Fix These 10 AI Search Mistakes We See Every Week

If AI search (AISO) isn’t surfacing your pages—or worse, it’s summarizing your competitors—you’re probably making a few of these ai search mistakes. Here’s the no-fluff list plus fast fixes you can knock out this week.

1. Answer buried 6 paragraphs down
   Why it hurts: AI and humans skim; your best answer never gets quoted.
   Quick win: Open every page with a 1–2 sentence, answer-first summary.
2. No E-E-A-T signals on key pages
   Why it hurts: AI favors experience, expertise, authority, trust.
   Quick win: Add bylines, credentials, licenses/badges, local proof, and a “Why trust us” box.
3. Thin, generic content that says what everyone says
   Why it hurts: If it’s not unique, AI won’t prefer it over competitors.
   Quick win: Add first-party proof (photos, costs, timelines, model numbers, real FAQs).
4. Missing structured data
   Why it hurts: Search can’t read your info cleanly, so AI won’t pull it.
   Quick win: Add JSON-LD for LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, HowTo (and Product for pricing).
5. Out-of-date pages with no freshness signals
   Why it hurts: Stale pages get skipped in AI answers.
   Quick win: Update quarterly, show “Updated: Month Year,” refresh stats, re-internal-link from new posts.
6. Orphan pages and weak internal links
   Why it hurts: AI can’t map your topical authority.
   Quick win: Build topic hubs; link down to details and back up; use descriptive, intent-rich anchors.
7. Slow site and media bloat
   Why it hurts: Speed is table stakes; slow pages lose visibility and conversions.
   Quick win: Compress to WebP, lazy-load video, trim scripts, enable CDN/caching; target LCP < 2.5s mobile.
8. Inconsistent NAP and service areas
   Why it hurts: Trust drops when name/address/phone or coverage don’t match.
   Quick win: Standardize NAP in footer and schema, align GBP service areas, fix top citations.
9. Skipping reviews, Q&A, and safety content
   Why it hurts: AI prefers pages with real customer language and risk/cost clarity.
   Quick win: Add reviews and a Q&A block with “Is it safe?”, “What’s the cost?”, “DIY vs pro?” sections.
10. Over-automated writing with zero human edit
    Why it hurts: Robotic copy fails tone and fact checks; AI won’t cite it.
    Quick win: Human-edit every draft; add local examples, pricing ranges, process steps, and a clear CTA.

Quick Audit Checklist

• Start each page with a 1–2 sentence answer-first summary.
• Add E-E-A-T: byline, credentials, trust badges, local proof.
• Include unique proof: photos, costs, timelines, job specifics, real FAQs.
• Add schema: LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, HowTo (and Product/pricing if relevant).
• Show an “Updated: Month Year” date and refresh top pages quarterly.
• Build topic hubs; fix orphan pages; use descriptive, intent-rich internal links.
• Improve speed: compress images (WebP), lazy-load video, enable caching/CDN; target LCP <2.5s mobile.
• Standardize NAP in footer + schema; align Google Business Profile service areas; fix citations.
• Add reviews, Q&A, and “Safety/Cost/DIY vs Pro” sections on key pages.
• Do a human edit for clarity, tone, facts, and a strong page-specific CTA.
  

Want Us To Fix Your AI Search Mistakes For You?

Skip the DIY. We’ll handle everything that makes a site AI search-friendly: rewrite your service pages with clear, answer-first copy, add the right schema, build smart internal links, fix speed issues, clean up NAP/citations, and plug in real proof (reviews, safety/cost FAQs, local photos). You get more spots in AI answers—and more calls. Hire our team to do it for you.

AI Search Mistakes FAQs