As AI reshapes how people find and interact with information online, one thing remains constant — content is still in the driver’s seat.
For state government, where accurate and trustworthy information directly impacts public services, content quality is not just a best practice — it’s a public responsibility. No matter how advanced the technology becomes, the quality, clarity, and accessibility of your website content determine whether AI tools deliver accurate and trustworthy answers.
AI and the New Search Reality
Search is evolving from providing a list of links to delivering direct answers. AI tools — from Google’s generative search to voice assistants and chatbots — now interpret, summarize, and reuse website content to respond to public questions. This new landscape, known as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), puts state agencies’ web content at the center of how citizens receive information.
When websites provide clear, well-structured, and up-to-date content, AI systems can surface accurate, authoritative responses. But outdated, inconsistent, or inaccessible pages increase the risk of AI “hallucinations” — incorrect or misleading answers that can undermine trust in government information.
What Makes Content AI-Ready
- Clarity and Accuracy:
Write in plain language and keep information current! Avoid jargon or ambiguous terms that AI may misinterpret. - Structure and Metadata:
Use proper headings, descriptive titles, alt text, and metadata. The long-standing guidance to “take it out of PDF and make it an HTML page” has never been more relevant. Structured web content is far easier for both people and AI tools to read, search, and interpret accurately. Review linked PDFs, ensuring they are properly tagged and accessible that helps AI systems — and citizens — find, understand, and trust your information. - Accessibility:
Accessible content is machine-readable content. Ensures that people of all abilities can use state websites, while also improving how AI and search engines process and interpret information. - Consistency Across Pages:
Conflicting or duplicate versions of information can confuse both users and AI. Archived content should be clearly labeled to prevent outdated answers from resurfacing. - User-Centered Approach:
Understanding what users are looking for - through analytics, feedback, and usability testing — ensures that your content aligns with real-world questions, the same questions AI engines are trained to answer.
Why It Matters
AI is only as reliable as the content it learns from. By maintaining high standards for web content, state agencies help ensure that AI systems — whether in search engines or internal tools — reflect accurate, equitable, and accessible public information.
Strong content governance and accessibility practices directly support North Carolina’s goals of a more equitable, prosperous, healthier, and educated state.
Driving Forward
As AI becomes a new front door to digital services, content creators and web managers are steering the direction.
By keeping content accurate, accessible, and user-focused, we ensure that the information North Carolinians depend on remains trustworthy, inclusive, and easy to find — no matter how technology evolves.