SEO & AI Search
AI Search
Quick definition
Search delivered by AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot. Cites sources directly in answers.
What it actually means
AI search reshapes the SEO funnel: instead of clicking a list of blue links, users get a synthesized answer with cited sources. Brands cited inside AI answers receive 5-15% click-through on average, lower than organic SERP CTR but with much higher intent. Optimization differs from traditional SEO — AI tools reward structured data (FAQ, HowTo, Article schema), position-taking content, specific dated claims, and entity-linked content over generic keyword-optimized pages.
Related terms
llms.txt
A proposed standard file at /llms.txt that gives AI agents a curated, condensed view of your most important content.
FAQPage Schema
JSON-LD structured data that marks question-and-answer blocks on a page so search engines and AI tools can extract them.
Speakable Schema
Schema.org markup indicating which parts of a page are best suited for voice assistants to read aloud.