Case Study: Correcting Website Structure to Improve AI and Search Interpretation
- Katina Ndlovu
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Context
This case involved a service-based website that was being surfaced in search results and AI-generated summaries, but not in the way the business expected.
While the site contained accurate information, summaries produced by search engines and AI tools repeatedly described the business in overly broad or partially incorrect terms.
The issue was not visibility. It was interpretation.
When structure is unclear, AI fills in the gaps. When structure is clear, meaning becomes repeatable. - Katina Ndlovu
The Core Problem- Website Structure
AI systems and search engines struggled to categorise the website correctly.
Key services were mentioned inconsistently across pages, supporting content appeared at the same structural level as primary offerings, and internal linking did not clearly communicate relationships between topics.
As a result, summaries defaulted to generic descriptions that failed to reflect the business’s actual focus.
Why This Was a Website Strategy Issue
AI and search systems rely heavily on structure, consistency, and hierarchy.
When websites present multiple ideas with equal prominence, systems cannot reliably determine:
What the business primarily does
Which services are core versus contextual
How pages relate to one another
This creates ambiguity, even when the content itself is accurate.
The Approach
The work focused on reducing ambiguity through structural signals rather than rewriting everything.
Key actions included:
Standardising how core services were named across pages
Clarifying which pages represented primary offerings
Improving internal linking so relationships between pages were explicit
Reducing overlap between pages that competed for the same meaning
Ensuring supporting content reinforced, rather than diluted, core topics
The goal was to make interpretation easier without adding complexity.
What Changed
After restructuring, the website became easier for systems to summarise accurately.
Descriptions produced by AI tools more consistently reflected the business’s actual expertise and scope. The site no longer appeared to span unrelated or overly broad categories.
Meaning became repeatable.
Evidence of Improved Interpretation
The impact of this work was visible in how the site was described after structural alignment.
Specifically:
AI-generated summaries became more consistent across tools
Core services were referenced more accurately
Descriptions relied less on generic category language
Supporting pages stopped being treated as primary offerings
This demonstrates how structural clarity directly affects interpretation.
Why This Matters for Website Design and Strategy
As AI-driven discovery increases, websites are no longer interpreted only by people.
Structure now plays a direct role in how a business is described, summarised, and recommended. Strategy determines whether systems can understand what matters most.
Clear structure reduces guesswork.
Where This Pattern Appears
This issue commonly affects:
Multi-service businesses with overlapping offerings
Websites that grew without structural review
Sites with inconsistent service naming
Businesses appearing in AI summaries that feel “almost right” but not precise
Relationship to Website Design and Strategy Work
This case demonstrates website design and strategy focused on system-level understanding, ensuring that structure, hierarchy, and consistency support accurate interpretation by both humans and machines.
FAQs
What does “website design and strategy” actually mean?
It refers to how a website is structured, prioritised, and organised so visitors can quickly understand what a business does, who it is for, and what to do next. Strategy focuses on clarity and decision-making, not visual styling alone.
How is website strategy different from website design?
Design is how a site looks and feels. Strategy determines what information appears first, how pages relate to each other, and how users are guided toward understanding and action.
Do I need a full website redesign for this work to be effective?
Not always. Many improvements come from restructuring content, clarifying hierarchy, and improving messaging order without changing the visual design.
Can website strategy help if my site gets traffic but few enquiries?
Yes. That often indicates a clarity or prioritisation issue rather than a visibility issue. Strategy focuses on removing friction that prevents understanding and confidence.
How does website structure affect SEO?
Clear structure helps search engines understand page relationships, prioritise important content, and categorise services accurately. Poor structure can dilute relevance even when content quality is high.
How does website strategy affect AI-generated summaries and answers?
AI systems rely on hierarchy, consistency, and structure. When a site presents multiple ideas with equal prominence, AI may default to generic or inaccurate summaries. Clear structure improves interpretation.
What types of businesses benefit most from website design and strategy work?
Service-based businesses, founder-led brands, and expertise-driven organisations benefit most, especially when their offerings are complex or frequently misunderstood.
What pages are usually most important in a website strategy project?
Typically the homepage, core service pages, About page, and contact or booking flow, because these drive understanding and decision-making.
Is this work focused on conversions or clarity?
The primary focus is clarity. Improved conversions often follow when users understand the offer quickly and confidently, but performance metrics are not the starting point.
How do you know when a website’s strategy is working?
When people can accurately describe what the business does after a brief visit, fewer explanations are required, and summaries produced by search engines or AI tools are more precise.
How Can I help You?
If your website looks finished but still feels hard to understand, this work focuses on clarifying structure, messaging, and priority so visitors can quickly grasp what you do and what matters most.
You can explore the case studies below to see how this shows up in practice, or get in touch if you want to discuss where clarity may be breaking down on your site.
About The Author
Katina Ndlovu works on website design and strategy with a focus on structure, hierarchy, and clarity. Her work helps service-based businesses organise content so websites are easier to understand for visitors, search engines, and AI systems.
She specialises in information architecture, content prioritisation, and decision-making support, documenting applied strategy through case studies rather than performance claims.
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