{"id":692794,"date":"2025-09-30T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T06:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T09:00:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T06:00:27","slug":"how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable\/","title":{"rendered":"How AI search responds when you make a site more crawlable"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aef9941b029d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aef9941b029d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable\/#Crawl_waste_cleanup_boosted_AI_search_visibility_by_up_to_10_%E2%80%93_with_a_small_ChatGPT_dip_Sitemap_fixes_and_IA_clarity_drove_results\" >Crawl waste cleanup boosted AI search visibility by up to 10% \u2013 with a small ChatGPT dip. Sitemap fixes and IA clarity drove results.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable\/#Crawl_waste_cleanup_What_we_did\" >Crawl waste cleanup: What we did<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable\/#How_the_AI_search_platforms_responded\" >How the AI search platforms responded<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-ai-search-responds-when-you-make-a-site-more-crawlable\/#Takeaways_%E2%80%93_and_planning_more_quick_wins\" >Takeaways \u2013 and planning more quick wins<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crawl_waste_cleanup_boosted_AI_search_visibility_by_up_to_10_%E2%80%93_with_a_small_ChatGPT_dip_Sitemap_fixes_and_IA_clarity_drove_results\"><\/span>Crawl waste cleanup boosted AI search visibility by up to 10% \u2013 with a small ChatGPT dip. Sitemap fixes and IA clarity drove results.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>Crawl waste \u2013 basically, cluttering your crawlable content with tons of non-indexed pages \u2013 is one of the most insidious SEO pitfalls.<\/p>\n<p>We know (because we do it all the time for my agency\u2019s clients) that reducing the number of non-indexed pages and highlighting richer, authoritative content is a factor in improving rankings and visibility in traditional SERP listings.<\/p>\n<p>But how does it impact AI search visibility? And were the results different by platform?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to some recent cleanup and data-crunching (we used Profound to measure changes in AI search visibility) for a client in the childcare vertical, we\u2019ve got some directional answers and takeaways that I\u2019ll lay out in this article.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it\u2019s just one website, but with AI moving at light speed, having promising results that need further validation is a valuable first step.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"440\" http: alt=\"Semrush Discover Ai Optimization\" class=\"wp-image-458321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/06\/semrush-discover-ai-optimization.png 800w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/06\/semrush-discover-ai-optimization-768x422.png 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/06\/semrush-discover-ai-optimization.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/06\/semrush-discover-ai-optimization.png\" alt=\"Semrush Discover Ai Optimization\" class=\"wp-image-458321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/06\/semrush-discover-ai-optimization.png 800w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/06\/semrush-discover-ai-optimization-768x422.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"crawl-waste-cleanup-what-we-did\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crawl_waste_cleanup_What_we_did\"><\/span>Crawl waste cleanup: What we did<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sitemaps should only feature canonical versions of pages that a brand wants indexed in search results.<\/p>\n<p>The childcare client\u2019s site had 2,000 indexed pages and ~45,000 pages that were not being indexed \u2013 including 4,000 duplicate and redirected URLs incorrectly listed in the sitemap. (A sitemap should only contain canonical URLs you want Google to find and index.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The site also contained low-quality directory listings, all of which pointed to poor health.<\/p>\n<p>We optimized the sitemap and indexing strategy by reducing the number of duplicate and redirected URLs in the sitemap from more than 4,000 to fewer than 200.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This cleanup improved crawl efficiency, helping search engines and AI systems focus on the client\u2019s high-quality, intent-aligned content.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper. <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Crawl efficacy: How to level up crawl optimization<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 id=\"how-the-ai-search-platforms-responded\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_AI_search_platforms_responded\"><\/span>How the AI search platforms responded<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The topline:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This initiative lifted visibility across every AI search platform \u2013 up to 10% in some cases \u2013 pushing overall visibility above 90% for Perplexity, AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini, Grok, and Meta AI. (We calculate visibility by dividing the number of times the brand <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared in prompt results by the total number of relevant prompts.)<\/li>\n<li>The one exception was ChatGPT, which saw a 4.1% drop. My take is that ChatGPT can be slower to absorb the latest online information unless users enable web access and browsing. Because the cleanup involved major indexing and technical changes, ChatGPT may have lagged compared to faster adapters like Perplexity and Google.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The entire Google suite of AI tools responded strongly to the cleanup.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That result \u2013 while just one example \u2013 aligns with Google\u2019s repeated message that what benefits traditional SEO also benefits AI search.<\/p>\n<p>Even with ChatGPT\u2019s decline, overall visibility still grew by 3.5%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t a massive jump, but it signals an upward trajectory that helps the brand gain ground on competitors.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Gemini, the lift was enough for the client to finally overtake a rival that had been consistently ahead.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Crawling for AI search: Balancing access, control, and visibility<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"takeaways-and-planning-more-quick-wins\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Takeaways_%E2%80%93_and_planning_more_quick_wins\"><\/span>Takeaways \u2013 and planning more quick wins<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This case study isn\u2019t the final word, but it points to clear next steps and quick wins worth pursuing.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be diligent about gauging the impact of AI search initiatives, even those rooted in more traditional SEO strategies.<\/li>\n<li>Anything that makes it easy for search platforms \u2013 AI and otherwise \u2013 to discover your best content is worth prioritizing.<\/li>\n<li>A clear URL structure and straightforward, intentional information architecture (IA) should help you with discovery across platforms.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you need an IA model, build a major pillar about a topic, write a wealth of authoritative content on that topic, and link to it from the website and external sources favored by LLMs, including <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reddit<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Never assume that all AI search platforms behave the same.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look for major variances between (say) ChatGPT and the Google AI suite. Be ready to run a 2.0 analysis to determine which platform(s) should take precedence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Always aim for validation beyond a single test or case study. Consider initial findings an important first step in understanding the greater significance of AI search optimization techniques.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ai-search-make-site-more-crawlable-462598\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Crawl waste cleanup boosted AI search visibility by up to 10% \u2013 with a small ChatGPT dip. Sitemap fixes and IA clarity drove results. Crawl waste \u2013 basically, cluttering your crawlable content with tons of non-indexed pages \u2013 is one of the most insidious SEO pitfalls. We know (because we do it all the time&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":692795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Website-crawling-for-AI-search.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-692794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}