6 website basics that help Google and AI read your firm

Think of your website as your shopfront signboard. People see the photos. Google and AI tools read the writing on the sign, and some of the writing is hidden in the page code. Here’s what should be on it. You can check most of these yourself in a few minutes; the rest are a quick job for whoever looks after your site.

1. A secure address (https)

Your site should open as https:// with a padlock in the browser, and anyone typing the plain http:// address should be sent to the secure one automatically. Browsers warn visitors about insecure sites, and search engines prefer secure ones.

Check: type your address without “https” and see where you land.

2. A clear title and description

The page title is the blue headline in Google results. The description is the grey text under it. Both should say who you are, what you do and where, in plain words. “Home” or “Welcome” wastes the space.

Good example: “Sample Interior: HDB, BTO and condo interior design in Singapore”.

3. Business schema: your details in code

Schema is a short block of code that labels your facts: this is the business name, this is the address, this is the phone number, these are the areas we serve. It’s like filling in a form for search engines, instead of making them guess from your page. In our audit, 6 to 7 in 10 sites didn’t have it.

For your web person, a minimal example (replace the details with yours):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HomeAndConstructionBusiness",
  "name": "Sample Interior",
  "legalName": "Sample Interior Pte. Ltd.",
  "url": "https://www.example.com/",
  "telephone": "+65 6000 0000",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "1 Example Road, #01-01",
    "postalCode": "123456",
    "addressCountry": "SG"
  },
  "areaServed": "Singapore",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.facebook.com/example",
    "https://www.instagram.com/example"
  ]
}
</script>

Renovation contractors can use the more specific type GeneralContractor. Most website builders, including Wix, Squarespace and WordPress plugins, have a place to add this.

4. Works well on a phone

Most homeowners will find you on their phone. The page should fit the screen without zooming, and load quickly. Big uncompressed photos are the usual problem: in our audit, half the ID firm homepages weighed over 3 MB.

Check: open your site on your phone using mobile data, not Wi-Fi. If you’re waiting, so are your clients.

5. A tap-to-WhatsApp or tap-to-call link

In Singapore, many homeowners would rather WhatsApp than fill in a form. A button that opens WhatsApp with your number saves them a step. Written in the page as a proper link, it also tells search engines how to reach you.

Check: tap your own button on a phone. Does it open the right chat?

6. Pages that answer real questions

AI tools answer questions. They quote websites that answer the same questions clearly. Write a page for each question you hear all the time, such as:

• How much does a 4-room resale renovation cost?
• How long does a BTO renovation take?
• What’s included in your package, and what costs extra?

Use your real price ranges and timelines. Specific beats impressive.

Two more, behind the scenes

A sitemap

A sitemap is a list of all your pages, like a table of contents for search engines. Most builders make one automatically, usually at /sitemap.xml. Check it opens.

Don’t lock AI crawlers out

A small file called robots.txt tells crawlers which pages they may visit. Some sites block AI crawlers by accident. Some hosts and services such as Cloudflare also have a setting that blocks AI bots. If you want AI tools to recommend you, make sure these are allowed:

• OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User (ChatGPT search and browsing)
• PerplexityBot (Perplexity)
• Claude-SearchBot (Claude search)
• Googlebot (Google Search, including AI Overviews)

Training crawlers such as GPTBot, Google-Extended and ClaudeBot are a separate choice. Blocking them doesn’t remove you from Google Search, but we leave them open on our own site, because being widely readable is the point.

Common questions