The Future of SEO is Here: An Actionable Checklist for AI Search
The digital landscape is shifting under our feet. For years, we've mastered the art of SEO—getting your business seen on Google. But the rise of AI-powered search, like Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT, means the old rulebook is being rewritten.
So, how do we adapt?
We're taking our cues directly from the source. The brilliant minds at Vercel, the cutting-edge platform that powers many of our clients' websites, recently published a guide on how they are adapting their own strategy for this new era. When Vercel talks about the future of the web, we listen. Their insights are critical because the infrastructure they build directly influences how effectively your site can be seen by these new AI systems.
We've distilled their expert analysis into a simplified, digestible guide. Here are the super-actionable steps and checklist items you need to focus on to optimize your website for the age of AI.
The Big Shift: From Keywords to Concepts
In the past, SEO was a game of keywords. You wanted to rank for "best coffee shop in San Francisco." AI Search thinks differently. It doesn't just match words; it understands ideas. It wants to find the most authoritative, clear, and helpful source on a given concept.
Your new goal isn't just to rank for a keyword—it's to "own" a concept. You want AI to recognize your website as the definitive resource for your niche.
Your LLM SEO Action Plan & Checklist
Here's how to start making tangible changes today. Go through this checklist for your own business.
✅ Step 1: Define and Own Your Core Concept
You can't be everything to everyone. AI rewards clarity and focus. You need to decide what single, powerful idea you want to be known for.
Action: As a team, answer this question: "If an AI could recommend only one company for [your service/product], why should it be us?" The answer is the foundation of your core concept. It might be "sustainable custom home building" or "user-centric mobile app design."
- [ ] We have clearly defined the primary concept we want to "own" (e.g., "AI-powered logistics for small businesses").
- [ ] Our homepage and key service pages communicate this core concept clearly and repeatedly.
✅ Step 2: Structure Your Content for a Robot Reader
AI models "crawl" your site to learn. If your site is messy or confusing, they'll give up and go elsewhere. You need to make your content incredibly easy for a machine to read and categorize.
Action: Organize your website content with a logical hierarchy. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points to break up complex topics. Think of it as creating a perfect outline for a research paper.
- [ ] Our website pages use proper heading structure (a single H1 for the title, followed by H2s for main sections, and H3s for sub-points).
- [ ] Our content is scannable, using bullet points and numbered lists where appropriate.
- [ ] The technical foundation of our site is clean (this is where we at Prism come in, ensuring things like sitemaps and structured data are pristine).
✅ Step 3: Prioritize Depth and Originality
AI is designed to filter out shallow, repetitive content. It's looking for deep, original insights that genuinely help the user. A single, comprehensive article is now more valuable than ten short, fluffy blog posts.
Action: Create "pillar content"—a definitive, in-depth guide on your core concept. Think of the most common questions your customers ask and answer them all in one place with your unique perspective.
- [ ] We have at least one piece of pillar content that comprehensively covers our core concept.
- [ ] Our content provides original insights and a clear point of view, not just rehashed information.
✅ Step 4: Keep it Fresh and Build Real Authority
An old, dusty website signals to AI that your information might be out of date. Likewise, AI is learning to distinguish between real, authentic citations and spammy links.
Action: Set a calendar reminder to review and update your most important content at least twice a year. Seek out genuine collaborations, guest appearances on podcasts, and mentions in industry publications that link back to your site.
- [ ] We have a schedule (e.g., quarterly or bi-annually) to review and refresh our key content.
- [ ] We are actively working to earn authentic citations and links from other reputable sources.
The Path Forward
This shift in SEO can feel daunting, but it's actually an opportunity. It pushes all of us to create better, more helpful, and more authoritative content—which is a win for everyone.
By focusing on clarity, depth, and structure, you're not just optimizing for robots; you're creating a better experience for your human customers, too.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don't worry, this is what we live and breathe. If you want to discuss how to implement this strategy for your business, reach out to the team at Prism. Let's future-proof your website together.
— Enzo Sison, Founder, Prism