A practical starting point for AI visibility

AI-led discovery adds a new question to the search brief: what do these experiences communicate about our business, and what should we do with that information?

Our starting point is a defined observation exercise, followed by a practical improvement plan. It gives the team a shared baseline and keeps the conversation close to the customers and decisions that matter.

Begin with the customer's question

Build a manageable set of questions around real buying situations. Include the need a customer is trying to solve, the comparisons they might make and the information they need to evaluate a supplier. Agree the market, language and platforms in scope.

Keep a record of the wording and the circumstances of each observation. Repeating an exercise is more useful when the team can see what was held consistent and what changed.

Separate observation from interpretation

Record whether the brand appeared, what was said and which sources were cited. A missing mention can prompt an investigation, but a single response is a narrow sample. It cannot represent every customer, question or answer.

Our recommendation is to treat the output as evidence for the next question. Is important information missing from the site? Are descriptions inconsistent? Does a useful explanation exist but remain difficult to find? Those questions lead to work that can be scoped and reviewed.

Give the information a stronger foundation

For Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google says existing SEO practices remain relevant and that no additional special optimisation is required. Its guidance points to accessible, internally linked content and structured data that matches what people can see. Inclusion is not guaranteed.

That guidance supports a grounded plan for the Google part of the brief. Other platforms have their own systems, so we would document what we have actually observed rather than assume identical behaviour everywhere.

For a business, the practical task is to make its offer, expertise and evidence easier to understand. Review important service and product information with the people who know it best. Resolve outdated descriptions and make useful explanations available as clear text.

Measure changes with their limits attached

Repeat the agreed sample and describe what changed. Keep observed mentions and citations separate from measured website visits, enquiries and sales. If an answer improves, record that improvement without assigning it an unsupported commercial value.

The first useful deliverable is a baseline, an improvement roadmap and a clear way to learn. It helps the business decide what deserves attention while keeping AI visibility connected to its wider search strategy.