Most websites struggle with visibility not because they lack content, but because the content they have is not structured to be found. Recently I joined the Content Clinic series, where I walked through a live website audit with Austin Gonzalez Nicolini, an engineering leadership coach building his consultancy from scratch. The session focused on a challenge many solopreneurs and service providers face today: how to optimise a personal brand website for both traditional search and AI-driven discovery. Below, we turn the main insights from that session into a clear, practical guide you can apply immediately.
Watch the video: Rank First, Optimise Later: Live Website Audit for AI Visibility
Why Your Homepage Is the Most Important Page to Optimise First
Your homepage is almost always the page with the most authority. It attracts the most backlinks. It is where people land first. And it is where search engines and LLMs form their first impression of what you do.
If your homepage lacks clarity, depth, or keyword alignment, you are leaving visibility on the table.
Start with the H1 and Title Tag
Your H1 should contain your core keyword. In Austin’s case, the target keyword was “engineering leadership coach.” However, the original H1 was aspirational rather than functional.
A simple fix: keep the aspirational message as an H2 or H3, and move a keyword-rich phrase into the H1 position. This lets you maintain brand voice while signalling relevance to search engines.
Example structure:
- H1: “Engineering Leadership Coach for Scaling Tech Teams”
- H2: “Build an Engineering Organisation That Ships, Scales, and Lasts”
Add Depth with Summaries and Internal Links
A homepage should act as a table of contents for your entire site. Each service, case study, or proof point should have a brief summary and a link to a dedicated page.
This approach:
- Improves crawlability for Google
- Helps LLMs understand your offerings
- Reduces bounce rate by guiding visitors to relevant content
Every Keyword Needs Its Own Page
One of the most common mistakes is bundling multiple services or topics onto a single page. This dilutes your ability to rank for any single keyword.
How to Structure Service Pages
If you offer multiple services, each one should have a dedicated URL. For example:
| Service | Suggested URL |
|---|---|
| Engineering Manager Coaching | /services/engineering-manager-coaching |
| Team Leadership Coaching | /services/team-leadership-coaching |
| C-Suite Advisory | /services/c-suite-advisory |
Each page should include:
- A clear H1 with the service keyword
- A description of the problem solved
- Proof points or case studies
- FAQs relevant to that service
FAQs Are Highly Extractable by LLMs
Adding FAQs to every page is one of the simplest ways to improve AI visibility. LLMs can easily extract question-and-answer formats, making your content more likely to be cited in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews.
Rank First, Optimise Later
You do not need perfect content to start ranking. Bad content is better than no content.
I once published a batch of AI-generated articles that I considered low quality. One of them now ranks on page eight of Google for a competitive keyword. That article is now a candidate for improvement rather than a blank page.
The Content Maximalist Approach
If you have:
- GitHub repositories
- Slack messages explaining technical decisions
- Internal documentation
- Old blog drafts
Any of these can become a blog post. A GitHub repo can be summarised by Claude or ChatGPT and turned into an article in minutes.
Workflow example:
- Paste repo code or README into Claude
- Prompt: “Write a technical blog post explaining this project”
- Edit for tone and accuracy
- Publish
You never know which piece of content will pick up traffic. Publish first, optimise later.
Proof Is What Converts Visitors Into Clients
Once someone lands on your site, what convinces them to book a call? Proof.
Types of Proof to Include
- Logos: Companies you have worked with
- Numbers: “40% cloud cost reduction,” “15 years of experience”
- Case studies: Detailed breakdowns of problems solved
- Awards or credentials: Industry recognition
Each number or claim should ideally link to a dedicated case study page. This reinforces credibility and improves internal linking.
Translation Opens Low-Competition Markets
Ranking in English is hard. Ranking in German, Spanish, or other languages is often much easier.
Austin’s site uses DeepL and AI to automate translations. This is a smart strategy. If you optimise your homepage for “engineering leadership coach” in English, translating it into German could help you rank for the equivalent keyword with almost no competition.
Multilingual SEO Tips
- Use hreflang tags to signal language versions
- Ensure translated pages are indexed separately
- Submit translated pages to Google Search Console
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
SEO timelines vary, but here is what accelerates them:
- Submit changes via Google Search Console for re-indexing
- Make all updates at once rather than incrementally
- Focus on pages with existing authority first (typically the homepage)
In Austin’s case, the competitive landscape is weak. Many ranking pages have near-zero backlinks and low domain authority. A well-optimised homepage could realistically reach page one within weeks.
Conclusion
You do not need to wait until everything is perfect. Start with your homepage. Add your core keyword to the H1. Summarise your services and link to dedicated pages. Include proof and FAQs.
Then publish. Rank first. Optimise later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right keyword for my homepage?
The right keyword matches what your ideal client searches for and reflects your core offering. Use tools like Semrush or LowFruits to validate demand and competition. Your homepage keyword should be the broadest term that still describes what you do, such as “engineering leadership coach” rather than a niche sub-service.
Quotable: The right keyword is the one your ideal client types into Google when they need what you offer.
Should I publish content even if it is not perfect?
Yes. Imperfect content can still rank and generate traffic. Once it ranks, you can improve it. Waiting for perfection means missing opportunities. I have seen AI-generated posts rank on page eight of Google, which gives a foundation for optimisation.
Quotable: Bad content is better than no content because you cannot optimise a blank page.
Why do FAQs matter for AI visibility?
FAQs use a question-and-answer format that LLMs can easily extract and cite. Adding FAQs to every page increases the likelihood of appearing in AI-generated answers on platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
Quotable: FAQs are one of the most extractable formats for LLMs, making your content more citable.
How do I prove credibility on a new website?
Use logos of companies you have worked with, quantifiable results, case studies, and any credentials or awards. Even a new site can reference past experience. Link each proof point to a dedicated case study page when possible.
Quotable: Proof converts visitors into clients, so display your results prominently.
Does translating my website help with SEO?
Yes. Non-English keywords are often far less competitive. Translating your optimised pages into German, Spanish, or other languages can help you rank faster in those markets. Use hreflang tags and submit translated pages to Google Search Console.
Quotable: English is the most competitive language; translating your site opens low-competition markets.
Need help turning ideas like this into working systems?
This is the kind of AI marketing work we do with teams that want repeatable workflows, not one-off experiments.
https://victoriaolsina.com/services/ai-marketing/
