Making Your Website AI-Friendly: What Microsoft’s Advice Means for SEO in 2025

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the way we search online, businesses are being encouraged to rethink how their websites are structured and optimised. Microsoft, in particular, has been vocal about what it means to create an “AI-friendly” website — and their guidance offers some crucial takeaways for businesses looking to stay ahead in the evolving world of SEO.

At O’Brien Media, we’re always exploring how search trends impact our clients’ online visibility. In this article, we’ll break down Microsoft’s recent advice on AI-optimised websites and explain what it means for SEO — and how your business can adapt.

What Is an “AI-Friendly” Website?

In traditional SEO, the focus has long been on search engine algorithms — mainly Google — and optimising content around keywords, meta data, and backlinks. But with the rise of AI-driven search engines, like Bing’s integration of AI and tools like ChatGPT Search, websites now need to be structured in ways that also serve AI systems, not just human users or basic crawlers.

Microsoft’s advice highlights the growing importance of natural language, structure, clarity, and intent. These are the elements AI uses to understand, summarise, and present website content to users in an intelligent and conversational way.

At O’Brien Media, we specialise in helping businesses evolve their digital presence. Whether your website needs a full SEO overhaul or just a refresh to align with Microsoft’s AI-friendly principles, our team can help you. Share on X

Key Principles for an AI-Friendly SEO Strategy

Microsoft’s guidance for marketers outlines several core ideas that align closely with how AI processes and prioritises information. Here’s what they recommend — and how your website can keep up:

1. Focus on User Intent

Rather than simply targeting keywords, Microsoft advises businesses to consider what users are really searching for — the problem they’re trying to solve, or the question they’re asking. AI search engines use advanced language models to interpret the intent behind a query, so your website content needs to do the same.

What to do: Build content around common customer questions. Use topic clusters to group related content together, and think about the user journey when planning your site’s structure.

2. Use Natural, Conversational Language

AI engines are designed to understand natural language — the way people actually speak. Microsoft encourages website owners to write content in a more conversational tone, using plain English and question-based headings where appropriate.

What to do: Incorporate frequently asked questions into your pages, and use headers like “How can I…?” or “What is…?” to clearly guide both users and AI systems.

3. Structure Content Clearly

Clear structure makes it easier for AI to interpret and summarise content. Microsoft recommends using headings, bullet points, and schema markup to help AI systems understand how your content is organised.

What to do: Implement schema (like FAQ, HowTo, and Article markup) across your site, and use logical HTML structure with properly nested headings and labelled sections.

4. Keep Content Fresh

AI search tools are more responsive to content freshness than ever before. Microsoft supports tools like IndexNow, which allow websites to instantly notify search engines when new content is published or existing content is updated.

What to do: Regularly update your blog posts, case studies, and key landing pages. Use IndexNow or ensure your sitemap is kept current to help AI pick up your latest changes.

5. Build Trust and Authority

Credibility is vital in AI search, which relies heavily on signals of expertise, trustworthiness, and authority. Microsoft highlights the need to demonstrate real-world experience and provide reliable, verifiable information.

What to do: Include author bios, link to reputable sources, publish original insights or case studies, and make your company’s credentials easy to find.

6. Optimise for Crawling and Technical SEO

A technically sound website is still essential. Microsoft continues to stress the importance of clean site architecture, fast loading times, secure protocols, and easily indexable pages.

What to do: Review your website’s performance regularly. Use tools like Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor crawlability, and ensure URLs are well-structured and readable.

7. Prepare for Emerging Standards

Microsoft has also begun promoting the Natural Language Web (NLWeb), a new protocol that aims to make websites more accessible to AI agents. While still in early development, it represents the future of web architecture — one where AI agents don’t just crawl, but interact with websites directly.

What to do: Stay informed on emerging technologies like NLWeb and conversational APIs. When these become widely adopted, being early to implement them could give you a major SEO edge.

Why This Matters for Your Business

AI-powered search is not a future concept — it’s happening now. If your website isn’t designed with AI in mind, you risk missing out on traffic, leads, and visibility, even if your current SEO seems to be performing well.

Here’s why adapting to this new model is essential:

Increased visibility: AI tools now pull answers from websites, not just links. Structured, helpful content can earn you top placement in AI-generated responses.
Better user engagement: Content that clearly answers questions and is easy to navigate helps visitors find what they need quickly — and stay longer.
Future-proofing your SEO: As more users rely on AI tools for answers, the SEO strategies of the past may become less effective without adaptation.

How O’Brien Media Can Help

Review your site content and structure through the lens of AI-readiness
Implement schema and structured data
Improve technical SEO and site performance
Refresh outdated pages and create new content based on search intent
Stay informed on AI trends and apply them to your digital strategy

If you’re curious about how AI could impact your website — or want a personalised SEO audit to see how your site performs against Microsoft’s guidance — we’d love to help.

Ready to future-proof your SEO?

Get in touch with our team at [email protected] or via our contact us page and let’s make sure your website is ready for the future of search.