You might not like it but you need to befriend AI for your business 

In today’s digital-first world, having a website is no longer optional for small businesses: it’s essential. Whether you run a local bakery, a freelance service, or a niche retail store, your online presence is often the first impression potential customers get of your brand. 

However, having a website is no longer enough.  It used to be that you wrote interesting copy to grab people’s attention.  But now you need to write for AI.  Why?  Because you may have noticed that when you google anything nowadays the first five (at least) listings are AI generated.  In other words, AI has scanned lots of websites for copy that matches the question that have been asked. 

AI tools like search engines, chatbots, and voice assistants don’t just read your website like humans do, they scan for structure, clarity, and context. Writing copy with AI in mind helps ensure your content is easily understood and found in the list of answers google comes up with. 

When your copy is optimized for AI, it increases the chances of being accurately represented in AI-driven snippets, answers, or recommendations. If your text is vague or overly complex, AI might misinterpret it, costing you visibility and credibility.

AI loves scanning bullet points, numbered lists, and Q&A sections. It looks for short, clear sentences and paragraphs.

As tempting as it may be to build a picture with words AI likes clear concise information. Avoid fluff, use plain language to describe what you do, who you serve, and why it matters.

Think about the kind of questions someone wanting your service might type into google search.  Your text needs to have those answers embedded in your copy.  So, for example, if you were a graphic designer and you specialised in branding instead of saying you are a specialist branding expert you need to answer the question “Why do I need a branding designer?”  So, some text like “you need a branding designer so that you stand out amongst your competitors and all your marketing has a complete message that grabs your clients attention.” 

 This type of text is easily accessible for AI to use. 

Anywhere you have title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text it should be descriptive and keyword-rich.  These signals tell AI what each page and image is about.

AI thrives on structured, concise, and clear language. By tailoring your copy this way, you help AI extract key details – like services, benefits, and calls to action – so potential customers get the right information faster.

Special copy for AI also improves accessibility. With more people relying on voice search and digital assistants, writing in a way that AI can easily process ensures your brand reaches a wider audience.

Ultimately, writing with AI in mind positions your business ahead of competitors who don’t. It’s not just about ranking higher in search, it’s about making your website AI-friendly so it can become a reliable, authoritative source in an AI-driven world.

Nowadays a website is more than just an online brochure – it’s a vital part of your business infrastructure. In a marketplace where digital presence can make or break your success, a website gives your small business the foundation it needs to thrive, grow, and compete. Making it AI friendly gives you the extra edge.

Beatrice Buchser uniik visuelle kommunikation & AI Consultant. www.uniik.com

(News/Feature: AI Writing – Photo: Gold Penquin)

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Reader’s comment: “I would dispute the basic premise of this article. If you write to please AI – especially if you’re an amateur – you end up with the same, soulless, bland website that everyone else in the space has. And it always seems a little bit off to actual human visitors.

If you’re going to go that way, just get ChatGPT to knock you up some copy and paste the most promising bits in. You’ll *know* it’s AI friendly that way.

It’s been like this all century; writing first for keywords, then to please search engines etc., with all sorts of insane short cuts promised by snake-oil salespersons. Do not, by the way, attempt any of these short cuts…some of them can provide a short-term boost, but you end up in a worse overall position when Google catches you at it. There have been some honeys over the years.

It really is simpler than that: Just get a relevant domain name; tell people what you do (and ideally what it’ll cost them); why people should use your business instead of competitors; and make it easy for them to contact you. Be honest. If you’re trading online, make it easy for people to give you money and tell people what it’ll cost upfront. That’s it. You’re not, in the short term, going to get to the top of the search engines without giving Google money or being in a very small and specialised niche.
And then stay in business. You get points for longevity.

The linked website, goes to a website in German (thanks DeepAI!) that offer brand-counseling services.” – Darren

Reader’s comment: “Hi Daren, thanks for your comment, it was not to say getting AI to write your copy – as you say that is repetitive and boring. It is more about understanding how AI works when you google something so your website can be seen. At the moment, unfortunately, the first few listings that come up on google are sourced by AI and we can’t change that. What we can influence is that the copy we write can be found easily by AI and so it makes us more likely to be found. The unfortunate truth is that AI has taken over from SEO, so writing original copy with AI in mind can help. And yes the link is to a German designer – she she wrote it!” – Jessica