Search engine optimisation (SEO) has always been about helping people find relevant information online. However, the way people search for information is changing.
Alongside traditional search engines, people are increasingly using AI-powered tools to ask questions, explore topics and discover information. This creates new opportunities for businesses to think more carefully about how their content is structured, written and discovered.
At Signal & Strategies, I believe SEO shouldn’t be treated as a checklist of keywords. It should start with understanding what people are looking for and creating content that genuinely helps them.
That’s why I’m developing the FIND Framework, a four-step approach to creating content that is discoverable, useful and easy to understand across search experiences.
What Is the FIND Framework?
FIND stands for Focus, Interpret, Navigate and Develop. Each stage addresses a different part of the search optimisation process, from understanding search intent to improving content over time.
F: Focus on search intent
Before creating content, it’s important to understand what someone actually wants to find.
Are they looking for information, comparing products or trying to solve a specific problem? Understanding search intent helps determine what the content should cover and how it should answer the reader’s question.
For example, someone searching for “what is email marketing?” needs a different answer from someone searching for the best email marketing platform for a small business.
Instead of focusing exclusively on individual keywords, consider the question behind the search.
I: Interpret the information clearly
Once you understand the audience’s needs, the next step is to communicate the information clearly.
Use descriptive headings, logical sections, relevant examples and straightforward explanations. Answer the main question directly, then provide additional context where it adds value.
This can help readers understand the content and make it easier for search systems to interpret its subject matter.
It is also important to prioritise accuracy. Adding keywords or AI-generated paragraphs simply to make an article longer doesn’t automatically make it more useful.
N: Navigate the search experience
People discover information in different ways. Some use traditional search engines, while others use AI-powered search tools that can summarise information and provide links to sources.
Businesses should consider how their content can serve people across these experiences.
This includes maintaining a clear website structure, using descriptive page titles, linking related articles where appropriate and making important content accessible to search crawlers.
For AI search, clear explanations, relevant context and well-organised information can help systems interpret a page. However, there is no guaranteed formula for appearing in AI-generated answers.
The priority should remain creating useful content that deserves to be discovered.
D: Develop and improve over time
SEO isn’t a one-time task. Search behaviour, audience needs and the competitive landscape can change.
Review your website’s performance using relevant analytics and search tools. Look at which pages attract visitors, what queries bring people to your website and where content could better answer a question.
You can also update outdated information, improve unclear sections and fill gaps where your audience needs more guidance.
AI search visibility can be harder to measure consistently than traditional organic search, so use appropriate reporting tools where available and avoid relying on a single visibility metric.
The goal is to keep improving the usefulness and discoverability of your content.
How Can Businesses Apply FIND?
Imagine a small business publishing articles about digital marketing. Its content includes relevant keywords, but the articles don’t answer readers’ questions particularly well.
Using FIND, the business could identify the intent behind its target searches, rewrite unclear explanations, organise related articles into useful topic clusters and review performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
The result is a more deliberate approach to SEO that focuses on the needs of the audience rather than simply trying to satisfy an algorithm.
SEO and AI Search: What Should We Prioritise?
I think it’s important to recognise that AI search doesn’t make traditional SEO irrelevant.
Search engines and AI-powered search experiences have different ways of presenting information, but useful content, accessible websites and clear communication remain important foundations.
Businesses should avoid chasing every new trend or assuming that mentioning a topic a certain number of times will guarantee visibility.
Instead, focus on understanding your audience, demonstrating knowledge, providing accurate information and making your website easy to navigate.
These practices won’t guarantee rankings or AI citations, but they provide a stronger foundation for sustainable discoverability.
My Thoughts on the Future of Search
As search experiences evolve, I believe marketers need to think beyond where a page ranks and consider whether their content actually helps someone find an answer.
That doesn’t mean abandoning keyword research or traditional SEO practices. It means using them alongside a broader understanding of search intent, content quality and how people discover information.
The FIND Framework is my approach to making this process more intentional. It provides a practical structure for creating and improving content without losing sight of the person behind the search.
Because being discoverable is important, but giving people a genuinely useful reason to find you matters just as much.
That’s the principle I want to bring into the SEO and AI Search pillar at Signal & Strategies.
How do you think AI-powered search will change the way businesses create content? Share your thoughts in the comments.