The Best AI Search Strategy? Great SEO.

THE STRATEGY

Monitor the Search Landscape

In order to know this was even a problem to tackle, Bousquet Sport had to first identify the issue. This is why it’s so important to monitor your own search results and mentions (and your competitors’). Take the time to research—both search engines and AI tools—for the terms that you think your company should be listed for. Remember: search tools and LLMs handle visibility features differently, so in order to show up in both, you need distinct strategies.

Content Should Be Specific and Easy to Scan

5 Horizons’ first step was to audit the on-page Pilates content on the Bousquet Sport website. We found that the Pilates program was described in the bottom section of a fitness page, rather than a dedicated page about Pilates.

In line with SEO best practices, we recommended a standalone Pilates page and conducted keyword research to uncover highly relevant keywords to strengthen on-page SEO. We wove those keywords into the page content, including:

• An optimized, keyword-rich page title, meta description, and H1 (headline)
• More detailed descriptive copy, incorporating relevant topical and localized keywords
• A sample schedule. Although the previous Pilates content had included an embedded PDF schedule, AI tools can’t recognize that data. Spelling out a schedule of Pilates classes in the copy on the page itself made it easier for LLMs to process.

To build further awareness for the Pilates program, we updated the site navigation and redirected URLs to the new page.

Get Creative, Not Literal

Sometimes, keyword research and SERP analysis unearth surprising insights about how users are looking for information. 5 Horizons’ keyword research showed that pilates studio was a high-intent user search term, and SERP analysis indicated that Google elevates those pages that use the term.

Bousquet Sport was hesitant to add the term to the page content, as their Pilates classes are not held in a separate, dedicated studio. But after we reviewed the data with them, they understood that it’s important to trust your keyword research and SERP analysis. These tools contain a wealth of information about how users think about your product or service. It’s then your responsibility—and opportunity—to align your offerings with user intent and provide the helpful information they are seeking.