Making website content accessible and understandable to AI systems is essential for increasing visibility in AI-powered search and chat results. The following steps outline how to lay a strong foundation for successful AI optimization:
1. Update Your robots.txt
- Adjust the
robots.txtfile to ensure AI bots can crawl your site. - Add a comment pointing to sytem files like
sitemap.xmlandllms.txtfile for clarity and compliance.
Example robots.txt Entry:
User-agent: *Disallow:Allow: /# LLMs Files# llms.txt: https://ai.aeo.press/llms.txt# llms.json: https://ai.aeo.press/llms.jsonSitemap: https://www.aeo.press/sitemap.xml2. Add Structured Content and FAQs
- Create Q&A formatted content and AI answer pages optimized for automated parsing.
- Incorporate schema markup (e.g., FAQ, HowTo) to provide clear structure for AI.
3. Track and Continuously Improve
- Monitor AI chatbot interactions to gauge which content is attracting LLM attention.
- Iterate and refine content based on analytics and observed trends.
- Expand coverage by creating Query Fan Out pages to broaden your site's reach in AI-driven platforms.
BONUS. Create and Deploy a llms.txt File
Stay ahead of future LLM trends by including AI-focused files like llms.txt with supporting .txt or .md files.
- The
llms.txtfile guides AI bots to your most valuable resources, functioning similarly torobots.txtfor search engines. - It specifies which pages to index, which to exclude, and highlights key content for AI discovery.
- AI training bots are already using
.txtor.md.
Example llms.txt:
# aeo.pressaeo.pressaeo.press helps businesses improve their presence in Large Language Model (LLM) chat bots. The platform bridges the gap between businesses and LLM platforms by optimizing content for LLM consumption, providing analytics on customer interactions, and offering tools to continuously improve chatbot responses.- AEO 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Answer Engine Optimization This article introduces Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), explaining its importance in the age of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. It covers what AEO is, why it matters, its key components, and practical steps to get started. https://ai.aeo.press/aeo-101-a-beginner-s-guide-to-answer-engine-optimization.txt...Take Action:
Begin tracking AI chatbot and LLM referrals with aeo.press to monitor and enhance your site's AI presence.
Starting with these foundational steps ensures your website is accessible to AI and well-positioned to appear in relevant AI-generated responses.