Why this matters now
Search is changing. We still type queries into Google, but more and more, people ask AI chat tools for quick, sourced answers. If your site is easy for humans to read and easy for machines to understand, you’ll show up in both places. That means structuring your content, speaking plainly, and giving AI assistants clean, factual snippets they can quote with confidence.
Human first, machine ready
Design every page for a person scanning on a mobile — then add the signals machines need to extract meaning.
- One page, one purpose. Each service, product, location or topic deserves its own focused page with a clear H1, short intro and scannable sub-headings.
- Answer the question fast. Open with a 2–3 sentence summary. AI tools lift concise explanations; people appreciate the clarity.
- Use plain English. Short sentences, no jargon unless you define it.
- Visual hierarchy. Bullets, tables and icons help people skim and help AI segment your content.
Make content “answer-ready”
AI chatbots prefer crisp, cite-able blocks. Rework your content into formats that are easy to lift:
- FAQ hubs: Create a central /faq page and add smaller FAQ sections on key pages (admissions, pricing, delivery, returns, safeguarding, accessibility, etc.).
- Q-form headings: Use question sub-heads (e.g. “How long does branding take?”) and answer in 50–120 words.
- Definitions & glossaries: Short, authoritative definitions get quoted frequently.
- Summaries & key takeaways: End pages with 3–5 bullet takeaways.
Add structured data (the secret sauce)
Schema markup turns your words into machine-readable facts. Use JSON-LD to add:
- Organization / LocalBusiness (name, logo, phone, sameAs links)
- Service / Product (what you do, who it’s for, pricing approach)
- FAQPage (pair your Q&As to their answers)
- HowTo (step-by-step processes)
- Article (for blogs: author, datePublished, headline)
- Education-specific: School or EducationalOrganization for trusts, admissions and term-date content
If you’re a multi-site or multi-academy trust, ensure each location has its own page with NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) and the correct local schema.
Strengthen trust signals (E-E-A-T)
Both search engines and AI systems look for credibility:
- Real authorship with bios, headshots and role titles
- Up-to-date dates (show “Last updated”)
- Case studies with outcomes and quotes
- Policies (privacy, cookies, safeguarding, accessibility) visibly linked
- Reviews embedded from reputable platforms
- For schools: statutory content, safeguarding, SEND, and accessibility conformance clearly signposted
Technical foundations that keep you visible
- Core Web Vitals: fast load, stable layout, responsive interaction
- Mobile-first, accessible design: aim for WCAG 2.2 AA — good for users and good for machines
- Clean HTML semantics: meaningful headings (H1–H3), lists and alt text; avoid burying text in images or PDFs
- Indexability: correct canonicals, XML sitemap, robots.txt, no accidental noindex
- Internal linking: descriptive anchor text between related pages; add breadcrumbs
Keep content fresh and findable
- Editorial cadence: publish a useful post every 2–4 weeks; update cornerstone pages quarterly
- On-site search mining: turn user searches into new FAQs
- Query monitoring: track Search Console queries and feed new Q&As back into pages
- Versioning: note when guidance changes (e.g. application deadlines, pricing bands, event dates)
A quick implementation checklist
- Map your information architecture (services, sectors, locations, admissions/process pages)
- Write or refine short intros and Q&A blocks for each key page
- Add JSON-LD schema (Org, Service, FAQPage, Article, LocalBusiness/School)
- Fix Core Web Vitals and accessibility issues
- Refresh trust elements (bios, reviews, case studies, policies)
- Submit updated sitemaps; re-crawl critical pages
- Set an ongoing review cycle — monthly for FAQs, quarterly for cornerstone pages
How Datum can help
We modernise sites for the AI era: technical audits, content design, schema implementation, accessibility fixes, and ongoing retained support so your content stays accurate, fast and answer-ready. If you’d like us to review your site and prioritise quick wins, get in touch: [email protected] or 01707 251222, or use the contact form
