As generative AI reshapes how people search, explore, and decide, discoverability is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s business-critical. AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity are transforming how users interact with content. Brands that fail to adapt may find themselves invisible.

This isn’t just an SEO update. It’s a strategic shift. If your content isn’t easily discoverable by AI systems, or fails to serve real user intent, you’ll be left behind in an ecosystem increasingly filtered through machine reasoning.In 2024, approximately 15 million adults in the U.S. reported using generative AI as their main method for conducting online searches. By 2028, this figure is expected to rise to more than 36 million users.

The shift has happened so quickly that people can't even agree on a standardised acronym. The ways we have seen people refer this to include...

GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation

AEO - Answer Engine Optimisation

AIO - AI Optimisation

LLMO - Large Language Model Optimisation

SEO - Search Everywhere Optimisation

Whatever you want to call it, there’s no denying that AI is revolutionising how people search, and to be discovered, you need a strategy that takes this into account.

So what exactly is discoverability in the age of AI, and how can you optimise for it?

What we mean by AI discoverability

Traditional SEO focused on ranking for keywords and matching queries with content. AI-first SEO goes further. It’s about helping AI systems understand, prioritise, and recommend your content—especially in experiences where answers are generated, not just listed.

In Google’s AI Overviews, for example, content is summarised and served directly to the user based on relevance and clarity. If your content can’t be found, understood, or trusted by the AI, it won’t appear, even if it’s technically “on page one”.

This is about being part of the answer, not just being listed among them.

What AI wants from your content

Based on recent guidance from Google and leading SEO analysts, here are the key areas to focus on:

1. Deeply understand user needs

AI rewards content that anticipates and solves real problems. This means moving beyond keyword stuffing and focusing on clarity, usefulness, and human intent. Ask: what would someone actually want to know here? Then answer it clearly.

2. Multimodal content

AI Overviews don’t just pull from text. They pull from video, images, structured data, and more. A multimodal approach (mixing copy, visuals, and interactivity) improves your chances of being selected for these new search experiences.

3. Structured data

Make it easy for machines to read your content. Structured data (like schema.org markup) helps AI parse and trust what your page says, whether it’s a product detail, a recipe, or a how-to guide.

4. Content optimisation

  • Prioritise unique, valuable content that’s original, specific, and written for people.
  • Conduct regular keyword research to align with evolving user language.
  • Use metadata effectively. Clear titles and meta descriptions still matter for how your content is surfaced and summarised.

Technical & AI-specific optimisations

Optimising for AI discoverability doesn’t stop at content. The underlying structure of your site has a huge impact.

Technical SEO essentials:

  • Speed: Fast-loading pages improve rankings and reduce bounce.
  • Mobile-friendliness: Mobile-first indexing is now the default.
  • Core Web Vitals: Meet Google’s performance thresholds for user experience.
  • Canonical URLs: Avoid duplication issues that confuse crawlers.
  • XML Sitemaps & Robots.txt: Help AI systems understand your site structure and priorities.

AI-specific enhancements:

  • Intent-driven content: Focus on user intent, not just keyword targeting.
  • Multimodal content: Don’t rely solely on words. Use videos, visuals, graphs.
  • Discoverability: Make sure every piece of content is findable by internal linking and structured pathways.

Discoverability is the new distribution

As AI reshapes how people explore the internet, discoverability becomes your most important distribution strategy. Especially in models like Google’s AI Overviews—which now surface answers (and ads) directly in the interface—only the most relevant, clear, and well-structured content will break through.

This creates a new kind of competitive edge. Not just ranking higher, but being selected by AI to represent a topic. And that brings us to the real shift: discoverability is no longer about gaming algorithms. It’s about building clarity, structure, and relevance into everything you publish. That’s how you make sure you’re part of the answer.

AI doesn’t just reward the loudest content. It rewards the clearest. The most helpful. The most structured. So if you want to show up in the next era of search, you need to stop optimising for clicks and start optimising for comprehension.

If you are unsure of how to future-proof your business in the age of AI, reach out to talk to us today.