Why optimising for AI search is basically like writing a winning RFP

Search is changing. Fast.

For years, SEO was all about climbing the rankings. Get to the top of Google, earn the click, job done. But AI search has changed the game completely.

Now, tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini don’t just present users with a list of links. They evaluate information, choose the best source, and generate a direct answer.

That means your website is no longer competing for a ranking.

It’s competing to be selected.

But it’s nothing new. We think that process looks remarkably similar to writing a strong RFP response or bid submission.

AI search has a winner-takes-all mentality

Traditional SEO rewarded visibility. AI search rewards usefulness.

When someone asks an AI assistant a question, it isn’t trying to give them ten blue links to sift through. It wants to provide one confident, trustworthy answer.

Think about how a procurement process works:

• A buyer issues a brief
• Suppliers submit proposals
• One response gets selected

AI search works in much the same way.

Your website becomes the proposal. The AI becomes the evaluator.

If your content clearly answers the question better than anyone else, you win the “contract” for that user’s attention.

If not, you disappear from the conversation entirely.

Your headings are doing more work than you think

Humans (mostly) read web pages from top to bottom.

AI does not.

AI systems parse content. They break pages into sections, snippets and structured chunks to understand meaning quickly. That’s why headings matter so much.

A good heading structure acts like section dividers in a winning bid document.

Strong headings help AI understand:

• What the page is about
• Where key information lives
• Which sections answer specific questions
• How ideas relate to one another

Instead of vague headers like:

• “Learn More"
• "Additional Information"
• "Why Choose Us”

Try:

• “How Much Could This Retrofit Reduce Energy Costs?"
• "What Does This Smart Building Platform Integrate With?"
• "How AI Search Selects Content”

Specificity wins.

Stop writing huge walls of text

One of the biggest mistakes brands make with AI optimisation is writing for appearance instead of usability.

Dense blocks of prose are difficult for both humans and machines to process.

If you’ve ever reviewed a badly written tender response, you’ll know the feeling:

• no structure
• no hierarchy
• no clear answers
• impossible to scan

AI has the same problem.

Instead, structure content so ideas are easy to isolate and extract.

Good AI-friendly formatting includes:

• Short paragraphs
• Bullet points
• Numbered steps
• Clear section breaks
• Simple sentence structures
• Standalone explanations

In other words: write like you’re helping someone evaluate information quickly because that’s exactly what the AI is doing.

Every section should work on its own

One of the biggest shifts with AI search is that content is often pulled out of context.

A single paragraph, bullet list or answer might be lifted into an AI-generated response without the rest of the page around it.

That means each section needs to stand on its own.

Think of it like writing executive summaries throughout the page.

For example:

Instead of this:

“Our developments are innovative and highly sustainable.”

Write this:

“This retrofit programme reduced annual energy consumption across 14 commercial units by 28%.”

Or this:

“The platform integrates with Microsoft 365, Salesforce and Power BI to automate reporting workflows.”

Specific facts are easier for AI to trust, classify and reuse.

Buzzwords are not your friends

AI systems don’t respond well to vague marketing language.

Words like:

• innovative
• cutting-edge
• next-gen
• revolutionary

sound impressive to people, but they don’t actually communicate anything measurable.

In procurement terms, it’s the equivalent of making claims without evidence.

AI prefers:

• data
• specifics
• comparisons
• outcomes
• verifiable statements

Compare the difference:

Weak claim: “Next-generation proptech platform”

Strong claim: “Integrates with Revit, Power BI and Microsoft Dynamics”

Weak claim: “Highly sustainable commercial development”

Strong claim: “Achieved BREEAM Excellent certification with a 31% reduction in operational energy use”

Weak claim: “Advanced digital transformation consultancy”

Strong claim: “Reduced reporting time from five days to four hours through workflow automation”

The clearer the claim, the easier it is for AI to understand and trust it.

Formatting matters more than ever

In a formal RFP, ignoring submission requirements can get you disqualified immediately.

AI search has its own version of “non-compliance”.

Common issues that hurt AI visibility:

• Huge blocks of uninterrupted text
• Important information hidden in tabs or accordions
• Over-reliance on PDFs
• Data trapped inside images
• Poor heading structure
• Missing metadata
• Inconsistent page hierarchy

If AI can’t easily access or interpret your content, it simply moves on.

AI loves “snippable” content

AI tools are constantly looking for concise answers they can reuse confidently.

That’s where “snippability” comes in.

Content becomes more reusable when it includes:

• Direct questions and answers
• Bullet-point summaries
• Numbered instructions
• Concise explanations
• Self-contained statements

For example:

Bad: “There are many reasons clients choose our consultancy for operational transformation and digital innovation.”

Better: “Our automation programme reduced manual reporting time by 82%.”

Shorter. Clearer. Easier to cite.

Trust signals are the new backlinks

Authority still matters, but AI evaluates it differently.

AI systems increasingly look for:

• trusted third-party mentions
• reviews and discussions
• expert citations
• news references
• fresh, updated content

It’s essentially a digital version of a “past performance” review in procurement.

The more external evidence that supports your expertise, the more confidence AI has in surfacing your content.

Structured data is your compliance checklist

Schema markup might sound technical, but the concept is simple.

It helps search engines and AI tools understand exactly what your content is.

Schema removes ambiguity, whether it’s:

• a product
• a service
• a review
• an FAQ
• an event
• an article

Think of it as the compliance paperwork that helps your proposal pass evaluation faster.

So what have we learned?

AI search is forcing businesses to communicate more clearly, and we think that’s a good thing.

The brands that will win visibility aren’t necessarily the loudest or the most “SEO-optimised”. They’ll be the ones that:

• structure information clearly
• answer questions directly
• support claims with evidence
• make content easy to extract and trust

In other words, the businesses writing the best “bids” for AI selection.