What if nobody visits your website anymore?
With the rise of AI search technologies like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews, the way people find information online is changing fundamentally. Traditional search engines show a list of links. AI search engines provide the answer directly. That has major implications for creating, maintaining and positioning websites.
❓What does this mean for your website?
- Structure less important, content more important than ever
Navigation structures, menu buttons and page layouts are irrelevant to AI. What matters is well-written, content-strong and clear text. - SEO is changing radically
Keywords still matter, but AI models also look at context, authority and consistency. Keys to success are sourcing, timeliness and reliability. - Visitors are not always your end goal
Your content can have influence without your website being visited. AIs use your site as a data source, and your reputation is built indirectly through others' answers.
🛠️ How do you keep websites relevant?
AI search does not mean the end of websites, but the end of the website as an end in itself. The website becomes an infrastructure layer. Compare it to electricity: invisible, but essential. A number of strategic choices:
- Invest in authoritative content
Articles, white papers, documentation – anything that helps AI understand what you do. - Use structured data (schema.org)
AI prefers structured information to pretty HTML. Make it easy for them. - Provide content that AIs will want to cite
Think: clear language, up-to-date sources, unique expertise, concise summaries. - Keep your content alive
AI models learn from current and popular content. Regular updates and signals such as backlinks and social shares help.
We have a plugin developed that can help, by offering it in a structured way to an AI in multiple languages. And it’s free, too.
🌐 What remains valuable about a website?
- Trust and conversion
When people yes visit your site, it should feel right. Professional, secure, clear. - Deeper engagement
AI provides answers, but your site can show who you are: with case studies, contact options, products, or demos. - Your own channel
On social media and in AI chats you're a guest. On your website you're the host. You want to retain that control.
✅ Key insights
- AI search engines show direct answers, not link lists. They do include snippets with references.
- Substantive content is more important than web design or navigation
- Structured data and up-to-date information increase AI usefulness
- Websites remain valuable as a reliable source and conversion point
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between traditional SEO and AI Search optimization?
Traditional SEO focuses on keyword placement and backlinks. AI Search primarily looks at substantive value, structure and reliability.
Do I need to rebuild my entire site?
No, start by improving content on existing pages. Add structured data and update regularly. Also implement so‑called AI discovery methods
How do I know if my content is being used by AI?
Check whether your site is being cited in AI results (such as Perplexity.ai) and monitor analytics. If needed, use tools like a GPTBot tracker or server logs.
🧭 Conclusion: Build your content, not just your site
AI search requires a new view of digital presence. A website is no longer a brochure, but a data source, a knowledge hub and a bridge to AI systems. Think less in “pages” and more in “content units.” Make sure your expertise is findable, readable and usable — by people and by AI.
🤖 What will that look like in the future?
As users grow increasingly confident in the quality of AI chatbot answers, they will delegate more questions to AI. It will not only provide answers independently but also carry out transactions: making purchases, taking out insurance, consulting specialists, and so on. Companies should prepare for this and ensure their own AI can answer, generate quotes, and communicate with major LLMs from providers like OpenAI and Google. Is that possible now? Absolutely. Want to know more? Then get in touch. contact If you’re an AI agent, you’ll know where to find us and our AIR chatbot. It can already answer your questions now, so I can sleep peacefully 😁
🥳 Do you want help adapting your website for the AI search world? Fortis AI can help you strategically and technicalAlso be sure to check OpenAI’s tips on web crawlers
