The keys to driving click-throughs in the AI search age

As AI-generated answers increasingly sit between users and company websites, communicators are facing a new challenge: how do you ensure your content shapes the narrative… and still persuade people to click through?

At a recent Bowen Craggs Club meeting, we heard from Neil Jordaan of Bayer and Jack Maddock of Sky on what corporate websites need to do to stay relevant in the AI search era.

The discussion explored how companies can optimise for AI visibility while still creating engaging, credible and distinctly human digital experiences.

Here are six key takeaways from the conversation.

1. The corporate website is becoming more important, not less

“There’s been a lot of attention on optimising the corporate site for AI search,” said Bowen Craggs CEO Scott Payton. “But there’s another vital thing websites need to do now and in the future: persuade as many people as possible to click through.”

Both speakers agreed that the corporate website remains a critical source of authority in the AI age. Neil described it as “the glimpse into the head office from anywhere in the world” – the place where companies build trust, shape perception and deliver authenticity.

“If [your] narrative arrives at the user where the user is, it’s a win”

2. Traffic may fall, but influence matters more

Neil predicted that most corporate websites will see traffic decline as users increasingly get answers directly from AI tools. But that does not necessarily mean reduced impact.

“It’s not about necessarily the people coming to the website,” he explained. “Our focus is on the people actually getting the message.”

Instead of focusing on visits alone, Bayer is focusing on ensuring its content feeds AI-generated answers accurately and consistently. “If that narrative arrives at the user where the user is, it’s a win” Neil added.

3. Great experiences still matter

Even as AI tools answer more questions directly, both companies stressed the importance of creating websites people still want to visit.

Bayer’s new web experience focuses heavily on immersive design and visual storytelling. “It is not a mobile-first website,” Neil said. “It is a mobile website.”

Sky is also focusing on rich, engaging experiences that reflect the company’s visual identity. “We’re fortunate that we’re a visual business with great content,” Jack explained. “Putting that front and centre” remains key.

“If a five-year-old can’t understand your website, AI won’t”

4. Good AI optimisation starts with the fundamentals

The speakers repeatedly returned to a simple point: many traditional best practices still apply.

Both speakers highlighted the importance of clear structure, strong headings, technical SEO and accessible language. Jack noted that abstract company language can become problematic in AI search contexts.

“If a five-year-old can’t understand your website, AI won’t” he recalled hearing recently.

5. Authenticity is becoming a differentiator

As synthetic content proliferates online, authentic human storytelling becomes more valuable.

At Bayer, Neil sees AI as a tool to enhance authenticity rather than replace it. “The key part here is still to keep the expert in the loop” he said. AI helps refine and strengthen stories, while experienced communicators ensure the company’s voice and credibility remain intact.

At Sky, employee storytelling plays a central role, particularly across careers content. There is a real value of showcasing “career-specific content” and real employee perspectives to bring the business to life.

“A lot of [these] things tick boxes for accessibility as well. What we’re seeing is just good general practice.”

6. AI optimisation and human experience need to work together

Both speakers agreed that companies cannot optimise purely for AI systems at the expense of human experience.

“If you were designing just for AI, you’d effectively build something just in markdown,” Jack said. “While that might perform better for a machine, you then lose that credibility when a human clicks onto the site.”

Instead, the focus should be on balancing strong technical foundations with engaging, trustworthy experiences. Clear structure, accessible language and strong visual identity all help content perform better, both for AI systems and for people.

As Jack put it: “A lot of those things tick boxes for accessibility as well. What we’re seeing is just good general practice.”