Your Website Matters More in the Age of AI

While Generative AI has been shaking up the technology industry for the past few years, instilling uncertainty about the direction digital marketing and website development will take, I’m here to help you take a step back. I know it has been scary for many website marketing teams to see their traffic drop significantly over the past few months, as some people are getting in the habit of querying ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews. As the internet is always in a state of flux and evolution, it’s important to pause and reflect on why an investment in your website matters more now than ever.

As the founder of a website development company, I have a keen interest in understanding why investing in your website is even more important now in an AI-driven landscape. Based on my research, I would like to offer you six reasons why investing in your website, making some adjustments, and planning for what’s ahead makes a lot of sense right now.

1. Your website is your digital headquarters

There was a time when social media was going to make websites irrelevant, and that reality never happened. While people spend a lot of time on social media, if they want to learn more about you and what you offer, they will likely visit your website. The same is true for AI platforms, while someone may explore general information about your organization, they will still visit your website when they want to learn more, buy a ticket or make a donation.

Your website is the place for definitive information, your unique point of view and your brand presented exactly the way you want. Without your strong presence, you are fleeting content on someone else’s platform. Your website is the one place where you have complete control and where you can maintain and build long-lasting relationships.

2. Focus on authenticity and trust, over speed and generic content

While some organizations are choosing to use AI to increase the speed at which they can work and the volume of content they can create, others prefer to focus on developing unique content that will stand out and shine. By investing in developing original and authentic content and stories for your website, you position yourself as distinct from others. Your website is a place where you can be 100% yourself and by realizing it is at the core of your digital experience, don’t let it be an afterthought in your online investment.

Gen AI tools do have a role to play in the development of unique content, and that’s by assisting you in the development of ideas, concepts and perspectives you may not have considered. While some people are using AI for tons of generic content, focusing on human-centric digital experiences, you will build trust in your brand and increase the affinity your users and customers have with it. AI is also good at gathering information and facts, but less so when it comes to your brand, voice or style. By telling interesting and engaging stories and providing a high-quality user experience, you can deepen relationships with your visitors.

3. The old rules for SEO still apply, and future-proof your website

Currently, AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Google’s Gemini routinely scrape the internet in response to user queries. And while some people are starting to think about how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) can and will affect how your information is consumed and displayed in Gen AI tools, traditional Search Engine Optimization rules still apply. While some people will always try to find ways to game the system to increase their presence, following technical and content-related best practices will be your best bet for being presented and indexed well in search and AI tools.

Keeping your site well-optimized, structured, and up to date will ensure that you are perceived as you want others to see you. It’s a way to ensure that you are future-proofing your visibility, regardless of how the technology around you evolves.

4. Let’s not assume that AI search will stay as is

With the current Gen AI platforms built on the backs of information they constantly gather from the internet, the assumption that the current status quo won’t change may be shortsighted.

As content creators push back against the unauthorized use of their content, we can expect more limitations on how AI platforms utilize your content. For example, Cloudflare, a major content delivery network (CDN) platform, has by default now limited AI bot access to websites hosted on their platform which means that AI platforms may have to adjust the way they deliver or link to information sources and websites.

Additionally, AI platforms, like search engines before them, will need to find a way to monetize their business so we can expect they will find ways to encourage ad placement or some similar differentiation of content based on some financial transaction. As a result, some of the walls that block users from continuing on to your website directly may fall.

5. Use AI to enhance your website user experience

While the first thoughts people have about using AI on their website often default to chatbots and content generation, there are other, inventive ways to consider incorporating AI tools into your website process. The goal should be to discover ways that you can use AI to enhance the work you are doing to be more productive, efficient and adaptive.

For example, we collaborated with the Canadian Encyclopedia to develop AI tools to support their editorial process. Rather than use AI to replace their creative writing process, they used it to offer recent information from vetted primary sources for inspiration. This way they could be sure of the accuracy of the information presented and then give the professional writer the information they needed to do what they do best, which is write. By focusing on one specific use case, rather than trying to do the job that a professional writer is uniquely skilled at doing, we enabled their team to do their work better.

6. Quality website traffic is not dropping, it’s changing

Over the last few months, since Google has globally implemented its AI Overview, most websites have reported a large drop in traffic. With users of Gen AI tools, a lot of the time, they stop their exploration with the query and result presented and do not move forward to the reference website that informed the result. For many people, this seems like a scary prospect, but we actually see it as an opportunity. The users who take the time to visit your website are more likely to want to engage with you. We see these users as more curious and therefore more qualified and more likely to be the audience you want to engage with.

By focusing on the quality and not quantity of traffic your site is getting, you can invest in your visitors on what they truly are interested in and serve them without distraction.

Your Website Matters More in the Age of AI

Over the past 30 years, I have worked professionally on numerous internet-related projects, witnessing a range of technical disruptions, some significant and others minor. In the case of Generative AI, this technology will evolve and reshape the way we use the internet, but not destroy it. Some of the rules will change, but at the heart people are and will continue to be using the internet to learn, discover and find new ways to improve themselves and their lives.

Everyone is looking for experiences and connections, and you, your company, and your organization exist to do just that. It’s your job to invest in creating the digital brand experience, on your platforms that best represent you, your mission and your values. How people get there, and how they choose to connect with you is on their terms. It’s up to you to make it as easy and seamless as possible. So, continue to invest in the platform that is the heart of everything you do online, your website.