Why AI cares what your website looks like.
Did you know that design styling influences your mentions in AI answers?
If you’re a marketing director, or work in a marketing team in the B2B or corporate space, this three minute read is just for you.
What’s changed?
We’re all familiar with the old school rules of SEO (keywords, backlinks, meta descriptions etc), but did you know that AI search engines such as ChatGPT and Gemini have introduced a new layer to how websites are indexed? It turns out that your visual branding now plays an important role in AI search.
Why AI cares about your visual branding
AI engines are incredibly sophisticated at identifying patterns and brand signals. When your branding (your logo, colours, fonts, imagery, tone of voice etc) is consistent across your website, social media, or referenced on other websites, it creates a brand footprint. AI models use this footprint to verify credibility.
If your visual branding is inconsistent, algorithms may struggle to see your content as trusted.
AI models are trained on human behaviour
AI models are trained on human behaviour, which now makes website branding and UX a ranking factor. If users find your site easy to navigate and spend time on your website, the engagement signals tell AI that your brand is a high-quality source.
By using structured, design-led layouts, AI will be more likely to recommend you in search answers.
Why visual branding matters for your strategy
First impressions count: a well-planned website, with high quality design styling, UX and layout, signals professionalism to both users and AI engines alike. A dated or poorly designed site signals risk to AI engines.
I’ll go back to my previous point, AI models are trained around human behaviour. If you want your website to rank well in AI search results, your visual branding has now become a significant priority.
Make your brand AI friendly.
Consolidating your visual identity might feel like a daunting task, but it’s actually a great opportunity for high-quality, design-led businesses to stand out in AI search.
How do you ensure your brand survives as search evolves? A good starting point would be to audit your visual branding, and gather everything together ranging from your website and Powerpoint, to social channels, brochures, documents and business cards. Search online to see where you’re mentioned, and see how that looks too.
Check how your brand survives in the wild. Does it remain consistent when a user moves from your website into a third-party booking engine or a CRM-driven portal? If the visual experience breaks, trust often goes too.
Spend some time looking at functional design aspects. Is your typography legible on mobile? Do your call-to-action buttons stand out? Do your colours provide good contrast for accessibility?
If the audit reveals inconsistencies, the outcome should be a refreshed set of brand guidelines for your team and partners to follow. Not everything can be fixed at once. There will probably be some quick wins such as getting everyone using the same slide template, versus long-term strategic shifts like a full website redesign.
Want to know more?
If you feel your brand isn’t performing quite as well as it should, let’s grab a coffee (or a call) and discuss the possibilities.
For more information, please get in touch.
