Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has a reputation for being complicated. Add in the longer sales process associated with business-to-business (B2B) audiences and getting your website to appear for the right searches could seem an impossible task!
And, now there is another element to add to the mix – Artificial Intelligence (AI).
It is believed almost 50% of internet searches in the UK are now being made using AI tools. This includes AI chat bots and assistants like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot – as well as AI within existing search engines, including Google and Bing.
So, what is the secret to successful SEO which satisfies both AI and a B2B audience?
What is Search Engine Optimisation?
Search Engine Optimisation is the actions you take to make your business’s website more likely to appear in search results for the keywords you wish to target.
Broadly, traditional SEO has three elements:
- Technical – how easy your website is to access, navigate and understand
- Relevance – how relevant your content is to the topic being searched
- Authority – how respected your website is as a source of information (typically defined by links from other websites)
What’s the difference between traditional search and AI search?
Whilst the lines between traditional search engines and AI chatbots and assistants are already becoming blurred, they broadly provide quite different services.
In simple terms, a search engine scours the internet to provide links to the websites which most appropriately match your keyword or search term.
AI scours the internet to provide an answer to a specific question, including links to the key websites from which they have gathered information.
SEO for search engines is about targeting keywords.
SEO for AI is about providing answers.
What does AI care about?
As the name suggests, artificial intelligence behaves like a human in looking at all the information available and formulating its own summary or conclusion.
Like a human, AI cares about:
- Clear explanations
- Reliable information
- Complete answers
As such, AI values web pages which:
- Sound genuine and contain content written by real people, with real experiences
- Are easy to read with clear headings, short paragraphs, lists and FAQs
- Cover the whole topic, exploring the subject from a simple overview through to the specifics of what it is, how it works and why it matters
- Are technically sound, load quickly, are cleanly laid out and have a basic schema markup (coding) which helps AI access the content
Which SEO tactics work best for AI?
The tactics which currently work well for traditional SEO will still have a very beneficial effect on SEO for AI – and vice versa.
So, rather than a change of tactics, it’s more a case of refining the focus:
1. Create content which answers a question
As AI is searching for answers, your content should provide them.
Instead of focusing on a high keyword density, you should produce content which delivers a coherent answer to a question.
For example, rather than a list called ‘Best SEO tools 2025’ you could expand this into a guide entitled ‘What are the best SEO tools for B2B businesses in 2025?’
2. Build authority by focusing on a single topic
Even more than traditional search engines, AI assistants favour websites which consistently go deep into one given area.
As such, you should focus your content on a key subject, rather than blogging on a range of themes. With time, your website will be seen by AI as a reliable source – not just another blog!
3. Use simple structure
Just like a human visitor, AI wants to access a web page which is easy to read with clear headings, bullet points where helpful, short summaries and FAQs.
4. Make your content quotable
AI typically provides users with a summary of the information it has gathered. To do so, it likes to include pithy statements and punchy soundbites!
To encourage AI to use your information, you can produce content which includes:
- Clear definitions
- Step-by-step explanations
- Comparisons
- Original insights
- Relevant examples
If you produce sentences which can stand alone, they are more likely to be quoted. Ask yourself – if AI had to explain the topic to a beginner, would it choose your content?
5. Include trust signals
The biggest fear of AI developers is that their tools regurgitate false or incorrect information. AI therefore looks for trust signals, such as:
- Author names and biographies
- Regularly updated and fresh articles
- Links to reliable sources
Is SEO for AI effective for B2B marketing?
‘Will appearing in AI increase my sales?’ is a valid question for any organisation which operates business-to-business.
Traditionally, SEO has meant targeting the search terms which relate directly to your products or services. Success has often come from focusing on the search terms which imply most buying intent.
As AI aims to provide answers, it may be challenging for B2B organisations to turn this into clicks from users who are ready to buy – there and then.
However, like AI, businesspeople value expertise. Appearing consistently in AI search will deliver visibility, trust and brand recognition – which are all the bedrock of successful B2B marketing!
Use SEO to boost your performance in AI search
AI search is the future – and it’s happening right now! If businesses want to be found online, they will need to use SEO to improve their visibility in AI-led search results.
At Full Mix Marketing, we’re a full service B2B marketing agency, specialising in delivering the full mix of strategic, digital and creative marketing for companies and organisations who provide products or services business-to-business (B2B).
We make it easy for our clients – in sectors including manufacturing, engineering, technology, logistics, construction and business services – to access and benefit from all the marketing they need for success.
If you’d like help to increase your business’s likelihood of appearing in AI search results, we’re keen to help with your SEO. More information can be found here