Search Engine Optimization Series: Advanced SEO For AI
AI is a tech advancement that’s significantly affecting Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Last month, we covered how AI is affecting SEO and actions to take. This month, we’re talking about Advanced SEO For AI.
A Quick Memory Refresher: SEO Is Changing Because of AI
In 2024, roughly 15 million US adults used as AI as their primary tool for online search. In 2025, that number jumped to more than 100 million. In 2026, the number will climb even further. While this is occurring, the number of total daily searches using the Google Search Engine was 13 billion searches per day.
The key point is that Google is still the king when it comes to SEO and being found on the internet. But the use of AI in internet searches is growing at an exponential rate. This means it’s important to deploy basic, best-practice SEO to your website, and to start to implement SEO tactics & strategies aimed at AI.
The Top 3 Ways SEO For AI Is Shifting
There are 3 main ways that AI is changing the way we do SEO:
A Shift from Terse Keyword Phrases To Full “Conversational” Search Queries
Up till now, most internet search queries were based on a fairly short keyword phrase. With AI coming on strong, search queries are shifting to conversational questions.
- Keyword Phrase Search Example: hydrogel treatments compressed spinal disks
AI Keyword Search Example: What’s the effectiveness of hydrogel treatments for compressed spinal disks?
A Shift To Summaries Generated By AI
Up till now, an internet search query would generate a list of websites that provided content related to the keyword search query. The search engine also would list the websites that appear to have the most relevant answers at the top of the list. What’s happening now is that AI is generating a summary or answer to a question at the top of the Search Results Page, above the website links. This is resulting in many internet searchers getting the information they need from that AI-generated summary – and many searchers never even click on a website link. This phenomenon is known as “zero-click searches.”
A Shift From “Search Engine” To “Answer Engine”
AI is essentially turning the search engines into “answer engines,” with the AI providing an answer to a question at the top of the page. AI is providing detailed answers to questions by reviewing and synthesizing an answer based on gleaning information from multiple websites, online platforms like Reddit, and more. Again, this means that many internet searchers get the answer they need from the AI summary at the top of the page, and they never click on a website link.
Three Levels Of SEO Now Needed For Websites
As a result of all these changes, there are now 3 levels of Search Engine Optimization that need to be applied to websites, and in the sequencing listed below:
Step 1: Basic, Best-practice SEO
With basic, best-practice SEO, the process involves determining the essence of the page content, conducting keyword research to choose a targeted keyword phrase, and then optimizing the website page with strategic use of that keyword phrase. This includes embedding the keyword phrase at strategic places in the on-page content a site visitor would see. It also includes writing a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) headline, and a SERP content descriptor that’s on the back end of the website that will be picked up by search bots that hit and crawl the website. For more information, check out our expert article on basic, best-practice Search Engine Optimization.
Step 2: Basic SEO For AI
Basic SEO for AI involves taking the content optimization to a higher level that’s designed to appeal to the AI platforms – by providing well-written, detailed information that can potentially be picked up by AI tools and then conveyed to internet searchers. Basic SEO for AI is looking for:
- Quality content that’s well-written and informative
- On-page content that’s optimized not just for keyword phrases but for more detailed, conversational queries
- Chunked content that is broken up into information snippets and paragraphs vs. one long “sea” of text
- Authority rankings occur when the search engine and AI see that you are producing expert content related to your product, service, or non-profit mission.
Step 3: Advanced SEO For AI
Once Steps 1 and 2 have been completed for your website, then it’s time to deploy advanced SEO for AI. Advanced SEO for AI moves beyond traditional embedding of a targeted keyword phrase to focusing on context of information on your website, complexity/inter-relatedness of information on your website, and trustworthiness of the information on your website (i.e., “authority”). The goal of advanced SEO for AI is to get your content featured in AI-generated answers, rather than just showing up in traditional internet search results.
Advanced SEO for AI is very technical, and it is deployed by web developers & SEO experts who are proficient in optimizing websites and website pages to appeal to the AI platforms. Advanced SEO for AI techniques include (but are not limited to):
- Schema Markup: This is technical SEO deployed by website development/SEO experts who will use SEO tools to generate, validate, and enhance the schema page code. Schema work on the back end of the website is designed to ensure that search engines can easily extract information from your website to potentially be used in AI-generated summaries.
- Long-tail, Question-based Headings: Instead of short page headlines using the targeted keyword phrase, advanced SEO for AI involves turning short headlines into conversational questions, followed by answering the question in 2-3 sentences and detailed supporting data. With this approach, the goal is not just to get your website listed high in search rankings. The goal is to become the answer to a specific question, not just the link.
- Enhancement of Authority & Expertise Credentials: This technique involves developing detailed authorship profiles of the site’s writers & bloggers that outlines their expertise in the content they are writing, generate backlinks into the website from other credible sources, and more.
The bottom line is that advanced SEO for AI is complex, multi-faceted, time-consuming, and must be implemented by technical website development / SEO experts. What’s also challenging about this new scenario is that standards for SEO for AI are changing on a weekly and monthly basis because the technology is so new. That means that we know some new SEO standards that must be implemented. But those standards will likely change and evolve.
So, what’s a business owner or non-profit manager to do? The complexity of SEO these days can feel overwhelming.
First, start with the basics. Make sure your website is properly optimized for basic SEO best practices. Then, start working with a reputable, knowledgeable SEO-website development team to start implementing more advanced SEO on the website. Also, keep in mind that SEO is a process with standards that have been a moving target for years. The best strategies are to set a good foundation for your SEO program, implement tactics & techniques that meet current standards & best practices – and be prepared to adjust as the standards for SEO continue to change and evolve.
In the meantime, need help with basic SEO and/or SEO for AI? Contact DeWinter Marketing & PR USA for help!
