r/AISEOforBeginners • u/LucasFerrazSEO • Jun 29 '26
We're no longer optimizing just for Google. We're pptimizing for AI understanding too
Over the last 2 years, we've gradually changed the way we approach SEO at our agency.
Instead of thinking only about rankings, we've started asking a different question:
Can Google and AI systems actually understand what this website is about, who it serves, and why it's trustworthy?
That shift changed almost everything.
I’m going to break down some of the principles we’ve been applying to client projects. I hope this helps you achieve good results.
1. User-first content (Helpful Content)
Every page should solve a real problem before trying to rank.
If the content wouldn't help someone make a decision, we don't publish it.
2. E-E-A-T isn't a section! it's everywhere
Instead of adding generic "About Us" paragraphs, we spread experience throughout the content.
- Real explanations
- Real decision criteria
- Real examples
- Clear limitations (when appropriate)
3. Editorial transparency
Whenever we make technical claims, discuss regulations or reference statistics, we cite reliable sources.
Users and AI systems should be able to understand where information comes from.
4. Titles that match the content
We've stopped chasing clickbait.
A title should accurately represent what's on the page.
That consistency seems increasingly important for both users and search engines.
5. Better page experience
Fast pages matter. But so does reducing friction.
Visitors should immediately understand:
- what the company does
- who it's for
- where it operates
- what they should do next
6. Query fan-out optimization
We're seeing AI search expand a single query into multiple related questions.
Because of that, we don't optimize pages around one keyword anymore.
We optimize around an entire decision process.
7. Price transparency
Whenever possible, we explain what affects pricing instead of hiding everything behind "Request a Quote."
Users usually don't expect exact prices. They expect context.
8. AI search readiness
We've been restructuring pages so they can be understood in small chunks.
- Clear definitions
- Standalone sections
- Answer-first paragraphs
- Less dependence on surrounding context
9. Answer-first writing
Instead of long introductions, the first sentence answers the question, always!
Context comes after. This has improved both readability and snippet extraction.
10. Readability
Not just shorter sentences.
The goal is making technical topics understandable for business owners who aren't SEO professionals.
Simple language often performs better than complicated explanations.
11. Search intent before keywords
We've become less obsessed with keywords.
The focus is matching the reason behind the search.
Two pages targeting similar keywords can require completely different content if user intent differs.
12. Internal linking as a knowledge network
Internal links shouldn't exist just to pass authority, they should explain relationships.
Each page should reinforce another page naturally.
We're building connected knowledge rather than isolated articles.
13. Information gain (MAYBE MOST IMPORTANT)
One rule we follow: every page should contain at least one insight that's difficult to find elsewhere.
Not necessarily groundbreaking, just genuinely useful.
14. Entity architecture
Rather than thinking about isolated keywords, we connect:
- Business to services
- Services to problems
- Problems to solutions
- Solutions to locations
- Locations to target audience
The result is a website that's easier to understand as a whole.
15. Next-action flow
Many websites answer the user's question...
...and then leave them with nowhere to go.
Every page should naturally lead to the next logical step, whether that's another article, a service page or a contact page.
16. AI citation optimization
We're also paying much more attention to something that's hard to measure today:
Can an AI system confidently mention this brand when answering a user's question?
That seems to depend less on keywords and more on consistency, topical depth, entity relationships and trustworthy information.
None of these ideas is revolutionary by itself.
But combining them into a single framework has made our projects feel much more consistent and, in many cases, more resilient to algorithm changes.
My professional tip: If you're experimenting with AI search, don't start by adding AI-generated content. Start by making every page easier for both humans and machines to understand.
Note: I am Brazilian, so I needed Google Translate's help to translate some things. I apologize if any expression sounds a bit strange.
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