How AI Search Engines Discover Author Websites

“AI will fundamentally change how people interact with information, and search is at the center of that shift.” —Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google

AI search engines are transforming how readers discover information. That includes discovering you. Search engines like the traditional Google or Bing used to scan websites by following links and analyzing keywords. But now, AI search engines and tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity) use completely different signals to decide which authors, articles, and websites they trust.

This means your author website must be understandable not only to traditional search engines but also to AI search engines that interpret meaning, structure, expertise, and clarity.

This part of our SEO, GEO, and AI Search for Indie Authors series breaks down how AI search engines actually “see” your content and what you can do to ensure your author website gets noticed, quoted, and recommended.

How AI Search Engines “See” Content (It’s Not Like the old Google)

Traditional search engines crawl your website using bots that follow links and scan code. AI search engines, however, rely on different methods:

Text extraction

AI tools pull your words, structure, definitions, headings, and examples.

Semantic interpretation

They interpret what your content means, not just what it says.

Topic modeling

They categorize your content into topics and subtopics based on patterns.

Authority scoring (E-E-A-T)

They look for credibility, clarity, author experience, and trust signals.

Answer compatibility

AI prefers content that is easy to quote, summarize, or restructure.

In other words, AI doesn’t see your website as pages. Instead, it sees it as meaning, connections, and clarity.

The 5 Signals AI Uses to Understand Your Website

AI tools scan your website for specific patterns. These are the strongest signals:

Signal 1: Clean Structure (Headings, Lists, Logical Order)

AI engines read your headings like an outline.

Clear H2 and H3 headings help AI understand:

• Topic
• Subtopics
• Steps
• Definitions
• Purpose of each section

This is why well-structured articles appear more often in AI answers.

Signal 2: Definitions and Direct Answers

AI tools prioritize content that answers questions quickly and cleanly.

A sentence like:

“Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the process of structuring your content so AI search tools can easily interpret and quote it.”

…is perfect for AI.

It’s direct.
It’s accurate.
It’s usable in an answer.

Signal 3: E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)

AI engines evaluate:

• Your bio
• Your experience
• Your consistency across your website
• Your clarity
• Your tone
• Whether you’re citing credible sources
• Whether your content is up-to-date

You don’t need a huge following.
You need clarity + consistency + relevance.

Signal 4: Internal Organization (Topic Clusters)

This is where your pillar article shines.

AI engines look for:

• A main hub (pillar article)
• Supporting articles connected by topic
• Clear relationships among your content

This makes your website appear more:

• Authoritative
• Organized
• Trustworthy

Your SEO/GEO series is exactly what AI engines reward.

Signal 5: Freshness and Relevance

AI engines track:

• When the article was updated
• If the content reflects current practices
• Whether it’s still relevant in the broader conversation

Short updates, even small revisions, help maintain your visibility.

How AI Tools Crawl Your Website (Different Tools, Same Goal)

Each AI tool operates differently, but they share a common purpose: to extract the clearest, most reliable information.

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Uses a mix of:

• AI crawling
• External links
• User-submitted URLs
• Semantic indexing
• Trust patterns

ChatGPT doesn’t rely solely on Google. It builds its own understanding of your content.

Gemini (Google)

Gemini (and AI Overviews) reads:

• Structured data on your site (schema)
• Topical relevance
• Google’s long history of your content
• Page quality signals

Your existing SEO and your readability influence Gemini.

Perplexity

One of the most aggressive real-time crawlers.

Perplexity prefers:

• Recent content
• Clear citations
• Organized article structures
• Expertise you can demonstrate

If your content is readable, Perplexity loves you.

Bing Copilot

Looks for:

• Page freshness
• Technical SEO
• Topic clarity
• Clean structure
• Lists
• Short paragraphs

Bing is one of the easiest AI engines to optimize for because it loves clear writing.

Claude (Anthropic)

Claude is extremely sensitive to:

• Quality
• Tone
• Writer clarity
• Meaningfulness
• Depth

If your writing is clean and human, Claude will surface it in responses.

What AI Search Engines Ignore

This surprises many authors:

Keyword stuffing

AI sees it as noise.

Overlong paragraphs

Harder for AI to interpret and quote.

Poor structure

If AI can’t locate meaning, it moves on.

Walls of text

Low usability for answers.

Technical tricks

AI cares about clarity, not manipulation.

That’s why your hybrid writing tone works so well:

• Clear 
• Helpful
• Skimmable
• Authoritative
• Organized

Exactly what AI search engines want.

How to Make Your Author Website AI-Friendly

Here is your simple formula:

Use clear headings

H2 → major ideas
H3 → subtopics
H4 (optional) → nested lists or examples

Answer questions directly

Start each section with a single-sentence answer.

Include lists

AI engines prefer structured content over paragraphs.

Write with “semantic clarity”

Say what something is, why it matters, and how it works.

Add FAQs

AI loves FAQ-style content—they mirror how users ask questions.

Update important articles every 6–12 months

Small changes count.

Use internal links

Show AI how your content connects.

Include author expertise

Your bio helps AI trust you.

Real-World Example of How AI Extracts Your Content

Let’s say you wrote:

“User intent describes the reason behind a reader’s search query, whether they want to learn, compare, buy, or find something specific.”

Here’s how AI uses it:

SEO

Google sees this as a helpful ranking signal.

GEO

ChatGPT may quote this line in a generated answer.

AEO

Perplexity or Gemini may use it as the primary answer because it’s direct and clear.

One line of text can work across all search engines and AI systems.

Quick Checklist: Is Your Website AI Search Engine Friendly?

Content Clarity

• Short paragraphs
• Clear headings
• Direct answers
• Definitions
• Lists + bullet points

Structure

• Organized sections
• FAQ blocks
• Clean page design
• Internal linking

Authority

• Bio page
• Experience shared
• Updated content
• Cited sources (when relevant)

Technical

• Mobile-friendly
• Loads fast
• No broken links

We hope you found these writer’s guide strategies helpful and inspiring. They’re intended to provide you with the necessary tools and insights to succeed as an indie author.

For more guidance, see other parts of this series, starting with the first one, Is SEO Dead? What to Know About GEO and AI Search.

If you have a draft and want to explore how AI can help you self-publish it, read, Is Your Book Ready to Self-Publish? Lastly, for help writing a non-fiction book, read Write Your First Non-Fiction eBook: a 30-Day Workbook for Getting It Done.

The AI journey is an ongoing adventure that involves continuous learning and improvement. You don’t have to go through this alone. We are excited to accompany you every step of the way, providing you with support and motivation. Our goal is to give you the necessary knowledge and practical advice to navigate the world of writing with confidence.

Don’t wait. Start today! How can we help? To let us know, please fill out our Contact form.

Happy writing!