Search is changing fast. With the rise of AI-powered algorithms like Google’s MUM (Multitask Unified Model) and Search Generative Experience (SGE), traditional SEO alone isn’t enough. These systems are designed to understand context, intent, and entities – not just keywords.
So what does this mean for your WordPress site in 2025?
At Red Jet, we help businesses across New Zealand prepare their WordPress websites for this next era of search – one where AI context beats keyword stuffing, and structured content wins.
In this post, we’ll cover:
- What AI-driven search means for SEO
- How to use schema markup effectively
- Smart plugin strategies for WordPress
- Tools to help you stay ahead
🤖 What Is AI-Driven Search, and Why Should You Care?
Google’s newer algorithms especially MUM and SGE are moving beyond just matching words. Instead, they analyse meaning, search history, location, media, and even emotion behind the query.
For example:
“What’s the best NZ payment gateway for WooCommerce?”
Google may return not just articles, but a blend of product comparisons, video tutorials, FAQs, and schema-rich sites that align with your intent.
If your WordPress site isn’t structured for this kind of discovery, you risk being invisible to modern search engines – even if your content is great.
✅ SEO Tips to Prepare Your Site for AI
1. Focus on Search Intent Over Keywords
Write content that answers real user questions. Use:
- Natural, conversational headings
- Long-form content that explores topics deeply
- Internal links to related topics and services
Use tools like AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked to find semantic variations of user intent.
2. Cover Topics, Not Just Keywords
AI wants topical authority, not just keyword density. Create content clusters:
- Main page: “WordPress Hosting in NZ”
- Supporting blogs: “Why NZ Hosting Is Faster”, “What Google Wants from Local Sites in 2025”, etc.
This builds content depth, which MUM prioritises.
3. Use Entity-Based SEO
Google uses “entities” (recognisable people, places, tools, brands) to understand relationships. Mention known entities in your content:
- e.g., Stripe, WooCommerce, Auckland, NZ Post, Google Workspace, etc.
Use tools like InLinks to map and optimise your entity coverage.
📦 Add Schema Markup (It’s Essential)
Structured data (schema) helps AI understand your content at a machine level. You don’t need to code it manually — WordPress plugins make it easy.
Recommended Schemas for WordPress Sites:
- Local Business Schema (add address, hours, service area)
- FAQ Schema (works great on blog posts)
- Product Schema (for WooCommerce)
- Article/BlogPosting schema (helps Google classify your content)
Plugins That Make It Easy:
- ✅ Rank Math SEO – Built-in schema support + AI suggestions
- ✅ Schema Pro – For more complex setups
- ✅ Yoast SEO – Also supports FAQ, How-To, Article schema
Want help setting up schema? Request a free audit — we’ll check what you’re missing.
🧩 Plugin & Content Strategies for AI Discovery
AI search loves rich, multimedia content — and sites that load fast and clean. Here’s how we help clients optimise:
🔧 Use These WordPress Tools:
- WP Rocket – Speed matters. We include this for free on all hosting plans.
- Wordfence – Site security impacts trust and rankings.
- SEOPress or Rank Math – AI-optimised meta, titles, and schema.
- Internal Link Juicer – To build automated context linking.
- AddToAny or Grow Social – Encourage content sharing and backlinks.
🔍 Track & Adapt With These Tools:
- Google Search Console – See how AI is interpreting your content
- Google Trends – Spot shifts in language and intent
- Surfer SEO or MarketMuse – Align with AI-style writing benchmarks
- Pagespeed.web.dev – Test your Core Web Vitals regularly
🚀 Real-World Example: Our WordPress Conversion Page
We optimised our own WordPress conversion service page with:
- Rich FAQ schema
- Entity connections (Wix, Squarespace, Joomla)
- Optimised H1-H3 hierarchy and internal linking
As a result? It ranks for over 40 long-tail terms and is featured in multiple Google snippets.
📈 Final Thoughts: SEO in the Age of AI
In 2025, ranking in Google isn’t about gaming the system – it’s about helping the system understand you.
That means:
- Writing with purpose
- Structuring content clearly
- Using schema to feed machine-readable data
- Optimising for speed, trust, and accessibility
AI-driven search rewards clarity, structure, and expertise and WordPress gives you the tools to do all three.
💡 Want Help Optimising for AI?
We help NZ businesses:
- Migrate to fast, schema-friendly WordPress setups
- Configure plugins and schema for AI discovery
- Create SEO-optimised content plans
- Improve Core Web Vitals, speed, and uptime