When AI can’t properly read a website, many users struggle to understand it as well. Your website is not human-friendly, and it is not AI-ready either. In this article, you will learn how machines read your website.
GPT’s en AI-ready
Google AI, ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models (LLMs) use websites as data sources. They do not read visual design; they interpret structure, meaning, and relationships (semantics). When that structure is missing, AI has to guess. The result can be incorrect answers, lost visibility, and reduced trust.
The good news: Accessible websites are already AI-ready websites.
What does AI-ready mean?
An AI-ready website is:
- semantically clear in its structure
- logically organized
- content-reliable
- technically readable
AI doesn’t look at pixels. Instead, it looks at relationships: What is this? What does it belong to? What does it mean?
Websites that are clear to machines are also clear to people.
When AI has to guess
When structure and relationships are unclear or missing, AI may interpret connections incorrectly. This is often referred to as a “hallucination.”
That can lead to:
- incorrect summaries
- wrong product or service information
- loss of visibility
- user confusion
- accessibility issues
In short: machine-unfriendly equals user-unfriendly.
Why SEO alone does not solve this
Traditional SEO focuses on rankings: “How do I get as high as possible in Google?”
SEO typically addresses this by:
- making pages crawlable
- making pages indexable
- adding keywords to content
- encouraging other websites to link to a page to increase perceived authority
- And partly by applying:
- clear page titles
- headings
- descriptive link text
- meta descriptions
This last part overlaps strongly with accessibility. The key point is:
Websites that are structured accessibly are already machine-ready.
Overlap with accessibility
Artificial intelligence models depend on:
- meaning
- coherence
- reliability
- semantics
Just like accessibility. Because accessibility results in content that is:
- ✔ more readable for screen readers
- ✔ easier for users to understand
- ✔ easier for AI to interpret
Since 2025, legal accessibility requirements (European Accessibility Act, EAA) apply to many digital consumer products and services, including webshops and online services.
SEO is expanding with GEO and AEO
In the AI era, SEO is evolving with terms like Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Large Language Model Optimisation (LLMO), and AI Visibility Optimization (AIO). Why not just human optimization?
All of these “new” disciplines focus on the same fundamentals:
- understandable formats
- reliable content
- structured data
These are exactly the principles behind accessible websites. That is why these newer disciplines are, in essence, not new at all.
Optimization matters
Without proper optimization, AI can amplify existing accessibility and structural problems:
- it reduces visibility
- it undermines customer trust
- it can result in incorrect information
- and it can influence customer decisions
That is why investing in an accessible, well-structured website is essential.
Strong SEO combined with accessibility provides the structure that both people and machines rely on.
Is your website AI-ready?
We review websites for:
- accessibility
- usability (UX)
- AI readability
- SEO foundations
For people and machines alike.
F.A.Q.
What is the difference between SEO and accessibility?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on making a website easier to find in search engines. It is primarily concerned with crawlability, structure, keywords, and links so that pages rank higher in search results.
Accessibility focuses on making a website understandable and usable for everyone — including people with disabilities — and readable by machines such as screen readers. It centers on clear structure, semantics, and meaning.
In practice, the two overlap: an accessible website is easier for search engines and AI systems to interpret. SEO helps you get found; accessibility helps you be understood correctly.
Why is accessibility important for AI?
AI systems do not understand websites through visual design, but through the structure of both content and code, semantics, and meaning. These are the same principles that underpin accessibility: clear headings, logical content structure, descriptive links, and consistent markup. When these are present, AI can interpret information correctly and use it in answers and summaries.
This is also recognized by AI developers. Developer guidelines from organizations such as OpenAI emphasize the value of structured, semantic, and accessible content, because models perform better when information is machine-readable and logically organized.
That is why is accessibility making content not only usable for people, but also reliably readable for AI, reducing the likelihood of misinterpretation.
How do I make my website more readable for ChatGPT?
Make sure your website is clearly structured and built semantically: with content ánd code. Use logical headings, descriptive link text, and consistent markup. Keep content clear, up to date, and reliable.
An accessible, well-structured website is easier for AI to read, allowing information to be interpreted and used correctly.
For example, “Click the red link above” is neither accessible nor understandable for AI.
Should I use a lot of ARIA?
No. ARIA should be used sparingly and with a clear purpose. OpenAI explains that ChatGPT Atlas uses ARIA tags and notes that it relies on “the same labels and roles that screen readers use to understand structure and interactive elements.”
This does not mean ARIA is required everywhere. Semantic HTML already provides sufficient meaning for both screen readers and AI in many cases. ARIA is intended as a supplement when native HTML cannot express the needed structure or behavior, and it should be applied according to the WAI-ARIA best practices defined by the W3C.
For developers who already work with accessibility, this is a natural extension of existing practice. Correct ARIA usage supports people who rely on assistive technologies and also gives AI systems clearer signals. Excessive or incorrect ARIA can introduce confusion rather than clarity.
So, start with semantic HTML, add ARIA only where it is truly needed, and follow WAI-ARIA guidance: the same principle accessibility professionals already apply for screen reader support.
What is the difference between GEO and AEO?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses on how AI systems understand and use websites to generate their own answers. It emphasizes structure, semantics, and the reliability of content.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is more specifically concerned with appearing as a source in concrete AI-generated answers and question-and-answer results.
GEO is about being understood by AI. AEO is about being visible within AI answers.
What does an accessible website deliver for SEO, GEO, and AEO?
An accessible website is better understood by search engines (SEO) and AI systems (GEO/AEO). This improves discoverability, supports more accurate AI representation, and strengthens trust. At the same time, accessibility helps meet legal requirements such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Accessibility therefore forms the foundation for visibility, clarity, and compliance: for people and machines.
What is the EAA?
The EAA (European Accessibility Act) is European legislation that, since 2025, requires companies to make certain digital products and services accessible to people with disabilities. The goal is to ensure that websites, apps, and online services are usable by everyone.
Accessibility implemented under these rules also makes content clearer and more machine-readable, which benefits both SEO and AI interpretation.
Who can help make my website AI-friendly?
Look for a partner who combines AI optimization with accessibility. Many AEO or GEO approaches focus only on AI visibility. When accessibility is added later (for example to comply with legal requirements) there is a risk that large parts must be rebuilt because too many layers have been stacked on top of each other. This can send conflicting signals and actually make a site less accessible.
OpenAI describes that its systems use ARIA (the same labels and roles that support screen readers) to understand structure. This only works well when ARIA is applied correctly and according to best practices, not as an extra layer on top of a weak foundation.
By treating accessibility as the foundation from the start, the structure is built correctly for both users and AI. This prevents duplicate work, technical noise, and solutions that interfere with each other. inTOWN works from this integrated approach: the process begins with an audit of structure, semantics, content, and accessibility, followed by targeted optimization advise.
Which accessibility rules do not overlap with SEO, GEO, or AEO?
Not all accessibility guidelines (WCAG) relate to machine readability. Some focus purely on human usability and have little to no impact on how search engines or AI systems interpret content. Examples include:
- Color and contrast — text must be visually readable.
- Animation and motion — users must be able to pause or avoid movement.
- Keyboard operation — all functionality must work without a mouse.
- Timing and interaction — users must have enough time to complete actions.
- Cognitive predictability — navigation and interface behavior should be consistent.
- Audio and video accessibility — captions and transcripts must be provided.
These rules improve the experience for people with disabilities but do not significantly change how AI or search engines understand the content. They remain essential: they help organizations comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and prevent exclusion of a large group of users. An estimated 20% of the EU population lives with some form of disability. Ignoring these requirements therefore risks non-compliance as well as loss of reach and potential customers.