Is your website ready for AI-based search?

Just when you thought you had SEO figured out, AI-based search is here, throwing all your good work out like yesterday’s recycling. But is it? In this talk, we’ll examine what large language models (LLMs) driving AI-based search results are really doing, how they differ from each other and why. We’ll break down how different LLMs and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) processes approach search differently, and you’ll discover that many traditional SEO practices still matter — they just need adjustments for the AI era. Until now, creating great content and focusing on web best practices of readability, usability and accessibility have made your organic search results and referrals shine. But AI-search loves what’s new and authoritative, so now more than ever, conflicting, duplicate and outdated information on your website should be rooted out, corrected, removed and improved. And while it seems like this is all happening at warp speed, we’ll review what is known about the popularity and current adoption timelines of AI-based search among our key higher-ed audiences. Whether you’re an SEO veteran worried about the future or just trying to understand this shifting landscape, you’ll walk away with actionable insights to keep your content discoverable no matter how people (or our AI overlords) are searching.

Presenters

James Buratti, PhD — The University of Texas at Austin Jennifer Mandel Buratti — Texas A&M University