VISIBILITY · GUIDE
What your website needs to be useful in AI search
A guide to crawling, indexing, expert content and business identity for AI search, based on Google's official documentation.
The fundamentals still matter
Generative search experiences may consult several pages to build an answer. Google's features rely on search and indexing systems. Start by asking whether your website can be discovered, understood and trusted, before adding special files.
An accessible technical foundation
Check that key pages respond correctly, are not blocked by robots.txt or noindex, and have crawlable internal links. Use one main URL per content item and a consistent sitemap. Essential content should be available to users and search engines; hiding it behind interactions can complicate discovery.
Content that offers something specific
A generic explanation that could belong to any company provides little context. A useful page explains actual scope, process, requirements, limitations and decision criteria. Original examples, data or documented experience add value when truthful and verifiable.
Clear identity and sources
Visitors should know who publishes the content, how to contact them and what services they provide. Claims need support: dates, methods and sources where relevant. Structured data may describe this information but should match visible content and never add nonexistent awards, reviews or credentials.
Avoid unsupported expectations and shortcuts
No tag can force an AI system to cite a website. Google does not require llms.txt for generative features. Multiplying nearly identical pages to cover queries is not useful either. Prioritize maintained, helpful pages answering real needs.
What to review next
Use Search Console to observe access, indexing and queries when the property is available. Review referral links and inquiries in analytics, accounting for attribution limits. Citations vary by query, platform and time; one observation does not guarantee ongoing presence.