The Machine-to-Machine Web: A New Internet for AI Agents

1. Write Content in Bite-Sized Chunks

What this means: AI systems read your content in small sections (called “passages”), not entire pages. Each paragraph should answer a specific question completely.

How to do it:

• • Write clear, complete sentences that can stand alone
• • Focus each paragraph on one specific topic or question
• • Avoid fluffy language—be direct and informative

2. Think Like Your Customers Ask Questions

What this means: AI creates dozens of related questions from one search. Your content needs to answer all the ways people might ask about your topic.

How to do it:

• • Use tools like AnswerThePublic to find related questions
• • Create content that compares your products to competitors
• • Include specific brand names, model numbers, and features

3. Make Your Content Easy to Scan and Quote

What this means: AI loves content it can easily extract and cite. Think bullet points, tables, and clear facts with sources.

How to do it:

• • Use bullet points, numbered lists, and tables
• • Include specific numbers and statistics
• • Always cite your sources
• • Add structured data markup (Schema.org)

4. Create Videos, Audio, and Visual Content

What this means: AI doesn't just read text—it processes videos, podcasts, and images too. This creates more competition but also more opportunities.

How to do it:

• • Create videos with clear, keyword-rich narration
• • Always include transcripts for videos and podcasts
• • Add descriptive alt text to all images
• • Consider translating key content into other languages

5. Build Your Brand Everywhere, Not Just Search

What this means: AI personalizes results based on what users do across the entire internet—email, social media, YouTube, etc.

How to do it:

• • Be active on social media and YouTube
• • Send valuable email newsletters
• • Create downloadable guides and resources
• • Encourage people to visit your site multiple times

6. Track What AI Actually Shows

What this means: Traditional SEO tools don't work well for AI search. You need to track when AI systems quote your content, not just your search rankings.

How to do it:

• • Monitor AI Overview citations, not just rankings
• • Use tools like SEMrush's AI Overview reports
• • Test your content with different AI search queries
• • Join SEO communities to share findings

7. Ensure Your Technical Foundation is Solid

What this means: AI still needs to find and understand your content. Basic technical SEO remains crucial.

How to do it:

• • Ensure your site loads fast on mobile
• • Implement proper structured data markup
• • Keep your site easily crawlable by search engines
• • Use Google Search Console to monitor performance

8. Test, Learn, and Adapt

What this means: AI search is new and changing rapidly. Success requires continuous experimentation and learning.

How to do it:

• • A/B test different content formats and styles
• • Join SEO communities and forums
• • Stay updated with Google's announcements
• • Share your findings with other marketers

Example: AI-First Product Ordering Platform

// Human site: www.smartshopping.com
// AI site: ai.smartshopping.com

GET /api/search?category=electronics&brand=apple&type=laptop

Response:
{
  "results": [
    {
      "product": "MacBook Pro M3",
      "model": "14-inch",
      "price": 1999,
      "inStock": true,
      "features": ["M3 Pro chip", "18GB RAM", "512GB SSD"],
      "orderEndpoint": "/api/order",
      "shipping": ["standard", "express", "overnight"]
    }
  ],
  "orderFields": ["customerName", "email", "address", "quantity"],
  "paymentMethods": ["card", "paypal", "apple-pay"]
}

Complete AI Ordering Flow

// Step 1: AI searches for products
GET /api/ai-search?category=electronics&brand=apple&type=laptop

// Step 2: AI reviews structured options
{
  "products": [
    {
      "id": "product_001",
      "name": "MacBook Pro M3",
      "variants": [
        {
          "model": "14-inch",
          "price": 1999,
          "inStock": true,
          "orderEndpoint": "/api/ai-order"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

// Step 3: AI orders directly with structured data
POST /api/ai-order
{
  "productId": "product_001",
  "variant": "14-inch",
  "customer": {
    "name": "John Smith",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "address": "123 Main St, Dallas, TX"
  },
  "quantity": 1,
  "payment": {
    "method": "card",
    "token": "encrypted_payment_token"
  }
}

// Response: Instant confirmation
{
  "orderId": "ORD_2025_001234",
  "status": "confirmed",
  "deliveryDate": "2025-06-17",
  "trackingNumber": "TN123456789"
}