AI
Staying visible in the age of AI search
Head of performance at ASP, Jon Monk highlights how event organisers can stay discoverable in 2026
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( AI) is rapidly reshaping how people discover events, but the fundamentals of strong search visibility remain largely unchanged. In a recent webinar, UK-based website specialists ASP’ s head of performance, Jon Monk, offered key takeaways in his session,‘ Event Website Optimisation in an AI Era: From Keywords to Chatbots.’ The AI-powered tools we use every day, including ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot, are increasingly becoming event discovery engines. They’ re not making educated guesses about your event – they’ re pulling information from what’ s visible online, which in practice, usually means whatever is ranking highest on Google. As Monk puts it,“ If you fall out of Google’ s top results, you fall out of AI search too.”
This dynamic becomes even more prevalent in the wake of Google’ s April 2025 update, which restricts how deeply AI systems can access Google’ s index. As Monk explains,“ AI models are now effectively fed only from page
Jon Monk
one. If your content isn’ t ranking near the top, AI simply can’ t see you.”
Archive, don’ t delete Despite the acceleration of AI adoption, traditional search does still dominate, with analysts predicting that Google will remain the primary discovery channel for at least the next three to five years. According to Monk, this means event organisers must“ perform in two worlds: Google and AI.” The good news is that progress in one strengthens the other.
One of the most avoidable threats to visibility, Monk says, is the mass deletion of content after an event ends. Speaker profiles, exhibitor lists and session descriptions are often taken down immediately; a mistake that can wipe out years of authority.“ Deleting these pages kills visibility overnight,” he explains.“ These pages continue attracting audiences long after the show. Removing them only damages your ranking.”
The solution is simple: archive, don’ t erase.“ Move content into a‘ Past Events’ section and keep the
“ Event organisers must perform in two worlds: Google and AI” internal links intact,” Monk advises.“ Search engines and AI models rely on that structure to understand the depth and credibility of your event.”
Making the most of content Event organisers already produce a wealth of content, but many fail to use it to its full potential. Monk recommends transforming session recordings into searchable assets such as blog posts, long-form articles and topic-specific resource pages. Richer content on your website increases the likelihood that your event will surface in response to conversational, intent-led searches such as‘ What is the best AI conference in Europe for beginners?’ or‘ Where can I find top suppliers in precision agriculture?’
Structure is just as important as volume. Monk emphasised the need for websites that are easy for both users and AI to navigate. This means linking speakers, exhibitors, sessions and editorial content in a logical, interconnected web.
Dedicated topic pages, such as grouping related subjects, sessions and expertise, serve as thematic hubs.“ Think of topic pages as the shelves of your content library,” he explains.“ They help users explore and help search engines understand what you’ re authoritative in.”
The takeaway AI may be transforming the landscape of event discovery, but it continues to reward clarity, consistency and content-rich websites. Event organisers that invest in year-round visibility, rather than treating their website as a short-term promotional tool once a year, will be the ones best positioned to remain discoverable across both Google and the fast-evolving world of AI search. EW
n For more information about ASP and website visibility, visit the website: https:// www. asp. events /. www. exhibitionworld. co. uk Issue 6 2025 15