AI SEO Tips by Microsoft

[Shawn Gossman]

Microsoft shares guidance on optimizing content for AI search, including structure, formatting, schema markup, and common mistakes that can harm visibility.

Full story and source: Microsoft Explains How To Optimize Content For AI Search Visibility

Highlights of the tips, include:

• Focus on block-level structure so assistants can lift complete ideas.
• Align titles, headings, and schema; use Q&A and short lists where they help.
• Avoid hidden content, long walls of text, PDFs for key info, or image-only details.

The article continues:

Best Practices Microsoft Recommends​

To help improve the chances of AI selecting your content, Microsoft recommends these best practices:

• Align the title, meta description, and H1 to clearly communicate the page purpose.
• Use descriptive H2/H3 headings that each cover one idea per section.
• Write self-contained Q&A blocks and concise paragraphs that can be quoted on their own.
• Use short lists, steps, and comparison tables when they improve clarity (without overusing them).
• Add JSON-LD schema that matches the page type.

And here's what you shouldn't do:

What To Avoid​

Microsoft recommends avoiding these practices to improve the chances of your content appearing in AI search results:

• Writing long walls of text that blur ideas together.
• Hiding key content in tabs, accordions, or other elements that may not render.
• Relying on PDFs for core information.
• Putting important information only in images without alt text or HTML alternatives.
• Making vague claims without providing specific details.
• Overusing decorative symbols or long punctuation strings; keep punctuation simple.

What do you all think? Are you already practicing this with your content?