Part 1: The Mindset Shift Websites Need to Make
Hey friends — Sandy here. 👋
If it feels like the conversation around AI showed up overnight, you’re not imagining it. One minute we were talking about Google rankings and social media algorithms, and the next minute AI tools are summarizing websites, answering questions, and shaping what people see before they ever click a link.
That shift has left a lot of organizations wondering what this means for their websites — especially smaller teams, nonprofits, and groups that don’t have time or budget for constant overhauls.
This post is the first in a short, practical series about adapting your website to the world of AI. It’s intentionally non-technical and focused on what actually matters right now — not trends for the sake of trends.
Here’s where this series is headed:
- Part 2: AI-Friendly Website Updates You Can Make Without a Redesign
- Part 3: Simple Website Tweaks That Help AI Understand You Better
- Part 4: What I’m Actually Updating on Client Websites in 2026 (and Why)
But before we get into tactics, tools, or updates, there’s an important mindset shift that needs to happen first.
First, a mindset shift (this is the big one)
For a long time, websites were built mainly with one goal in mind: ranking on Google.
That still matters — but it’s no longer the whole picture.
Today, your website is being read and interpreted by:
Google
Bing
AI tools (like AI search summaries, Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT, Grok, and others)
And, of course, real humans who are often stressed, busy, or overwhelmed
AI doesn’t “browse” your site the way a person does. It scans, summarizes, and pulls answers.
So the question becomes:
Can your website clearly answer real questions — in plain language — without someone digging for it?
If the answer is “kind of” or “it depends,” that’s usually where improvement is needed.
Your website is no longer just a brochure
This is an important shift.
Websites used to function mainly as digital brochures:
“Here’s who we are”
“Here’s what we do”
“Here’s how to contact us”
Those things still matter. But now your website also needs to act like:
A help desk
A trusted explainer
A calm, steady voice in a noisy online world
AI systems tend to favor websites that:
Explain things clearly
Don’t avoid difficult or sensitive topics
Use natural, conversational language
Are transparent and straightforward
If your content feels vague, overly polished, or full of buzzwords, both AI tools and real users tend to move on quickly.
Part 1: The Mindset Shift Websites Need to Make
One of the biggest gaps I see right now is this:
Websites are often written the way organizations speak internally — not the way people search or ask questions.
✔️For example, people don’t usually type:
“Comprehensive pregnancy-related services in my region”
✔️They type:
“I’m pregnant and don’t know what to do.”
AI tools are designed to recognize natural language, which means your website content should reflect how people actually think and speak.
✔️Helpful language sounds like:
“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s normal.”
“A lot of people feel stuck at this point.”
“Here’s what usually helps first.”
This isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about making information accessible and human. It’s about speaking to your target audience. It’s about being real.
Your website should sound like you, speaking clearly to the people you’re trying to help — not like a marketing brochure trying to impress someone.
Clear answers matter more than clever wording
Here’s a simple test that applies to both people and AI:
Could someone land on this page for the first time, skim for 30 seconds, and understand what you offer?
If not, AI tools likely won’t understand it either.
Things that help:
Headlines that actually say something
Short paragraphs
Clear subheadings that answer real questions
FAQ sections that are easy to find and specific
Things that usually hurt:
Buzzwords
Long blocks of text
“Marketing language” that avoids clarity
AI is very good at identifying clear, direct information — and very quick to ignore confusion.
FAQs are suddenly very powerful (again)
I know — FAQs feel old. But right now? They’re gold.
Why FAQs
Good FAQs sound like real questions
Most important!
Transparency builds trust (with people and AI)
This one matters a lot.
AI systems are designed to avoid misleading content. That means they look for:
- Clear disclaimers
- Honest explanations
- No bait‑and‑switch language
Be upfront, explain clearly what you offer, and be careful not to be misleading. This will increase engagement, and people will feel respected.
What do you need most? — You need better structure!
I’m not here to tell you to write 50 blog posts.
While it’s important to keep your site relevant with blogs, while blogs are important, there is more —
Your website might have these problems:
- Hard to scan
- Poorly organized
- Missing clear headings
Simple fixes:
- One main idea per page
- One or two clear call‑to‑action blocks
- Logical page flow
- Internal links that actually guide people
AI systems reward structure almost as much as the content itself.
Final thought…
If all of this feels like a lot, take a breath. (I promise I got you… We can do this.)
You don’t need to chase every AI trend or rebuild your website from scratch.
What does help:
- Writing clearly
- Speaking honestly
- Answering real questions
- Making your site easier to understand than your competitors’.
That approach works for:
- Bing
- AI tools
- And, most importantly, real people
Watch for PART 2 — where I walk through practical, low‑lift updates you can make without touching the whole site.
As always, happy to talk it through. 💛
Set up an Appointment on my Link Below 🙂
— Sandy
Account Director/Production Director
iRapture.com