AI Visibility by Design
Don’t Make Me Think. Don’t Make the AI Think.
In the book Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug, he taught that every unnecessary question in a user’s mind is friction. In 2025, that rule extends to AI systems that read, parse, and summarize our sites. The brands that win are the ones whose pages are instantly understandable to both humans and machines.
The Bottom Line
If a human or an AI has to work to figure out who you are, what you do, where you do it, and why you are credible, you give the advantage to someone clearer.
1. Make every key page instantly self explanatory in precise, plain language.
2. Wrap that clarity in structured data, FAQ boxes, and consistent entities so AI can quote you without guessing.
3. Treat UX and AI visibility as one discipline: usability for humans, parseability for machines.
1. From “Don’t Make Me Think” to “Don’t Make the AI Think”
Core transfer
Krug’s central rule is that every page should be self evident. In the AI era, that rule extends to answer engines. Your pages must communicate key signals without ambiguity: who you serve, what problems you solve, where you operate, and why your expertise is trustworthy.
Human UX
- Obvious navigation and page titles.
- Clear next steps: call, consult, resource, or case evaluation.
- No cognitive puzzle to understand your offer.
AI interpretation
- Semantic HTML for headings and sections.
- Structured entities: practice areas, locations, attorney profiles, industries.
- Consistent language between site, GBP, directories, and press.
A well structured page should let a human understand you in a few seconds and let an AI summarize you correctly in one or two sentences.
“I design every page as if it has two simultaneous readers: a real person with limited patience and an AI system with limited context. If both can see exactly who you are and what you stand for without effort, your visibility compounds.”
2. We scan, AI parses: give both clear billboards
Users scan for cues. AI parses for structure. Design pages so that:
For humans
- Start with a short overview paragraph that explains the purpose of the page.
- Use descriptive headings like “Employment Law Services in Pasadena” or “AI Compliance for Law Firms.”
- Break content into short sections and bullet points.
For AI engines
- Use
<h2>and<h3>to match topic hierarchy. - Add FAQ, HowTo, and Service schema where appropriate.
- Repeat key entities with consistent phrasing across your ecosystem.
Many AI results are assembled from headings, lists, and FAQs. Treat those elements as prime real estate for both humans and models.
3. Omit needless words, strengthen machine readable signals
Krug’s push to remove needless words doubles as an AI visibility tactic. Filler dilutes topical focus. Keep what clarifies intent, location, authority, process, and proof.
Implementation
- Replace vague marketing language with specific jurisdictions, industries, and case types.
- Create a concise “AI summary box” on each core page that restates who you are and what you do.
- Align that summary with your GBP category, directory listings, and external mentions.
4. Use conventions so AI recognizes you as the obvious match
Human conventions
- Use familiar navigation labels: “Practice Areas,” “About,” “Resources,” “Contact.”
- Keep forms straightforward and short.
- Place contact and trust signals where users expect them.
AI conventions
- Use recognized schema types including
Organization,LocalBusiness,Attorney,FAQPage,Article. - Group URLs by topic:
/personal-injury/,/employment-law/,/ai-governance/. - Implement breadcrumb markup to expose hierarchy.
The clearer and more conventional your structure is, the less any engine has to infer about your relevance.
5. Turn visual hierarchy into explicit information hierarchy
Visual cues guide people. For AI, hierarchy is defined in markup and relationships.
Structural rules
- One primary topic per page, expressed in the theme’s H1 and reinforced by the first H2.
- Logical cascade of H2 and H3 tags mapped to subtopics.
- Use tables, lists, and clear definitions for processes or comparisons.
Example “AI ready” elements
- FAQ sections that answer who, what, where, when, cost, and next steps.
- Short highlight boxes that define your niche in one or two sentences.
“AI is not replacing user experience. It is grading it. Clean hierarchy, schema, and consistent signals tell both clients and models you can be trusted.”
6. Courtesy for users, clarity and proof for AI
For humans
- Real names, credentials, bar numbers, and office locations.
- Plain language explanations of how you work.
- Fast, accessible pages that respect time and attention.
For AI systems
- Link attorney bios to official bar profiles and reputable references.
- Match NAP data across your website, GBP, and directories.
- Use Article and Person schema on thought leadership to confirm expertise.
7. Test like Krug, then test how AI describes you
Krug’s guidance to test early and often now includes testing your representation inside AI tools.
Watch a user try to book a consult or find a key service page in under 30 seconds. Remove friction where they hesitate.
In AI tools, ask who handles your practice area in your location with your niche and see whether your brand appears.
If results are missing or inaccurate, improve clarity, schema, internal links, and third party citations.
Repeat on a regular schedule as AI systems and your content evolve.
8. Implementation matrix: usability plus AI visibility
| Stage | Human UX Focus | AI Visibility Focus | Key Deliverables |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Discover | Clarify audience, services, outcomes, and questions. | Map target intents, entities, jurisdictions, and brand terms. | Entity and query map. |
| 2. Architect | Simple navigation, minimal depth, intuitive grouping. | Topical clusters with one hub per theme. | Site map, URL and menu plan. |
| 3. Design | Readable layouts, clear CTAs, mobile first experience. | Semantic sections and slots for FAQ, schema, summary boxes. | Wireframes that bake in structure. |
| 4. Create | Plain language copy aligned to real questions. | AI summary boxes, FAQs, internal links, schema for key pages. | Launch ready content set. |
| 5. Deploy | Speed, accessibility, clean technical setup. | Sitemaps, canonical tags, structured data validation. | Technical QA checklist. |
| 6. Validate | Track conversions, engagement, and feedback. | Monitor how AI tools describe and cite your brand. | Quarterly UX plus AI visibility report. |
A page is complete only when it is easy for humans to use and easy for AI to interpret.
9. Concrete next steps for your site and online presence
- Create a flagship “Who we are and who we serve” page with a clear AI friendly summary box and verified credentials.
- For each core service, build: Overview Process Results FAQ Location marked up with appropriate schema.
- Align your website, Google Business Profile, directories, and press so they repeat the same entities and positioning.
- Run periodic tests in AI tools to ensure your brand is correctly summarized and that key pages surface as sources.