How can you make your website more visible when search engines display an 'AI-generated summary'?
In recent years, search engine companies have been incorporating AI, and it has become commonplace to see 'AI-generated summaries' on search results pages and to chat with AI to find information. In this context, Automattic, the provider of the hosting blog service 'WordPress.com,' has compiled four points to help your website appear more frequently in AI summaries and AI responses.
How to Make Your Website More Discoverable by AI | WordPress.com
A 2026 survey reported that when users performed a Google search using trending words, 13.7% of the results were AI-generated summaries, and when users performed a question-based search, 64.7% of the results were AI-generated summaries. This indicates that an increasing number of users are only looking at the AI-generated summaries and not viewing the homepage below.
To leverage AI as a new growth channel for your business, it's crucial to understand how websites are selected for AI-generated summaries and to tailor your website management accordingly.
Automattic points out that when information is scattered across multiple platforms such as social media profiles, video channels, and newsletters, it becomes difficult for AI to build a clear image of a particular company or person. Therefore, they argue that having your own website, where you can control the message you want to convey and your relationship with users, makes you more likely to be selected by AI tools.
Automattic offers the following four tips for creating a website that is more likely to be selected by AI tools:
◆1: Clearly define who you are helping.
When creating a website, it's crucial to design it so that visitors can understand 'what the site owner does,' 'who the target audience is,' 'what problems the site solves,' and 'what they should do next.' Having these points clear also helps AI tools when classifying and interpreting the website.
Therefore, it is preferable to avoid using a lot of vague marketing jargon at the beginning of the homepage and instead present a simple framework such as, 'We help our customers achieve outcome 'A' through service 'B'.' From there, Automattic advises creating dedicated pages for each major service, product, customer base, and use case to clearly communicate your expertise.
◆2: Provide helpful answers to customer questions.
People ask AI tools questions about things like 'comparing multiple options,' 'checking product prices,' 'mistakes to avoid,' and 'what to do next.' Since the AI's summary is more likely to be displayed depending on the search terms, websites that include helpful answers to these questions are more likely to be selected by AI tools.
In the business world, it's common for prospective clients to ask designers about preparing for a website redesign, accountants about tax considerations for new businesses, or consultants about solutions to common operational challenges. Blogs that answer these kinds of questions naturally link to your company's service or product pages, and AI tools help them get a comprehensive overview of the owner's expertise.
◆3: Show visible signals of trust
To become a website chosen by AI tools, it's essential to make it clear that there are real people, teams, or organizations behind the content. Signals of trustworthiness include: a detailed overview page, clear contact information, detailed author or operator information, customer testimonials and experiences, case studies and portfolio examples, clear dates for time-limited content, and transparent service, product, and pricing information.
Automattic states, 'You don't need signals to demonstrate corporate-level authority. For most small teams and personal website operators, sufficient evidence to prove expertise and legitimacy is enough.'
◆4: Bring everything together into one
While there's no guaranteed method to ensure your website is selected for an AI-generated summary, making it easy to understand is crucial. It's recommended to include a homepage, company profile, service and product pages, frequently asked questions, business overview, and reasons why customers should trust your website in a way that crawlers can access.
Automattic stated, 'A structure that allows users to navigate the site smoothly also helps with AI search optimization. More importantly, a website's discoverability improves when it feels like a complete and trustworthy source of information. Not a flimsy homepage, scattered social media posts, or a jumble of unrelated updates. You need a true home base that clearly explains what you do and grows with you.'
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in AI, Web Service, Posted by log1h_ik