The site is hard to use on a phone
The text is small, the buttons are too close together or you have to pinch to zoom. Google uses the mobile version of a page for indexing and ranking, so everything important must be available on phones too.
Visibility guide 2026
Website updates 2026: visibility on Google and in AI search
A customer searches Google for a service or asks an AI assistant for a recommendation. Will they find you? This guide explains how to tell when your website needs updating, how AI search builds its answers and how your business shows up both in search engines and in AI answers.
Short answer
Update your website when the information is out of date, the site works poorly on phones, it loads slowly or you cannot edit it yourself. AI search, such as Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT, builds its answers from sources on the web. Showing up there rests on the same things as in search engines: clear and up-to-date content, a fast site and a carefully completed Google Business Profile.
When to update
Signs that your website needs updating
If you recognise even one of these on your site, it is worth fixing. If you recognise several, a new site can turn out cheaper than patching the old one.
The site loads slowly
A slow site frustrates visitors before they even see what you offer. Google’s ranking systems take page experience into account, measured with Core Web Vitals. You can check your own site with the free PageSpeed Insights tool.
The information is out of date
Old opening hours, prices or staff and a news section last updated years ago make customers wonder whether the business is still operating. AI search can also repeat outdated information in its answers.
The site does not say what you do and where
Customers want to know straight away what services you offer, where you operate and how to order. If the answers are missing from your site, neither search engines nor AI search will find them.
You cannot update the site yourself
The developer has disappeared, the logins are lost or every small change needs a separate order. At the same time, make sure the domain is in your company’s name and that you have access to manage it.
The browser warns visitors or the form does not work
If the address bar says “Not secure”, the site lacks a secure HTTPS connection. Test your contact form regularly too, because a broken form does not announce itself.
Update or redesign
Is an update enough, or do you need a new website?
Not every problem calls for a new site. What matters is whether the problem lies in the content or in the foundation of the site.
An update is enough
The site works well on phones and loads quickly, but the text, images, prices or contact details are old. Then refreshing the content, sharpening the service descriptions and adding structured data are enough.
A redesign pays off
The site is built on old technology, does not work properly on phones, is slow or is hard to edit. Then patching the old foundation can cost more than a new site that is built from the start to be fast and easy for search engines to understand.
There is no strict rule for how often to update. Update the information whenever something changes, and review the whole site at least once a year. When you redesign, redirect the old page addresses to the new pages so that links from search engines and customers keep working.
AI search
How does AI search build its answers?
AI does not invent your business out of thin air. It looks for information on the web and builds an answer from it.
Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode are also available in Finland and in Finnish. An AI Overview appears above the search results for some searches, while AI Mode is a separate conversational view. Both build an answer by running several related searches and show links to their sources. Only a page that is in Google’s index and eligible to be shown with a snippet can become a source.
ChatGPT, Copilot and other AI assistants
ChatGPT searches the web with its OAI-SearchBot crawler. According to OpenAI, sites that block this crawler in robots.txt are not shown in ChatGPT search answers. Microsoft Copilot draws on the Bing search engine. Perplexity and Claude also have their own search crawlers.
Answers are built from many sources
AI search only knows what it can find about your business on the web: your own website, your Google Business Profile, directories, reviews and mentions on other sites. The more clearly and consistently the information is presented, the more likely the answer is to be correct and to mention your business.
Google says no special tricks are needed
According to guidance Google published in May 2026, appearing in AI search does not require special files, markup or text written for AI. The same SEO fundamentals apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. The guidance emphasises original content that cannot be found elsewhere and shows the author’s first-hand experience.
Search engines and AI
How your business gets found in search engines and AI search
The same basics help both on Google and in AI search. These are the most important.
Answer your customers’ questions
Give every service its own heading. Explain what you do and for whom, where you operate, what drives the price and how to order. Start with the most important information. This guide, too, starts with a short answer.
Key content as text on the page
Googlebot can run JavaScript, but according to a study Vercel published in 2024, the crawlers of OpenAI and Anthropic did not. Important content should therefore be on the page as text, not only in images, videos or scripts.
Structured data (JSON-LD)
Structured data describes your business, services, address and opening hours in the page code in a machine-readable format. Google says it is not a requirement for appearing in AI search, but it can add extra details to search results. The data must match the visible text on the page.
robots.txt lets search crawlers in
Check that your robots.txt file does not block search engines or AI search crawlers such as OAI-SearchBot. Crawlers that collect data for training language models (for example GPTBot) can be blocked separately if you wish. According to OpenAI, the settings are independent, so you can appear in search answers even when training is blocked.
llms.txt
The llms.txt file is a proposal for collecting a site’s key information and links for language models. It is not an official standard. Google says the file neither helps nor harms visibility in Google Search, but other services may use it. Kiltala’s own site has an llms.txt file.
Speed, mobile and HTTPS
A fast, secure site that works well on phones is the foundation for everything else. Test your site with PageSpeed Insights and fix the items marked in red first.
Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
Add your site to both free services and submit your sitemap. They show which pages are indexed and which search terms bring visitors to your site. Search Console also has a report on visibility in Google’s AI features, and Bing Webmaster Tools shows when Copilot has used your pages as a source.
Show the author and the date
In guides and articles, say who wrote the text and when it was last updated. Google’s guidance on helpful content encourages making it clear who created the content.
Local visibility
Google Business Profile and service area
When someone searches for “hairdresser Lappeenranta” or “plumber South Karelia”, Google often shows a map and business profiles before the regular search results.
According to Google, local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and popularity. Popularity is shaped by things like reviews and links from other websites. Google’s AI search guidance adds that a Business Profile helps your services appear in AI answers too.
Verify your Business Profile
Verification tells Google that you are authorised to represent the business. According to Google, a verified business is more likely to appear in local search results.
Choose the right category and service area
Choose the main category that describes what your business primarily does. If you visit customers, set your service area to, for example, Lappeenranta and South Karelia. You can hide your address if customers do not visit your premises.
Keep your opening hours up to date
Add special hours for holidays too. Wrong opening hours are an unpleasant surprise for customers, because they often notice the mistake only on site.
Ask for reviews and reply to them
Ask satisfied customers to share their experience. Reply politely to critical reviews as well. According to Google, replying shows that you value your customers’ feedback.
The same details everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number should be the same on your website, your Business Profile and in directories. Conflicting details confuse both customers and AI.
Mention your area on your website too
Say naturally in your text which towns you serve, and add your service area to the structured data. A bare list of place names does not help, though: Google’s spam policies cite it as an example of keyword stuffing.
Checklist
How to check your website yourself
Go through the list on your own site. Every item that fails is a concrete thing to fix.
- Open the site on a phoneThe text is readable and the buttons are easy to tap without zooming.
- Test the speedRun the site through PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) and see whether it passes the Core Web Vitals assessment.
- Read the first view of your home pageCan you tell at a glance what your business does and where?
- Check contact details, prices and opening hoursAre they up to date and the same on your site, your Business Profile and in directories?
- Search for your business nameSearch on Google and Bing. Does your site come up first, and are the details correct?
- Ask an AI assistantAsk ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot something like: “Who does roof renovations in Lappeenranta?” See whether your business is mentioned and which sources the answer is built from.
- Test your structured dataGoogle’s Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator show whether the page has structured data and whether it contains errors.
- Check robots.txtOpen the address that ends in /robots.txt, for example kiltala.com/robots.txt. Make sure the file does not block search engines or the AI search crawlers you want to find your site.
- Try the formSend yourself a test message and make sure it arrives.
- Make sure you own itYour domain, website logins and Google Business Profile are in your company’s hands, not the previous developer’s.
- Check the datesThere are no outdated offers, events or news on the site. The year in the footer is correct too.
Kiltala
Free site review and packages
We review for free how your current website shows up in search engines and AI search and what to fix first. We tell you straight whether an update is enough or a redesign is worth it. If you decide to redesign, our packages start at €790 (excl. VAT).
Business page
A clear one-page presentation of your business.
from €790
- Services, introduction and contact details on one page
- Works on phones, tablets and computers
- Contact form straight to your inbox
- Search-engine optimised structure
- Published on your own domain
Business website
A multi-page website or a redesign of your current site.
from €1,490
- Separate pages for services, about and contact
- Content moved over from your old site
- Domain connection and launch
- Search engine optimisation and structured data
- Your email keeps working as before
Tailored
When you need something entirely your own.
By quote
- Your own look and special features
- Language versions
- 3D presentations and animations
- Booking and other integrations
- Websites for larger companies
Read the guide: how much does a website cost in 2026?
Maintenance
from €29.90 / month excl. VAT
Basic maintenance covers updates, backups, security and monitoring. Changes are invoiced separately. Extra services, such as hosting management, Google Business Profile management and marketing and visibility packages, are agreed as needed.
Prices exclude VAT. Maintenance is optional. Your domain always stays in your name.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How often should a business update its website?
Update the information whenever something changes, and review the whole site at least once a year. Consider a redesign when the site works poorly on phones, loads slowly or is hard to edit.
Are Google’s AI answers available in Finland?
Yes. According to Google’s help pages, AI Overviews and AI Mode are available in Finland and in Finnish. They use pages from Google’s regular search index as sources.
How do I get my business to appear in ChatGPT’s answers?
Apart from ads, visibility in ChatGPT’s answers cannot be bought or guaranteed. Make sure your robots.txt allows OpenAI’s OAI-SearchBot, that your site clearly states your services, service area and contact details, and that the same details appear in your Business Profile and in directories.
Does AI search need separate optimisation?
According to Google, no. AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on the same search systems as regular search, so good SEO fundamentals are enough. Optimising for AI search is also called GEO (generative engine optimisation), but the basis is the same: clear, original and up-to-date content that search engines can find.
What is llms.txt, and does my business need it?
The llms.txt file is a proposal for collecting a site’s key information for language models. It is not an official standard, and Google Search does not use it. The file does no harm and other services may use it, but it does not replace clear content on your pages.
What is structured data?
Structured data is information added to the page code that tells search engines unambiguously things like your business name, address, services and opening hours. Visitors do not see it, but it can add extra details to search results. The most common format is JSON-LD.
Should I update my old website or build a new one?
If the site works well on phones and is fast, updating the content is usually enough. If the foundation is old, slow or hard to edit, a new site is often the more sensible choice. Our free site review helps you decide.
Will a redesign hurt my search rankings?
A well-executed redesign does not usually hurt visibility. The key is to redirect the old page addresses to the new pages with permanent redirects (301). According to Google, rankings may fluctuate temporarily while Google processes the new addresses.
How much does a website redesign cost?
At Kiltala, a multi-page website or a redesign of your current site starts at €1,490 and a one-page business website at €790 (excl. VAT). The final price is always agreed in advance. You will find more details in our price guide.
Sources
The information in this guide is based on these publications. We checked them on 1 November 2026.
- Google Search Central: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search (2026)
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website
- Google Search Help: AI Overviews
- OpenAI: Overview of OpenAI crawlers
- Anthropic: Claude’s crawlers and how to block them
- Vercel: The rise of the AI crawler (2024)
- The llms.txt proposal (llmstxt.org)
- Google Search Central: Mobile-first indexing best practices
- Google Search Central: Core Web Vitals
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking
- Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
- Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changes
- Google Search Central: Spam policies
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