Writing pages that work well for AI search

What works well for assistive technology (such as screen readers), works well for AI. Behind the scenes, they both read pages in a similar way. Pages that are not accessible will be passed over in favour of pages that are.

Things to check

• Headings are formatted correctly (see below for more about headings)
• Link text is meaningful and describes where the link leads to
• Any images that add something meaningful to the page are described, either in the alt text or, for complex images such as graphs, in the body text. Non-meaningful images must be marked as decorative.
• Acronyms and abbreviations are explained when you first use them on the page
• Tables do have a header row and don’t have any merged or split cells
• The page title and description reflect the content of the page
• If your page includes video or audio content, make sure that any essential information is also available in an accessible format. For example, if you explain an application process in a video, explain it also in the text of the page. Currently, AI doesn’t ‘watch’ video but relies heavily on the surrounding page. Content in videos without a text equivalent is much less visible to AI search tools.
• Consider converting PDFs into webpages. PDFs are much more time-consuming to make fully accessible – your information is more likely to be read by AI if it is on a webpage. (It’s also much more likely to be read by people – PDFs are viewed far fewer times than equivalent webpages.)

Structure your page around the information or tasks that people come to your page to find. For example, who the service is for, what you need, how long it takes, costs, dates, and what happens next. Aim to provide concise, detailed, and complete answers.

This ensures the page contains the depth of information that an AI needs to match users’ queries and generate confident responses. Including specific details reduces ambiguity and helps AI systems see your page as a reliable source, which can improve how often it appears in AI-powered search results.

Things to check for

• Consider starting the page with a concise summary or overview of the content – this often works well for both people and AI, setting expectations and confirming whether the page will be relevant to their query.
• Use headings that match customer concerns or actions – for example, ‘Sign up for a place’, ‘What you need before you start, ‘Opening times’.
• Be specific and include factual details. Stating that you will have ‘extended summer opening hours’ isn’t as helpful as saying ‘between 1 June and 31 August, we will be open until 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays’.
• Don't create FAQs - it's much better to add relevant details at the appropriate point in your main text. This provides context for both people and AI search tools.

Just the same as people, AI will struggle to make sense of information that isn’t consistent.

This includes both obvious contradictions – for example, having a different application closing date on two pages – to more subtle inconsistencies such as using multiple terms to refer to the same thing (like ‘safety manual’, ‘safety handbook’, ‘safety procedures’), or inaccurate alt text for images.

No one sets out to create inconsistent content, but our website has evolved over years, and many authors contribute to its pages. It is too easy for content to become inconsistent, either because it is older and out of date, or because it has been authored by different people.

Things to check for

• Pages that overlap or duplicate information – these require a lot of effort to keep in sync. Wherever possible, have a single source of information and link to it as needed, rather than duplicate the information.
• Inconsistent terminology – using different terms for the same thing causes confusion. Pay particular attention to any parts of your pages that may relate to services or information managed by other teams or directorates and work with them to make your pages consistent.
• Older versions of documents such as policies or procedures – unless you absolutely must keep these available, remove them to reduce confusion. Similarly with information about past events or projects – it can be nice to show what you have previously done but consider if this makes it less clear what you are doing now.

Plain language helps people understand information the first time they read it. AI search tools also rely on clear wording to correctly understand meaning.

Things to check for

• Keep sentences and paragraphs short
• Use simple common words and avoid jargon
• Be clear and unambiguous. Statements that are vaguely worded can cause AI tools to misinterpret or disregard your information. ‘For example, ‘You can apply for a permit online or by post with proof of address’ could either mean you must have proof of address to apply or that just the postal option requires it. Rephrasing it would remove the confusion: ‘You can apply for a permit online. Alternatively, you can apply by post, but you will need to include proof of your address.’
• Use an active rather than passive voice. For example, ‘we will send you a form’ rather than ‘you will be sent a form’.
• Don’t be overly formal. This can alienate readers. Use personal terms such as ‘you’, ‘we’, ‘us’ rather than general terms like ‘the council’ or ‘residents, as long as it doesn’t make your meaning unclear.
• Avoid using symbols or punctuation instead of words. For example, it is better to write ‘2:30pm to 4pm’ than ‘2:30pm - 4pm’.

Good practice

You must apply by 30 June. We will contact you within 10 working days.

Bad practice

Applications must be submitted no later than the aforementioned deadline, following which you will receive correspondence from the council.

Organising your content with headings, provides both a convenient overview of the page as well as indicating what each section is about. This works equally well for people, AI tools, and assistive technology.

Things to check

• Do your headings correctly describe the content beneath them? Headings and content that don’t match each other confuses both AI and people. Consider splitting larger sections so that you can give an accurate heading to each topic covered – it’s often better to cover one thing in each section than several.
• Are your headings descriptive and specific? Generic terms such as ‘process’ or ‘step 1’ are less useful to people and AI than more specific headings such as ‘how to apply’ or ‘step 2: choosing a location’.

Good practice

• Who can apply for a parking permit
• How to apply
• What happens next

Bad practice

• Overview
• Information
• Further details