Be found in AI

With the advent of AI, the traditional practices of Google search results have been shaken up quite a bit. Not only within Google search results themselves with results from Gemini, but also with others such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity AI. In this blog post, we take a look at the steps you can take to be found better with AI.

Before the AI era, the user's workflow looked something like this:

The user has a question or searches for a product
The user goes to Google on their device of choice and enters the search term
As a website owner, you did your best to rank at the top of these search results, either with an ad or with natural results
The user visits your website and, if all goes well, takes a positive action

In the age of artificial intelligence, things can now look very different:

The user has a question or is looking for a product
The user uses AI or Google's Gemini to research more about the question or product
AI gives the user explanations from various sources and presents the conclusion in bite-sized form

The user either no longer visits a website, because the question has been answered, or they go directly from these AI results to a website to buy something
Social media also plays a major role here, as users are introduced to products or services in a different way, without specifically searching for that product. This happens by putting them in the spotlight through influencers and popular channels.

Upheaval through AI

AI has not only shaken up the way users work, but also the way website operators themselves work. There is a shift towards receiving information directly from AI instead of visiting individual websites. Purchases and visits to blogs on a topic or hobby, for example, are decreasing as a result, albeit at small percentages now, but this will of course increase in the future as people become more accepting of this.

External mentions are important

Mentions outside your website were already important in Google, considering how often your website was linked to. Content on others in the form of mentions via backlinks, guest content or participations will also be noticed and considered by the AI here when your website is mentioned in the search results.

Content is (even more) king

Content that is not written for search engines has long been important, even for Google itself. Content in which you explicitly mention a search term every other paragraph or mention multiple search terms in a non-natural way is a tactic that has long since ceased to be effective. And can even hurt your results in 2025. A flowing story in which you treat the term naturally and let your experience and expertise shine through is also important for AI.

Create your own traffic sources

Years of reliance on the big players is misplaced in many cases, and website owners who focus solely on hoping to be found will often be disappointed in the long run. Due to rapid developments, it is not always possible to say with certainty that you will still receive 10,000 visitors from organic search results or social media next month. The goal is to use multiple sources to keep people coming back and discovering you. Build your own community, for example through a newsletter. This can be essential in times when your search results and mentions within AI are no longer stable.

Having your own hosting package with your own domain name, where you actually provide your own piece of internet for yourself or your company, therefore remains essential. Even for your hobby blog, your freelance website or a website for your SME.

Take a look at our hosting packages now and discover how beneficial it can be to set up your online project!

Article source and inspiration:

https://www.sidn.nl/nieuws-en-blogs/gevonden-worden-in-het-ai-tijdperk-is-een-hele-uitdaging-voor-ondernemers