10 Steps to Make Your Website AI-Ready
Brett Tudor, Head of Search
July 6, 2026
B2B industrial businesses have for most of the past two decades relied on a combination of brand awareness and search engines to generate enquiries online. A well-optimised website, good technical SEO and strong rankings on Google were enough to attract buyers researching suppliers.
Today, that buying journey is changing.
Procurement teams, engineers are increasingly using AI-powered search tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews and Gemini to research suppliers, compare manufacturers and find expert recommendations before they ever visit a website.
Instead of presenting a list of links, AI provides direct answers.
- It recommends suppliers.
- It compares businesses.
- It explains manufacturing capabilities.
And in many cases, it decides which companies deserve to be part of the conversation.
The question manufacturers should now be asking isn’t simply:
“How do we rank higher on Google?”
It’s:
“Will AI recommend our business when a customer asks who the best supplier is?”
Recent research from Semrush’s AI Visibility Index suggests that manufacturers need to think beyond traditional SEO if they want to remain visible online. Here are ten practical steps every manufacturing business should be taking.
- Continue Investing in SEO
Despite what you may have heard, SEO isn’t becoming less important.
It’s becoming the foundation of AI search.
AI platforms still rely heavily on well-structured websites, technical optimisation and authoritative content when deciding which businesses to reference.
Without solid SEO foundations, AI has fewer reasons to trust your website as a reliable source of information.
Continue investing in:
- Technical SEO
- Fast-loading websites
- Clear website architecture
- Optimised service pages
- High-quality backlinks
- Helpful, informative content
SEO is no longer just about rankings, it’s about making your business easy for AI to understand.
- Become the Expert in Your Manufacturing Niche
One of the biggest findings from the report is that specialist businesses outperform generalists.
AI prefers companies that are clearly recognised for doing one thing exceptionally well.
Rather than trying to be known for every manufacturing process, position your business as the expert in your area of specialism.
For example:
- Precision CNC machining
- Sheet metal fabrication
- Injection moulding
- Aerospace manufacturing
- Pharmaceutical packaging
- Bespoke automation systems
- Contract manufacturing
When someone asks AI for recommendations, it needs to understand exactly what your business does and who it’s best suited to help.
The clearer your expertise, the greater your chance of being recommended.
- Publish Content That Only Your Business Can Create
AI can generate thousands of generic blog posts and so can most businesses now.
But it can’t replicate decades of manufacturing experience unique to your business.
Instead of publishing content simply to fill your website, create resources that showcase your expertise and provide genuine value.
This could include:
- Customer case studies
- Engineering problem-solving guides
- Material comparison articles
- Design for Manufacture (DFM) advice
- Manufacturing tolerances explained
- Factory walkthroughs
- Quality assurance processes
- Frequently asked technical questions
- Videos demonstrating production capabilities
The more unique your content is, the more valuable it becomes to both search engines and AI.
If your competitors could copy it in an afternoon, it’s probably not enough.
- Make Sure Your Brand Tells the Same Story Everywhere
Your website is no longer the only place AI learns about your business.
It also gathers information from:
- Google Business Profile
- Industry directories
- Trade association websites
- Supplier listings
- News articles
- Customer reviews
- Social media
If each platform describes your business differently, AI receives conflicting information.
Your manufacturing capabilities, industries served, certifications and messaging should remain consistent across every digital touchpoint.
Consistency builds confidence.
Confidence leads to visibility.
- Build Authority Beyond Your Website
Your own website is only part of the picture.
AI also looks at what respected third-party sources say about your business.
Manufacturers should actively seek opportunities to appear on:
- Industry publications
- Engineering magazines
- Manufacturing associations
- Trade exhibitions
- Supplier directories
- Business awards
- Local business news
- Partner websites
The more trusted organisations that reference your business, the more authority AI associates with your brand.
Think of every mention as another vote of confidence.
- Encourage More Customer Reviews
Manufacturing has traditionally relied on reputation and referrals.
Online reviews are becoming an extension of that reputation.
Positive reviews help AI understand:
- Customer satisfaction
- Product quality
- Reliability
- Delivery performance
- Technical expertise
- Industry experience
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms such as:
- Trustpilot
- Industry-specific review platforms
- Facebook (where appropriate)
A consistent stream of genuine reviews reinforces the trust signals that AI increasingly looks for.
- Don’t Neglect Your Google Business Profile
Many manufacturers underestimate the value of their Google Business Profile.
That would be a mistake.
Google’s AI features increasingly rely on local business information when responding to searches for manufacturers and suppliers.
Ensure your profile includes:
- Accurate contact details
- Manufacturing capabilities
- High-quality images of your facility
- Products and services
- Certifications
- Customer reviews
- Regular updates
For manufacturers serving specific regions or offering local engineering support, this can become an important source of visibility.
- Build the Authority of Your Experts
Manufacturing is built on expertise.
Your engineers, directors and technical specialists are often your greatest marketing asset.
Encourage them to become recognised voices within the industry by:
- Publishing articles on LinkedIn
- Speaking at manufacturing events
- Appearing on engineering podcasts
- Writing for industry publications
- Producing educational videos
- Creating detailed author profiles on your website
AI increasingly recognises expertise at an individual level.
The stronger your experts become, the stronger your business appears.
- Think Long-Term, Not Short-Term
There isn’t a shortcut to becoming visible in AI search.
The businesses currently being recommended have spent years building authority, trust and expertise.
That means focusing on long-term activities such as:
- Publishing valuable technical content
- Developing your brand reputation
- Earning media coverage
- Building relationships within your industry
- Maintaining consistent messaging
- Demonstrating genuine expertise
AI rewards credibility not marketing tricks.
- Measure More Than Google Rankings
Most manufacturers still judge digital marketing success by:
- Website traffic
- Keyword rankings
- Enquiries
- Organic search performance
These metrics remain important.
However, they’re no longer the whole picture.
Start asking questions such as:
- Does ChatGPT recommend our business?
- Are we mentioned in Google’s AI Overviews?
- Which competitors appear more frequently than us?
- Which websites does AI use when describing our services?
- What topics does AI associate with our brand?
Understanding your AI visibility is just as important as understanding your Google rankings.
The Future of Manufacturing Marketing Has Already Started
Manufacturing buyers are changing the way they research suppliers.
Instead of spending hours searching through websites, they’ll increasingly ask AI questions like:
“Who are the best precision engineering companies in the UK?”
“Which manufacturer specialises in pharmaceutical packaging?”
“Who offers ISO 9001 certified CNC machining?”
“Which supplier has experience manufacturing aerospace components?”
The businesses AI recommends won’t necessarily have the biggest marketing budgets or the largest websites.
They’ll be the manufacturers that have built genuine authority, earned trust across the industry and consistently demonstrated their expertise online.
The good news is that the fundamentals haven’t changed.
Manufacturers who invest in technical knowledge, high-quality content, customer trust and a strong reputation have always won more business.
AI is simply making those strengths more visible.
The sooner b2b businesses begin building their AI visibility, the stronger their position will be as the next generation of search continues to evolve.