Effective website content needs to be clear, accurate and consistent with your brand’s tone of voice. But creating content that engages your audience while supporting your business goals isn’t always straightforward.

The rise of AI search adds another consideration to your digital marketing strategy. AI search tools are changing how people find and compare information online. Rather than simply presenting a list of links, they can summarise answers, compare options and recommend sources before someone even visits your website.

For content teams, there’s no secret formula that guarantees inclusion in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT or Gemini. However, the principles of good content writing still apply: content needs to be clear, specific, useful and credible enough for both people and search systems to understand.

Ofcom reported in December 2025 that around 30% of UK searches showed AI Overviews, while 53% of UK adults said they saw these summaries often. This highlights the growing importance of creating website content that supports your wider digital visibility.

What AI search tools are trying to do

AI search tools are designed to help people get to specific, useful information faster. Rather than simply showing a list of webpages for them to trawl through, they try to interpret the searcher’s query, pull together relevant information from different sources, and provide a clear response, whether that’s an answer to a question, product comparison, or summary.

That means they need to make judgements about what a webpage is about, whether it’s relevant to a query, how current it is, and whether the information appears credible enough to use.

However, they don’t always get those judgements right.

Read about getting your local business to appear in AI overviews.

How exactly do AI search tools understand content?

AI search tools don’t understand content in the same way a person does.

They can’t truly know your business, your customers, or the experience behind your claims. Instead, they analyse information to interpret what a page is about and how relevant it may be to a query. This can include the language you use, the structure of the page, the topics it covers, the sources it references, and how different pieces of information relate to one another.

For example, it is easier for a search tool to interpret a page that clearly states:

We provide payroll support for small businesses in Manchester, including monthly processing, pension administration, and HMRC reporting.

…than one that says:

Our tailored people-first solutions help ambitious organisations thrive.

The first example explains the service, audience, location, and scope. The second sounds polished, but gives very little useful context.

Being specific about your services and expertise helps readers understand what you offer while giving AI search tools clearer information to work with.

Discover Submerge’s AI and LLM visibility services.

How to write content for AI search: 7 things you need to do

AI search optimisation is sometimes made to sound more technical than it needs to be.

Although the following activities won’t guarantee your business a citation or recommendation, they can help people and AI search tools interpret your content more easily.

1. Prioritise clarity and structure

AI search tools need to interpret a page before they can use it in an answer.

If your content is vague, poorly organised, or full of broad marketing language, it becomes harder to identify what the page is actually saying. That’s also a problem for human visitors.

Potential customers shouldn’t have to work through several paragraphs of slogans before finding out the key information they need.

Google’s guidance on helpful content remains a useful benchmark here. It encourages businesses to create original, people-first material that leaves readers feeling they have learned enough to achieve their goal, rather than content written mainly to attract search traffic.

Start by making the core purpose of each page obvious:

  • State the service, product, topic, or answer early
  • Explain who the page is for
  • Use headings that signpost the information clearly
  • Avoid burying important detail beneath broad introductory copy
  • Make sure each page has one clear job to do

2. Use precise, answerable headings

Headings aren’t just design elements. When written and structured effectively, they help human readers and AI search tools identify the topics covered and understand the relationship between different sections.

A vague heading such as ‘Our approach’ may work in a brand presentation, but it tells a reader very little. A heading such as ‘How our website audit identifies technical SEO issues’ is clearer and more effective – it gives the topic, the action, and the outcome in one line. The same principle applies to question-led headings. If people are likely to search for ‘How much does a website audit cost?’ or ‘What does a technical SEO audit include?’, answer those questions directly on the page.

This doesn’t mean forcing every heading into a keyword phrase, but making each one specific enough to clearly communicate what follows. It’s also best to avoid generic phrases such as ‘More information’ or ‘Why choose us?’ without context.

3. Explain entities, context and relationships

Providing context can help AI search tools identify what a business, person, service, product or location is and how those things relate to each other.

That means being specific. Instead of saying, ‘We provide tailored support,’ you might explain what support you provide, who receives it, where it is available, and what it helps them achieve. Instead of referring vaguely to ‘our team’, name the relevant expertise, roles, or experience that supports the service.

For example, a local accountancy firm should make it clear that it provides tax planning, payroll support, and annual accounts for small businesses in a defined region, rather than stating it provides ‘a wide range of financial services’.

Before you publish a webpage, check that it clearly explains:

  • What the business, product, or service is
  • Who it’s designed for
  • Which problems it solves
  • Where it is available (if location matters)
  • How it relates to other services, products, or areas of expertise
  • What makes it relevant in a particular context

Internal linking also helps establish relationships between relevant webpages, making it easier for visitors and search engines to discover related content. Ensure important pages are linked logically throughout your website to support navigation and visibility.

4. Add evidence, sources and expert input

AI-generated answers can make people more cautious about what they read online.

The Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report found that audiences in many countries remain sceptical about AI-generated news, with people more comfortable when human involvement remains visible.

For businesses, that is an important reminder: clear claims need credible support.

Rather than just stating that you’re an experienced, trusted, or leading brand, you need to show why. Case studies, customer outcomes, reviews, named experts, first-hand experience, relevant data, useful sources, accreditations, and clear explanations of your process can all help you achieve this.

Google also asks whether content demonstrates first-hand expertise and provides original analysis rather than simply rewriting what others have already said – that should be the standard for website content too.

5. Make pages easy to summarise

A strong service page should be easy to explain in just a few sentences.

That doesn’t mean making every page short, as some topics need more depth than others. But a reader or an AI search tool should be able to identify the main answer without having to piece it together from scattered sections or long blocks of general copy.

Start with a direct summary near the top of the page, then use the rest of the content to add detail, evidence, examples, and next steps.

For example, a page about content audits should quickly explain what an audit is, who it helps, and what the process involves. It can then expand into methodology, deliverables, examples, FAQs, and pricing context as the reader scrolls further down.

Make each page easier to summarise by:

  • Opening with a direct explanation of the page’s main point
  • Placing the most important information before supporting detail
  • Explaining specialist terms if the reader may not know them
  • Including concise FAQs where they help answer common, genuine questions

6. Keep content current

AI-friendly content isn’t necessarily something you publish once and forget about. Reviewing and updating content when necessary helps ensure information remains accurate, relevant and useful.

If a page contains outdated service information, old prices, former team members, expired claims, or broken links, it can undermine its usefulness and credibility. Keeping information accurate and current helps ensure that readers and search systems have reliable information to work with.

Regular updates don’t mean changing content for the sake of looking fresh – Google specifically warns against changing dates without making meaningful improvements, as the goal is accuracy, not artificial activity.

Create a simple, regular review schedule for your core pages, particularly pages that describe services, locations, products, processes, pricing, or time-sensitive advice. You’ll want to check for broken links, outdated pricing and service information, incorrect statistics, and whether newer customer questions are being addressed.

7. Avoid thin, generic AI-written content

AI tools can be useful for research, outlining, editing, and overcoming a blank page, but publishing large volumes of generic AI-written content without expert review is unlikely to build long-term trust or useful visibility.

If a page only repeats obvious points, uses vague language, lacks real experience, or could apply equally to any business in any industry, it’s unlikely to be useful to the reader. It’s also unlikely to give search systems a strong reason to treat it as a valuable source.

According to 2026 research by Klaviyo, 32% of consumers say low-quality or generic AI content makes them trust brands less.

AI can be a useful content support tool, but don’t make the mistake of treating it like a substitute for genuine subject expertise.

Before publishing a new blog or webpage, ask yourself:

  • Could a competitor publish the same page with only the brand name changed?
  • Are the claims accurate and reviewed by someone who understands the topic?
  • Does the content answer a real audience question?
  • Is there enough evidence to support the advice?
  • Would a customer leave the page with a clearer understanding than they had before?

Alongside these content-writing principles, make sure your website is technically accessible to search engines so that important pages can be crawled and indexed.

Practical example: transforming a vague service page section

The aim of optimising a vague service page section into something AI search can easily understand and cite isn’t to stuff it with search terms and take on an overly formal tone.

Focus should be placed on replacing vague language with a clearer explanation of the service, audience, outcome, and supporting evidence.

For example, take this vague service page copy:

We provide tailored digital solutions that help ambitious businesses grow online. Our experienced team takes the time to understand your needs and create a strategy that delivers results.

It sounds positive and professional, but it leaves several questions unanswered, such as ‘what type of digital work is involved?’ and ‘which businesses does it help?’

Here’s an optimised version:

Our digital marketing strategy service helps organisations understand their current online visibility, identify opportunities for growth and prioritise the channels most likely to generate qualified demand.

We review your website, search performance, content, competitor activity and customer journey, then create a practical plan covering strategic priorities, recommended actions and measures of success.

The strategy is led by Submerge specialists and shaped around your commercial goals, rather than a generic marketing template.

The revised version is easier to understand because it explains the service, its intended audience and what customers can expect, without sacrificing the tone. This is the kind of clarity that helps readers understand the offer quickly while giving AI search tools stronger context to work with.

Learn how to make your website more AI-friendly in 7 simple steps.

How training helps teams adopt these habits

Writing website content for AI search shouldn’t become another complicated checklist that only one specialist understands.

The most effective approach is to help marketing, content, sales, and web teams adopt clearer habits across the content they already create.

That starts with practical training around real pages, real customer questions, and real commercial priorities.

Training turns broad guidance into repeatable writing habits

Most teams understand that content should be useful. The challenge is applying that principle consistently when deadlines are tight, several people contribute to the website, and old habits are embedded in existing templates.

With the right training, teams can learn to turn vague briefs into clear, answer-led page structures, use AI tools responsibly during research and drafting, and review existing pages through a search and AI visibility lens.

Real website pages make the learning more useful

Abstract examples have their place, but we’ve found that teams usually learn faster when the work is based on their own website.

That might mean reviewing an existing service page, improving a blog draft, restructuring an FAQ, or identifying where a key piece of content is unclear. As a result, the training is directly relevant to the business’s audience and current visibility goals.

Submerge can support teams with training based on the pages they actually need to improve, rather than generic exercises that don’t translate into day-to-day work.

A simple content checklist for every draft

Before publishing, ask yourself:

  • Can a reader quickly understand who this page is for?
  • Does it clearly explain what it is saying or offering?
  • Are the headings precise and easy to follow?
  • Does the page include the context needed to understand the service, topic, or recommendation?
  • Are important claims supported by evidence, expertise, or useful examples?
  • Is the content accurate and up to date?
  • Does it add something original, rather than repeating generic information?
  • Would a customer feel they had received a helpful answer?

Asking peers to answer these questions could also give additional, potentially helpful insights into how clearly your content communicates its message. This feedback can complement insights from SEO and AI search performance data.

Writing AI-optimised content with Submerge

There’s no guaranteed formula for appearing in AI search results, but creating clear, structured, evidence-led and genuinely useful content remains important for helping people and search systems understand your business.

These principles are already central to good content writing and SEO, and they also provide a strong foundation for improving visibility in AI-powered search.

If your team needs help applying these habits across your website, Submerge can deliver practical content writing for search and AI training that’s tailored to your specific needs and knowledge level.

With the right support and training, your team can create content that meets the needs of your audience while making it easier for AI search tools to understand what your business offers.

Book a free consultation with us today.