Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer the dreamworld of science fiction novels or B-roll films at a local drive-in theatre. Modern AI systems are integrated into pretty much anything you look at online.
All the major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon use AI for everything from finding a captivating romance novel to locating the best-reviewed restaurants for when you take a trip to Bali.
One surprising feature of AI integration is the overviews the tech provides to people completing search requests. That is what we’re going to discuss today and how it can help your Australian not-for-profit organisation attract more visitors.
What is an AI Overview
Google is now using AI overviews regularly. It is a feature section above standard search engine results that quickly summarises what you’re searching for. Google’s AI systems generate it.
For example, if you typed in “What is an occasion dress in the UK,” you’d get a blurb created by AI stating:
“In the UK, an occasion dress refers to formal or semi-formal attire suitable for special events like weddings, parties, or the races.”
The AI uses website content from the top search results and combines them into a streamlined summary. The problem is that it’s taking visitors away from your website. Instead of reading a recent blog article or checking out your NFP services, a user can simply read the summary and move on.
What you need to do is make some adjustments so that even after someone reads these responses, they still want to check out what you do and how you impact a local community.
Ways to Make Your NFP Website AI-Ready
#1 – Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
AI overviews are built using LLMs (large language models). These models want to respond to the questions and search topics users enter. Using long-tail keywords helps your brand get mentioned in the summary because they are more relevant.
The trick is to have “greater citation potential.” AI doesn’t want the fastest response from only the top result. It wants a well-structured answer, and that is how you get included.
It’s like having a response to someone looking for brushing recommendations for a puppy, and your brand is listed as “PuppyPorch recommends . . .” Look at sites like AnswerThePublic or Google’s “people also ask” sections and directly answer those questions in your content.
#2 – Make the Structure Clear
An AI is a machine. It only thinks based on how it is programmed. People program these tools to scan your NFP website for information that is clearly outlined and organised. Whenever your content is disorganised or lacks structure, you risk losing out to AI-generated overviews.
A better way to go about it is to use semantic headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) in a natural and easy-to-understand way. Throw in some bullet points and short paragraphs. Ensure that all your content leads with value that engages the target audience, providing them with usable information and actionable steps from your website.
#3 – Maintain Balance
The days of pushing one idea or another are over. AI loves neutrality. If your content is crazily biased in one direction or another, it likely isn’t the best answer to fill in an overview.
Think of topic coverage as a “pros and cons” situation. Instead of focusing on a sales pitch for your NFP, provide the impact you offer the community and any risks or needs involved in donating, volunteering, or engaging with your services.
Include as many credible references as you can, and if you have business partners or newsworthy items, be sure to list them as well. AI looks more at your branding and reputation than if you recommend peanut butter over chocolate or vice versa.
#4 – Improve Technical SEO
For an AI to check out your NFP website, it must be able to crawl the content. This step is the same as if you were working with human eyes just as much with digital algorithms. You need to clean up any backend or page-related SEO. That can include:
- Repair broken links (free tool at https://www.deadlinkchecker.com/)
- Compress larger photos or images (https://imageresizer.com/image-compressor)
- Make sure your website is responsive to different devices (http://responsivetesttool.com/)
- Speed up server response time (https://tools.pingdom.com/)
- Keep XML sitemaps updated (https://www.xml-sitemaps.com/)
Those free tools will go a long way in boosting your website presence and increasing your chances of being featured in an AI overview. You should also utilise the free Google Search Console resources to resolve any 404 errors or redirect chains.
#5 – Switch to Evidence-Based Content
AI wants information it can cite. It’s kind of like a 5th-grade book report. The systems only want info from places that have statistics or data based on evidence.
These citations are known as “trust signals” to modern AI. That means it’s looking for recently updated information from well-known experts or authors with a long history of publishing similar content.
The way you make this work is by linking all your content to reputable sources. Toss in a few statistics from the National Disability Insurance Scheme or the World Health Organisation. Don’t be afraid to make some fresh charts or infographics that signal you are an authority in your niche.
#6 – Monitor Everything
Finally, if you want to get into AI overviews, you’ll have to monitor your content and how it is doing on search engines. These tools are still evolving, so you may need to adapt in real time to maintain your top search results positions.
Take advantage of SEO tools, visitation statistics, A/B testing trackers, and anything else that will tell what is ranking, what is being cited by AI, and what to adjust in the future.
Final Thoughts
AI is not going anywhere fast. For your NFP to keep pace with any competitors and not get lost in the search engine results mix, you’ll need to make some changes. These strategies should help ensure your brand remains an authority in your niche. That way, the next time you’re asking for donations or volunteers, people will know how to find you.
At Web 105, we want to help your website stay on top. Our experienced and professional website designers and developers utilise the latest technologies and trends to create a customised and mobile-responsive online presence tailored to your needs.
For years, we’ve worked with leading Australian healthcare providers, government agencies, and nonprofits. Let our expert team be your solution to an outstanding website, and contact us today for a consultation.
FAQs
How is AI used in web design?
AI is getting involved in all aspects of design and development. However, you still need human oversight to ensure the messaging and framework convey the emotional pull you want, which leads to better audience engagement.
How do I get an AI Overview?
You can check out what an AI overview looks like by typing anything into a browser using Google. It should appear at the top of the results.
Can I turn off Google AI Overview?
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely disable these overviews, but you can minimise them from showing up. You’ll need to adjust your browser settings to make that happen.