Introduction

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the practice of adapting and improving your website's structure and content to help it rank higher on search engines. Crucially, SEO can be the difference between being seen online and getting lost in a sea of the same.

You don’t have to be a multi-million dollar brand to appear in search results. By refining your website so search engines can understand your content and reference it, smaller companies can compete with larger brands, even ones with more established reputations.

But in 2026, SEO has started to change. Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and AI Search Optimisation are about structuring your content so AI prioritises it when answering user search queries in AI-generated summaries. Think about the last time you searched a question and then scrolled to choose a website that Google’s AI summary hadn’t already suggested in its breakdown?

What Are the Key Changes?

• User Intent: AI focuses on interpreting the context behind search queries, instead of just answering them at face value. It prioritises content that understands why a user has made that search.

• AI-Generated Summaries: Now that AI can provide concise answers using several sources, many searches are zero-click. The focus is on adapting your content so AI cites your website in its response.

• Useful Content: It’s no longer enough to fill your content with keywords; it now needs to genuinely answer a user query for AI to deem it useful.

• Credibility: Including references and citations from reputable sources shows that your content is reliable and worth surfacing.

• Content Structure: Clear headings, subheadings, bullet points, and short sentences make it easier for AI to extract and summarise.

Making your content digestible, accessible, and trustworthy encourages AI to select it to answer user queries. As SEO evolves alongside AI Search Optimisation, it’s now not just about what you say, but how you present it. Using podcast metadata and JSON-LD for audio are examples of tools that can help audio content and podcasts be discovered by AI.

Read on to learn how to optimise your website or audio content for SEO, AEO, and Large Language Models (LLMs).

Implementing Schema Markup

It sounds more intimidating than it actually is. Schema markup is essentially about adding specific ‘tags’ into the HTML of your website or webpage where your podcast is hosted. This helps search engines like Google understand your content and surface it in results.

What actually is a schema markup?

When search engines analyse your content, they use schema markup to read it. Think of it as a specialised code that explains what your content actually means.

As humans, we use intuition and context to interpret content. Search engines, however, don't have this instinct. Instead, they rely on schema markup to clearly define what they’re looking at.

For example, a human can recognise a recipe from listed ingredients and steps. A search engine needs schema markup to make that same connection.

JSON-LD is a structured data format used to describe audio content like podcasts and interviews. It uses key aspects of podcast metadata (such as title and creator) to define content clearly, helping search engines surface audio snippets and spotlight your content.

Why should I use schema markup?

If you want your content to appear in search results, you need to work with search engines. As AI summaries and auto-generated results reshape the search experience, it’s more important than ever to structure your content so both AI and search engines can understand it.

Schema markup improves how your content appears in results, presenting information in a clear and more structured way. It helps users see key details at a glance, improving visibility and click-through rates, and increasing site traffic.

How to use schema markup?

To add schema markup to your website, you can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. Choose a schema type, enter your URL, and click “Start Tagging”. From there, highlight the sections you want to markup and assign the relevant labels. Once you’ve done this, click “Create HTML” and copy and paste it into your website’s HTML.

You can test whether your markup works using Google's Rich Results Test tool.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can also generate schema markup for you - but be cautious, as it could be subject to errors.

Optimising Content For LLM Discovery

Large Language Models (LLMs) are changing the search landscape. Optimising for LLM discovery helps you rank in AI summaries and AI-generated search results. When used in conjunction with SEO and AI Search Optimisation, this keeps your content visible as AI becomes more prominent.

Writing for LLMs is about writing more intentionally - you don’t need to completely change how you write, you just need to know how to strategically structure and adapt your content for maximum clarity.

• Schema Markup: Use structured data or metadata to add tags, alt text, and specific content types, giving LLMs the context about your content.

• FAQs or Q&As: As most users ask direct questions, a question-and-answer format makes your content an easier source for LLMs to cite.

• Internal Links: Use descriptive internal links so both users and AI know exactly where you’re directing them to.

• Descriptive Alt Text: Helps accessibility and gives AI a clear understanding of visual content.

Podcasts are strong evergreen content but it’s important to stay updated. Regularly update links, statistics, and descriptions so they remain relevant for users and AI.

Semantic Search Intent

Semantic search focuses on understanding the meaning and intent behind a query, instead of just matching keywords. By considering context, location, and previous searches, the search engine delivers more relevant results.

For example, searching “durable hiking backpacks” would provide results for backpacks with particular materials and assets, even if the keywords don’t match.

Similarly, “good hikes near me” would return results tailored to the user’s location, with recommendations on activities and accessibility details.

Direct Answer Snippets

Also called a “featured snippet”, these summarise answers to queries at the top of search results.

You may be familiar with Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), which compiles information from trustworthy sources into digestible summaries. For podcasters, this means that if your podcast’s metadata, transcripts, show notes, and JSON-LD schema are clear and well-structured, SGE is more likely to cite your content when answering user queries.

To increase your chances of being featured you can:

• Integrate Ranking Keywords: Use tools like Ahrefs and Moz to find keywords that are performing well, and incorporate these into your content.

• Use Metadata: Use structured podcast metadata to tell search engines and AI crucial information about your podcast that will help understanding (host, creator, duration, topic).

• Adopt a Q&A Format: Ensure your content answers common user questions in a digestible, concise way to increase the chances of your content being selected for a featured snippet.

• Optimise Show Notes and Transcripts: Structure show notes to answer specific questions and ensure transcripts are complete and accurate so AI can scan and reference them.

Conclusion

The rapid development of AI is transforming how users search for and consume information. But there are still ways to refine your content so it continues to surface in search results and AI-generated summaries.

In 2026, keywords still count but they’re no longer enough. Emulating conversational language, including reputable sources, directly answering queries, and formatting your content clearly all help search engines and AI scan and reference your content more effectively.

In the increasingly saturated podcast industry, having a strong SEO and AI Search Optimisation strategy can set you apart from competitors and help your content get seen.