Web design and development are changing fast. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews are rewriting the rules of how people find and judge websites. Instead of showing a list of links, these tools read your site, interpret it, and decide whether your content deserves to be part of an answer.

That means websites must evolve. Design, structure, content, and technical foundations all play a bigger role than ever. At Globe Runner, we design, build, and rebuild websites to meet these new standards. In this blog, we explore best practices for AI-friendly web design and development. Keep reading to learn how websites must change to perform well in generative AI searches — now and in the future.  

The Shift: From Traditional Search to Generative AI

Old search engines rewarded keywords, backlinks, mobile-friendliness, and decent content. Those things still matter, but generative AI adds new layers.

AI systems:

• Scan your entire page, not just snippets.
  
• Extract meaning and facts.
  
• Measure clarity, accuracy, and structure.
  
• Compare your content with other sources.
  
• Generate answers based on what they understand.
  

If your site does not speak clearly to both humans and machines, it gets left out.

This is forcing major changes in how websites are designed and built.

Change #1: Design Must Support Clear, Structured Content

Generative AI needs well-organized information. Website design now must emphasize simplicity and clarity.

What this means for modern web design:

• Cleaner layouts
  
• Clear visual hierarchy
  
• Strong use of headings
  
• Shorter text blocks and readable typography
  
• More focus on purpose and intent
  

Designers now build layouts that help AI understand the page as well as human visitors.

Best practices for AI-readable website design and development focus on creating layouts that highlight key content and guide both users and AI models through your information.

Change #2: Development Must Prioritize Semantic HTML

AI tools rely heavily on structure. Semantic HTML tells AI what each part of your site represents.

Examples:

• <header> and <nav> provide navigation context
  
• <article> and <section> define content blocks
  
• proper <h1>–<h6> tags show hierarchy
  
• <figure> and <figcaption> describe visuals
  

This is no longer “nice to have.” It is essential.

Websites built with sloppy or bloated code risk being misunderstood by AI systems. Good development practices ensure machines interpret your content accurately.

Best practices for AI-friendly website development include a focus on clean, semantic, AI-friendly code that helps AI systems fully understand your content.

Change #3: Performance and Speed Matter More Than Ever

Fast websites don’t just improve user experience — they help AI tools read your site more effectively.

Generative AI tools often scan sites in real-time or near real-time. Slow or heavy pages may:

• Not load fully during crawling
  
• Reduce trust signals
  
• Get skipped or replaced by better-performing competitors
  

Modern performance standards include:

• Optimized images
  
• Minimized scripts
  
• Reduced layout shifts
  
• Fast server response times
  
• Optimized Core Web Vitals
  

AI-friendly websites are designed and developed for speed from the ground up.

Change #4: Accessibility Is Now an AI Ranking Factor

Accessibility was once about user experience alone. Now it affects generative AI visibility.

Accessible sites are easier for AI models to interpret.

Accessibility elements AI relies on:

• Alt text describing images
  
• Clear headings
  
• Transcripts for videos and audio
  
• Readable color contrast
  
• Logical navigation
  

If your site is not accessible, AI tools may misunderstand your content — or ignore it completely.

Best practices for AI-readable website design include ensuring the website aligns with WCAG and modern accessibility standards.

Change #5: Websites Must Use Structured Data to Communicate with AI

Structured data (schema markup) is the closest thing to a direct language for talking to AI systems.

It labels your content so AI tools know exactly what it is.

Examples:

• Product details
  
• FAQs
  
• Services
  
• Reviews
  
• Business information
  
• Articles and authors
  

Without structured data, your site blends into the noise. With it, AI tools can:

• Trust your information.
  
• Quote you as a source.
  
• Feature your content in generated answers.
  

AI-friendly website development includes implementing accurate schema that is easily understood.

Change #6: Content Must Be Written for AI Interpretation

AI-generated search is rewriting content rules.

Websites now need:

• Clear, direct language
  
• Well-defined sections
  
• Question-and-answer formats
  
• Consistent terminology
  
• Content that shows depth and expertise
  

Generative AI pulls from pages that explain things well.

Thin content loses. Helpful content wins.

AI-optimized websites contain content specifically designed to perform well in  AI summaries and answer engines.

Change #7: Authority and Trust Signals Are More Important

AI needs to know it can trust your website. Design and development now must highlight credibility.

This means:

• Listing authors and credentials
  
• Citing sources
  
• Showing reviews and testimonials
  
• Providing transparent business info
  
• Improving internal linking
  

AI systems look for clarity and reliability. Websites must signal both.

Change #8: Ongoing Optimization Is Required

Generative AI evolves quickly. Your website cannot stay stagnant.

AI optimization is a growing field that is becoming increasingly important. Digital marketing agencies like Globe Runner are now offering AI optimization services alongside traditional SEO. Companies that ignore AI optimization risk falling behind competitors who are actively improving their visibility in AI-driven search experiences.

Designers and developers must:

• Update structure as standards shift.
  
• Refine content as AI models change.
  
• Monitor performance and accessibility.
  
• Adjust the schema to new opportunities.
  

These are no longer optional updates — they are essential steps in keeping a website visible across platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews.

Globe Runner provides ongoing optimization to keep websites competitive in AI-driven search environments. We also offer dedicated AI optimization services to help businesses adapt to this rapidly changing landscape.

Why AI Performance Tracking Matters

Knowing how your site performs in AI-generated searches is now just as important as tracking traditional SEO metrics. AI platforms choose which sites to reference, summarize, or recommend — and those choices can dramatically impact visibility.

To support this need, both Globe Runner clients and other businesses can access BrandVisibility.ai, our new AI performance tracking tool.

What BrandVisibility.ai does:

• Monitors how often your website appears in generative AI answers
  
• Shows which AI platforms reference your content (ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and more)
  
• Tracks competitors’ performance in AI results
  
• Identifies opportunities to improve AI visibility
  
• Helps measure the impact of AI optimization and SEO strategies
  

BrandVisibility.ai gives companies clear insight into how AI systems view, interpret, and surface their content — allowing them to make smarter optimization decisions and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Best Practices for AI-Friendly Websites

As generative AI becomes central to discovery, certain best practices for AI-friendly websites are emerging. These practices help both users and AI models understand and trust your content.

Core best practices for AI-friendly websites include:

• Use clear, structured layouts that guide both readers and AI.
  
• Write in short, direct sentences that are easy for models to interpret.
  
• Implement complete and accurate structured data.
  
• Maintain fast performance and strong Core Web Vitals.
  
• Follow accessibility standards that enhance machine understanding.
  
• Present trustworthy, expert-driven content.
  
• Keep code clean, semantic, and well-organized.
  

These best practices will improve a website’s visibility across platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews.

The Future: Websites Will Be Built for Two Audiences

Going forward, every website must work for:

1. Human visitors, who need fast, beautiful, helpful pages.
   
2. AI systems, which decide whether humans ever see your site at all.
   

This is the new reality.

Websites that don’t adapt will disappear from discovery. Those that evolve — with strong design, smart development, fast performance, rich structure, and clear content — will thrive.At Globe Runner, our website design and website development teams build websites prepared for this future. Let us help you build a site made for both people and machines.Schedule a call today to learn more.