Structured to Be Seen - How to Make Your Brand AI-Friendly

Structure beats keywords. Here's why.

In 2025, search engines are no longer reading your site the way they used to. They’re not scanning for keywords. They’re looking for signals of structure - elements they can parse, trust and reuse.

That’s why brands still chasing 'keyword density' are falling off the map.

Generative engines like Google AI, ChatGPT and Perplexity now prioritise citable content - neatly structured, highly relevant and technically accessible. If your content doesn’t meet that bar, it’s likely being skipped entirely in favour of Reddit, Wikipedia or third-party snippets that do.

How AI “reads” your brand — it’s not what you think

Unlike traditional crawlers, LLMs consume your content in chunks, not pages. They prioritise:

• Structured data (Schema.org markup)

• Clean HTML hierarchies (especially Q&A, lists, and tables)

• Accurate Knowledge Graph entries

• Explicit access signals like llms.txt

Think of it this way: if you don’t serve your content in an AI-friendly format, someone else’s content will be served instead.

The 3 signals that matter most in GEO

1. Schema markup is your new foundation

Add structured data to high-priority pages:

• Use FAQ, HowTo, Product, Organization and Article schema

• Ensure accuracy and test via Google’s Rich Results Test

• Map schema to content types across your funnel

2. llms.txt — the new robots.txt for AI

This file tells LLMs what content they’re allowed to ingest and cite.

• Include URLs to public datasets, explainer pages and APIs

• Publish it at the root domain (e.g., example.com/llms.txt)

• Update it as you release new assets

3. Knowledge Graph visibility

AI tools lean heavily on known, verified entities.

• Check your brand presence in Google Knowledge Panel, Wikidata and Wikipedia

• Update any missing or outdated information

• Add structured “about” content to reinforce entity clarity

Checklist: Make Your Site AI-Ready

Here's what you should be focussed on this quarter:

1. Audit current schema coverage — and prioritise top-converting or informational pages
2. Implement or update your llms.txt — and align it with your content strategy
3. Standardise headings and subheadings — especially in FAQ and comparison content
4. Create machine-readable data layers — for product specs, location info, or coverage details
5. Coordinate with IT to ensure your sitemap and content APIs are accessible and performant

This is less about rewriting your content - and more about making it readable to machines.

Case study: Travel brand boosts visibility with structured markup

A UK-based travel brand noticed a 36% drop in organic traffic after AI Overviews rolled out earlier this year.

Instead of rewriting blog content, they:

• Deployed structured FAQ and Destination schema across top pages

• Added llms.txt with links to their API-based trip planner

• Updated their Wikidata and Wikipedia entries

Results:

• +47% increase in AI visibility share within 6 weeks

• Restored 3 lost top-of-funnel queries in Google AI

• Increased citations in Perplexity for destination-specific queries

This wasn’t a content rewrite — it was a visibility realignment.

From messy pages to machine-parsable assets

If your brand is serious about being the answer, not just a result, then structure is non-negotiable.

Most marketers aren’t behind on content - they’re behind on technical clarity.

Make it easier for machines to reuse your content and they will.

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