do
Make it crystal clear.
Humans scan, skim, and bounce. So we use clever copy, short headlines, and shiny visuals.
But AI? It reads every single word. No scanning. No skimming. No eye rolls.
If your services are hidden behind cute catchphrases or vague generalities, AI might miss the point.
Here’s what needs to be plainly spelled out—yes, in text:
- Every service you offer (and what you specialize in)
- Who you help (industries, job titles, company sizes)
- Where you work (geography)
- Credentials and certifications (don’t just flash the badge, write it out!)
- Who’s doing the work (size of team, experience, qualifications)
Tip: Have a page for each service you offer. That’s great for SEO, too.
2. AI Can’t See Your Images
Yes, even the fancy infographics.
If your key info is trapped inside an image (like a graphic that says “Certified HVAC Technician”), the AI will walk right past it, totally clueless.
Put it in text. Always. And while you’re at it, describe those images clearly with alt text—good for AI and for people using screen readers.
3. AI Doesn’t Watch Your Videos
That beautiful company video you spent days producing? AI’s not watching. It just sees an empty video box.
So if you’ve buried important info in a video, make sure that same content is also written on the page.
Want a shortcut? Use a transcript tool, pull out the key points, and paste those into a summary paragraph right below the video.
Add a few bullet points. Maybe a call to action. Boom. Human-friendly and AI-friendly.
4. AI Can’t Read Between the Lines
Make an “AI Summary” Page
Consider adding a page just for AI training. Seriously. Put a link in your footer, like you do for your Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.
This “AI Summary” should include:
- Who you are
- What you do (in detail)
- Who you serve
- Where you operate
- Credentials, awards, certifications
- A bit about your team
- Contact info
Add schema markup (a bit of structured code that helps machines understand the content). This helps both AI and search engines.
5. AI Doesn’t Know You’re Better Than Competitors
Unless you tell it.
A comparison page can help here. Not one that just says “We’re awesome.” Instead, layout:
- What sets you apart
- What your competitors offer (briefly)
- Why clients choose you
- A paragraph of your advantages with relevant keywords
- Bonus: cite some glowing reviews
It’s helpful for humans. But it also teaches AI how to place you on the leaderboard.
6. AI Struggles With Fancy Website Features
If content only appears after clicking, hovering, or opening a dropdown, AI might never see it.
AI bots read raw HTML. So if your site relies heavily on JavaScript to load content, the bots might miss entire sections.
So go light on carousels, accordions, pop-ups, and tricky navigation. Simplicity wins.
7. You Can’t See AI Traffic (Yet)
Google Analytics doesn’t clearly show traffic from AI referrals. But it’s there.
Set up a GA4 exploration to track known AI sources—Bing AI, Perplexity, You.com, etc. You won’t catch everything (some will show as “direct” traffic), but it’s a start.
As for the super sneaky AI agents doing research or submitting forms? They don’t accept cookies, so GA4 doesn’t log them properly. But they do show up in your server logs.
If you’re a techy type, dig into those logs. If you’re not, ask your developer.
8. Your Contact Form Isn’t AI-Ready
Add “AI” as an option in your “How did you hear about us?” dropdown.
If people are finding you through ChatGPT or another AI tool, you’ll want to know. It also helps you understand what they were asking—and how they describe their problem.
Better insights = better marketing.
So, Is Your Site Ready for AI?
Let’s be real. This isn’t urgent like a customer yelling on the phone. But it is inevitable.
The businesses that adapted late to having a website… fell behind.
The ones that were slow to mobile or SEO… fell behind.
Now, it’s AI’s turn.
Start by:
- Adding detailed service pages
- Writing clean, readable descriptions
- Making sure all visuals and videos have corresponding text
- Creating an AI-friendly page (summary + schema)
- Updating your analytics and contact form to track AI referrals
It’s not about gaming the system. It’s about showing up for your future customers—whether they come with a mouse or a machine.
Bonus Section: Supercharging Your Website for AI (and Humans, Too)
You’re already ahead of the game just thinking about AI visitors. Now let’s take it a step further with these next-level tips and tools. This is your digital edge — the kind that doesn’t require a 10-person IT department or an engineering degree.
Bonus 1: Train AI with Your Own Content
Just like a puppy, AI learns from what it’s fed.
If you have high-quality guides, blog posts, FAQs, or knowledge base articles, make sure they’re:
- Well-organized
- Published on your domain
- In plain HTML (not PDFs or slideshows)
If it’s hiding in a PDF download or behind a login, the AI probably won’t see it. Move it onto a public-facing webpage whenever possible.
Pro Tip: Add a quick “summary box” at the top of long articles. This helps AI (and humans) grasp the key info fast.
Bonus 2: Build an FAQ Page — But Make It Smart
AI loves Q&A formats. They’re easy to parse, great for voice search, and ideal for training AI models.
But don’t just ask “What do you do?” and answer “Stuff.”
Think of questions your actual customers ask, like:
- “How long does it take to install [your product]?”
- “Do you work with non-profits/schools/government?”
- “What’s included in your monthly fee?”
- “Do you offer rush jobs?”
Add schema markup (Q&A or FAQ schema) to those questions. You can ask your web person about this — or copy a working example from another website’s page source.
Bonus 3: Own Your Brand Voice Online
AI doesn’t just look at your website — it scrapes everything it can find.
That includes:
- Online reviews (Yelp, Google, industry-specific platforms)
- Press mentions
- LinkedIn profiles
- Social media posts and replies
- Third-party directory listings
Your homework:
- Update your business listings — everywhere.
- Respond to reviews — especially the positive ones. That’s content, too.
- Use the same language across platforms. If you describe yourself as “Ohio’s most reliable plumbing contractor” in one place, say it everywhere.
Think of it like brand SEO — consistency builds credibility for humans and AI.
Bonus 4: Create a Knowledge Hub (aka Content Library)
Instead of scattering articles, guides, how-to’s, and case studies across your blog like digital breadcrumbs, gather them into a centralized “Knowledge Hub” or “Resource Center.”
Benefits:
- Helps AI understand the depth of your expertise
- Improves internal linking
- Enhances trust for first-time visitors
- Provides better SEO structure
Structure it by category (e.g., by service or industry), and include a short summary for each piece of content. Think of this like the “Study Guide” version of your website.
Bonus 5: Monitor What AI Says About You
Want to know what AI already thinks of your business?
Ask it.
Use ChatGPT, Bing AI, or Perplexity and try prompts like:
- “What are the top [industry] providers in [your region]?”
- “Who offers [your service] for [specific audience]?”
- “What do customers say about [your business name]?”
This is your AI reputation snapshot. If it mentions you—great! If not, you’ve got work to do. And if it says something weird, that’s a red flag you should correct.
Bonus 6: Make Your People Pages Shine
If you list your team online (bios, leadership, staff), make sure the info includes:
- Full names
- Roles and specialties
- Credentials
- Notable achievements
- Awards, certifications, licenses
AI doesn’t know that “Amy is a rockstar” means “Amy is a licensed CPA with 10 years of nonprofit finance experience.” Spell it out in plain English.
Bonus: this helps your credibility, SEO, and customer trust. Win-win-win.
Bonus 7: Embrace AI Tools — Internally
Being AI-ready isn’t just about what bots see. It’s also about how you leverage AI inside your business.
Here are ways to start using AI tools (without breaking anything):
- AI summaries of long calls or emails (use tools like Otter, Fireflies, or Descript)
- Drafting service pages or product descriptions
- Brainstorming blog topics or FAQs
- Summarizing customer reviews into patterns or themes
- Generating alt text for images
You don’t have to be a tech wizard. Just treat AI like a junior assistant who writes fast but needs a little supervision.
Final Thoughts: Stay Curious
This AI wave isn’t going away. The good news? You don’t need to completely redesign your website or hire a fleet of data scientists. Just take small, smart steps.
- Clean up your content
- Get detailed about what you do
- Speak the language of both people and machines
And most importantly?
Keep showing up.
Because while AI is powerful, your story, services, and customer experience still matter the most.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Your Website AI-Friendly
Why should I care if AI visits my website
Because future customers are using AI to find businesses like yours. They’re asking tools like ChatGPT for recommendations, and those tools are reading your website (and others) to decide who to suggest. If your website isn’t clear and detailed, you may never show up in the conversation.
What kind of AI is visiting my website
There are two types:
- AI bots – These scan your site to learn more about your business. Think of them like researchers collecting data.
- AI agents – These are smarter tools that might actually browse your site, fill out forms, or make decisions on someone’s behalf. They’re like digital assistants working for your future customers.
How do I make sure AI understands what my business does
Make sure your website clearly spells out:
- What you do
- Who you help
- Where you work
- What your specialties are
- Any licenses or certifications you have
Don’t rely on vague headlines or pretty pictures. AI reads the details, not the design.
Can AI read images or watch videos on my website
Nope. AI can’t “see” pictures or watch videos like people can. So if you’ve got important info in a graphic or video, also put that info into plain text on the page.
What’s an ‘AI training page’ and do I need one
An AI training page is a simple summary of everything you want AI (and people) to know about your business. It includes:
- Services
- Industries you serve
- Credentials
- Who you are
- Contact info
Think of it like a digital cheat sheet for your business. Link to it in your footer next to your Privacy Policy.
Does my contact form need to change
Yes — just a little. Add “AI” or “ChatGPT” as an option for “How did you hear about us?” That way, you can start tracking leads that come from AI tools.
Can I see how much traffic I’m getting from AI
Sort of. You can use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to create a report showing referral traffic from known AI sources. It won’t catch everything (some will show up as “direct”), but it’s a start.
Are fancy website features a problem for AI
Sometimes, yes. Features like tabs, dropdowns, pop-ups, and animations often hide content from AI. If important info only shows up when someone clicks or hovers, AI might miss it completely. Keep the most important stuff in plain view.
What’s schema and why does it matter
Schema is a type of code that labels your content (like “this is our address” or “this is a service we offer”). It helps AI and search engines better understand your site. You don’t have to write it yourself — your web developer or platform (like WordPress or Squarespace) can usually add it for you.
How can I tell if AI is already recommending me
Ask it. Literally. Open ChatGPT, Bing, or another AI and ask something like:
- “Who are the top [your industry] companies in [your area]?”
If you’re not mentioned, that’s your sign to start improving your AI visibility.
Should I compare myself to competitors on my website
Yes. Make a comparison page. It helps real people make decisions and helps AI understand where you fit in your industry. Just keep it honest and helpful — not just “We’re better because we say so.”
Do I need to change everything on my site
Not at all. Most businesses just need to:
- Add more detail to key pages
- Make sure text isn’t hidden in images or videos
- Create a clear summary or “AI page”
- Track traffic and leads from AI tools
- Simplify navigation and make sure important content is visible
Is this urgent
Not yet. But it’s coming fast. Businesses that get ahead of it now will have a big advantage as more customers rely on AI to find and choose who to work with.