AI Is Even Taking Over How We Search Online — Here's How to Climb the SEO Ranks and Beat the Competition Master on-page SEO to boost your site's visibility in AI-driven search. Learn to optimize content for quality, user intent, mobile and AI relevance with key strategies.

In today's hyper-competitive digital landscape, having a website is an absolute must, but not enough. Entrepreneurs must ensure their content is discoverable, relevant and engaging to attract their target audience. Many of my clients take a two-step approach — one website for the main business and one for the founder or leading voice of the company, such as the CEO.

Regardless of the focus, on-page SEO (search engine optimization) is absolutely crucial for results. But don't let that term scare you; while SEO does have its technical bits, most platforms are decent out of the box, although you should always find someone to optimize the technical side (for those things with sometimes scary names like Schema markup!).

Mastering your on-page SEO is a straightforward process that can significantly boost your website's visibility, drive traffic and improve your bottom line.

Here's how you can harness the power of on-page SEO to scale your business, especially during the rise of AI in search.

Related: On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO vs. Technical SEO — Here's How to Properly Optimize Each

What is on-page SEO?

At its core, on-page SEO refers to optimizing individual web pages to improve their ranking in search engine results. This involves tweaking the content, metadata (what's shown in a search like Google) and other page elements to make the page more appealing to search engines like Google.

While off-page SEO like link building is essential, on-page SEO ensures that your website is structured and written to maximize its potential to rank higher. With the rise of AI-driven search engines, content that aligns with on-page SEO best practices stands a better chance of being highlighted in AI-generated search results.

1. Start with high-quality content

Before diving into the technicalities of SEO, let's address the single most important aspect: content quality. Search engines, especially those with AI involved, prioritize user experience above all else. AI models are designed to surface content that offers relevant, engaging, and authoritative answers to users' queries.

Entrepreneurs should create content that solves their audience's problems, answers their questions or provides unique insights. This not only builds trust with your audience but also signals to AI models that your site is a credible source.

Actionable tip: Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) already uses AI to display top-tier content snippets. If your content is well-written, informative and provides clear answers, it's more likely to be surfaced in AI-generated results. Focus on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), a key factor for SEO and AI-driven search results.

2. Optimize for keywords, but don't overdo it

Keyword optimization is still a fundamental pillar of SEO, but with AI in play, how we approach keywords is evolving. AI-powered searches are more contextual and look at the intent behind keywords rather than just surface-level matching.

Start by conducting thorough keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or Semrush. Identify primary and secondary keywords that align with your business goals and target audience. Use them strategically in:

• Title tags: The title is the first thing users (and search engines) see. Make sure it includes your primary keyword.
• Headers: Use H1, H2 and H3 tags to break up content and naturally include keywords.
• Meta descriptions: Though not a direct ranking factor, a compelling meta description can boost click-through rates.
• Body content: Integrate keywords naturally throughout your content in a way that doesn't feel forced.

Actionable tip: As AI-driven search becomes more dominant, informational long-tail keywords that are more specific and align with conversational queries will have a higher chance of being surfaced. For example, AI-driven searches often reflect natural language patterns like, "What are the best marketing strategies for small businesses?" Optimizing for these types of keywords is key.

Related: 3 Powerful SEO Techniques That Will Boost Your Website's Search Engine Ranking

3. Focus on user intent

User intent is the why behind a search query. Google's AI-powered search tools now focus heavily on matching user intent with the most relevant content. Entrepreneurs need to think about the type of content their audience expects when searching for specific terms.

For example, someone searching for "best CRM software for small business" likely wants a comparison or review of different CRM options rather than a sales pitch. Tailoring your content to match user intent helps with rankings and improves user satisfaction and conversion rates.

Actionable tip: With AI surfacing snippets directly in search results, concise answers that directly address the user's query are more likely to be featured. Create well-structured content that's easy for AI to digest and highlight.

4. Improve page load speed

Page speed is a crucial factor for user experience and SEO. Google's AI-driven search is likely to deprioritize slow-loading websites, as users expect instant results in today's fast-paced digital environment.

Entrepreneurs should ensure that their websites are fast and responsive across all devices. Simple actions like optimizing images, reducing server response times and enabling browser caching can significantly impact load speeds.

Actionable tip: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to measure your site's speed and identify areas for improvement. This is essential for both traditional SEO and AI-generated search rankings.

5. Internal linking: Strengthen the structure of your site

While backlinks from other websites are essential, internal linking — the practice of linking to other pages on your own site — can significantly enhance your on-page SEO efforts. Internal links help search engines and AI models better crawl and index your site, allowing them to discover related content and understand the structure of your site.

For example, if you've written a comprehensive guide on "content marketing for startups," you can internally link to related articles such as "best social media strategies for startups" or "how to write compelling blog posts." This also keeps users on your site longer, which signals to AI that your content is valuable.

Actionable tip: Use a strategy called topic clusters, where one core piece of content (the "pillar") links to other, more specific content pages (the "clusters"), creating a network of internal links. AI algorithms thrive on well-organized, interconnected content structures.

6. Optimize for mobile and AI

Mobile optimization is no longer just about user experience — AI-driven search often prioritizes mobile-optimized sites. With Google's mobile-first indexing and AI's ability to rank content based on user experience, ensuring that your site works seamlessly on all devices is critical.

Entrepreneurs should invest in responsive design — a site design that adapts to various screen sizes and devices. Beyond just aesthetics, mobile optimization means ensuring that content is easy to read, images load quickly and navigation is seamless.

Actionable tip: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to evaluate your site's performance on mobile devices and optimize accordingly to ensure it surfaces in both traditional and AI-driven search results.

Related: 6 SEO Tips to Help You Rank in the New Era of Quality Content

7. Use AI-friendly meta descriptions and titles

With AI-generated search snippets, compelling meta descriptions and title tags are more critical than ever. While meta descriptions and title tags may not directly impact rankings, they influence click-through rates, and AI-driven search will often pull text from these fields to populate the search result previews.

Craft your titles and meta descriptions to engage users immediately, highlighting key points or solutions your content offers.

Actionable tip: Write concise meta descriptions that summarize the page content in a way that speaks to the user's intent. This improves CTR and helps AI models present your content more effectively in search results.

For entrepreneurs, mastering on-page SEO is no longer optional — it's essential for thriving in the AI-driven search era. By focusing on creating high-quality content, optimizing for keywords and user intent and ensuring your site is fast and mobile-friendly, you'll position your brand to stand out in both traditional and AI-generated search results.

Remember, as AI continues shaping how search engines deliver information, quality content that prioritizes user experience will consistently come out on top. Start implementing these on-page SEO strategies today to future-proof your digital presence.