Website Design for Google’s AI Experiences in 2026
Search now includes AI features that summarise results and link the sources they trust. Good website design makes your site the easy choice to quote, without harming UX or classic SEO. AI features now summarise queries and cite the sources they trust. The right design choices make your pages easy to scan, simple to quote, and still focused on conversion.
Make key facts visible in HTML, lead with answer-first sections, and use stable anchors so deep links land in the right place. Done well, you keep qualified clicks you’ve already paid for and shorten the path from search to enquiry.
What does “LLM‑ready website design” mean in 2026?
LLM‑ready website design means your key content is visible in raw HTML, structured with clear entities, and written with an answer‑first style so AI systems and users can pick up the same facts fast. Done well, you can earn more citations in AI features, keep qualified clicks, and may improve conversion rates on the traffic you keep.
How do your rank in AI Overviews?
Google’s AI features (AI Overviews and AI Mode) surface relevant links to help people explore results. Clear definitions, consistent terms, and stable sections can make a page easier to reference. That means your headings, summaries, tables, and key claims need to be easy to quote and consistent across the site.
How to structure your content to rank in AI
Open each section with a two-sentence answer, then expand with evidence. Keep key facts in visible HTML rather than images or script-loaded widgets. Add named anchors so citations and deep links resolve cleanly.
Google keeps adding AI views in Search, so answer‑first sections and named anchors matter more every month. Clear, answer‑first sections and named anchors make your pages easier to cite in these UIs. Bing’s Copilot is also expanding answer views and source cards. The same answer‑first, anchor‑led layout helps you earn citations there.
While Google continues to lead search traffic, Bing’s Copilot and ChatGPT also surface and cite well-structured pages.
How do Bing Copilot and ChatGPT surface and cite your pages?
Microsoft Copilot (in Bing and Edge) and ChatGPT’s browsing rely on Bing’s index and surface sources as footnoted links or cards. They favour pages with server-rendered HTML, clear H2/H3 question–answer blocks, stable named anchors, and reusable tables for specifications and pricing.
What to implement
- Answer-first sections with a two-sentence takeaway that matches search intent.
- Stable anchors (for example, #pricing, #specifications) so deep links land cleanly.
- Key data in HTML: specifications, pricing, definitions, and glossaries (avoid image-only tables or JavaScript-injected copy).
- Consistent terminology across the site so models resolve entities reliably.
- Downloadable artefacts: PDF or CSV mirrors of tables to support RAG and enterprise assistants.
Why this works
Copilot and ChatGPT summarise and cite sources that present concise answers and structured facts. Clean anchors and tables increase the chance your content is quoted and that the link points to the exact section that converts.
As you may realise, this is similar to how you will want to structure your content for Google’s AI Overviews also. Ranking in all AI platforms typically follows the same base principles of structuring your content in a clear and available format.
How do you structure your website’s content to be visible to AI and search engines?
In modern website design, render primary copy server‑side or pre‑render it so crawlers and AI systems can see it on first load. Keep headings, summaries, and tables in HTML. Client‑side polish is fine. Hiding key copy behind heavy JavaScript is not.
Quick checks for healthy site:
- View source on a key page. Can you see the hero copy, H1 to H3, and any key table in the HTML?
- For consistency ensure the content is already in the initial HTML across the page.
- Track Core Web Vitals so pages render quickly and consistently.
- In Search Console, run URL Inspection on a key page and open the rendered HTML. If the hero copy or a key table is missing, fix that before you tweak on-page copy.
Avoid dynamic rendering as a long‑term fix. Google treats it as a workaround, not a recommended solution, and it adds fragility at scale. Favour SSR or pre‑rendering so key copy ships in the initial HTML and crawlers (and AI systems) see it on first load.
What structured data helps AI understand your pages?
In website design, use structured data (such as Schema Markup) so machines can read what the page is, who wrote it, and what it offers. Start with Organisation, WebSite, WebPage, and Service or Product, then add FAQ or How‑To where it fits. Keep names, job titles, and service labels consistent across the site so models resolve them correctly.
Schema Markup Implementation notes
- Build a schema map that lists page types, the properties each need, and who owns each one.
- Add author bios with role and expertise for trust.
- Validate markup and log warnings so your team can fix issues quickly.
Why does an answer‑first layout perform better in AI features?
Lead with the answer. Open key sections with a concise, two or three sentence conclusion that matches the searcher’s intent.
Answer‑led layouts reduce bounce on service pages and move more readers to pricing and enquiry CTAs. Then support it with steps, examples, and proof. This gives AI features a clean line to cite and helps human readers move faster.
Draft the two‑sentence answer first, then write the rest of the section to support it. If you cannot fit the answer in two sentences, you do not have one yet.
How to draft answer-first sections
Write short, active sentences. Put the takeaway in the first two lines of the section. Add named anchors for recurring questions so links resolve to the answer.
How should you control AI crawlers without hurting SEO?
Keep Googlebot allowed for search, then manage AI training and grounding access with clear rules. Publish a short policy that says what you allow, what you block, and why. In robots and server controls, decide how you treat major AI bots. Record the decision, test it, and review quarterly as needs change.
Tips from specialists
Publish a short AI-bot policy, share it with legal and marketing, and review quarterly. If you allow training, say so; if you deny it, explain the balance between discovery and rights. Rate-limit aggressive crawlers to protect performance.
Will blocking Google‑Extended hurt Google Search?
Google states that Google‑Extended controls use for Gemini and Vertex AI training and grounding, and it does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google Search.
Will an evergreen landing page perform if you follow these principles?
It can, when the right conditions are in place. The page needs to ship its core copy in HTML, answer the query in the first two sentences, and load fast. It also needs clear entities, early proof, and a next step.
Conditions for lift
- Indexable content in HTML
- Strong intent match
- Clean internal links from related pages
- Proof near the fold
What this does not fix on its own
- Weak domain authority against entrenched competitors
- A SERP that prefers tools or local listings
- Thin evidence
In those cases, add a content cluster that supports the page, improve internal links, and earn credible references.
How this connects to writing blogs and website copy
This is where Content Marketing builds the cluster and internal links, and Search Engine Optimisation handles technical health, Core Web Vitals, and schema so the page can compete.
Why work with Iconic on LLM‑ready website design?
Our website design approach focuses on clarity and crawlability. The outcome we aim for is a site that is easier to cite in AI features and converts the traffic you keep more reliably. Done well, this can help protect branded traffic, increase the likelihood of citations, and create a shorter path from search to enquiry.
Want a practical plan? Book a Free Website Audit. Our SEO and website experts audit your site, track what competitors are doing, and surface search opportunities you can act on.