Google’s John Mueller has responded to the growing habit of creating markdown copies of website pages for AI tools, and his message was a useful one for anyone being sold a quick “AI SEO” fix: do not spend your energy making a second version of the same content while the main website still needs work.
Search Engine Journal reported Mueller’s comments after a discussion about site owners creating parallel markdown pages, LLMs.txt files and other AI-facing versions of existing pages. The idea behind the tactic is simple enough. If large language models prefer cleaner, lighter text, perhaps a business should give them a separate version of each page to read.
For most local businesses in Bath and across the South West, that is unlikely to be the best place to start. The more useful question is whether the website already explains the business clearly for real people, search engines and any AI system that reads ordinary web pages.
What is the markdown idea?
Markdown is a plain-text format often used by developers and writers. It can represent headings, links, lists and emphasis without the heavier code that sits behind a normal web page. That makes it appealing in some technical settings, especially where a tool needs to process content efficiently.
The current SEO debate is about whether businesses should publish markdown versions of their HTML pages so AI crawlers, assistants or search systems can consume the content more easily. Some vendors and commentators have also talked about LLMs.txt files as a way to point AI systems towards preferred content.
There may be narrow situations where a developer-focused product, documentation site or large content platform has a reason to provide machine-friendly versions of material. But that is a long way from saying every local business should duplicate its service pages, location pages and blog posts in a second format.
Why this can become a distraction
The problem is not that markdown is bad. The problem is that it can become another tactical shortcut when the core content is still weak.
If a service page is vague, thin or out of date, a markdown copy will not make it more persuasive. If the website hides important details behind confusing navigation, the AI-facing version does not solve the customer problem. If the page does not explain who the business helps, where it works, what it actually does and why someone should trust it, the format is not the main issue.
Google’s public line has repeatedly been that websites should focus on useful content and accessible pages. That matters here. Search systems, AI search tools and potential customers all benefit from the same basics: clear headings, specific information, crawlable pages, accurate business details, sensible internal links and content that answers real questions.
For a local firm, the risk is spending time on a fashionable technical layer while leaving the visible website untouched. That is a poor trade if the site still has unclear service descriptions, old case studies, missing location information or pages that do not help a visitor decide what to do next.
What local businesses should check first
Before commissioning AI-only page copies, it is worth reviewing the pages that already carry commercial weight. That usually means home pages, main service pages, location pages, contact pages, case studies and practical advice pages.
Ask whether each important page gives a clear answer to five questions: what do you offer, who is it for, where do you work, what makes you credible, and what should the reader do next? If those answers are buried, vague or missing, improving the normal page is likely to do more than creating a parallel markdown file.
Structure also matters. Pages should use meaningful headings, not just visual styling. They should link naturally to related services or supporting pages. Images should have sensible alt text where appropriate. Contact details and calls to action should be easy to find. Content should be written for people first, but organised well enough that search engines and AI systems can understand the page without guesswork.
This is where ordinary SEO in Bath work overlaps with newer AI search optimisation. The labels may change, but the underlying job is still to make the business easy to understand, easy to trust and easy to choose.
Do not ignore technical accessibility
There is a practical accessibility point too. Mueller’s response was made in the context of a broader concern that people were spending effort on AI agent accessibility while ordinary human accessibility still needs attention.
That should land with any business that depends on enquiries from its website. If a page is awkward for people using assistive technology, slow on mobile, cluttered with pop-ups, missing proper labels or hard to navigate by keyboard, those are real problems. They affect users today. They can also make the site harder for search systems to interpret.
In other words, the best “AI-ready” page is often just a better web page. It is faster, clearer, better structured and more complete. It does not hide important information in images. It does not force visitors through unnecessary scripts before they can read the answer. It treats accessibility as part of quality, not as a compliance afterthought.
Where markdown might still make sense
There are exceptions. A software company with extensive developer documentation may have a sensible reason to provide clean text versions of technical material. A large publisher may test structured feeds or machine-readable formats as part of a wider content strategy. A business with a custom knowledge base may want exports that work well with internal AI tools.
But those are specific operational cases. They are not a reason for every Bath shop, clinic, consultancy, venue, manufacturer or professional services firm to build a shadow website in markdown.
If someone proposes that work, ask what problem it solves, how success will be measured, and whether the normal website pages are already strong. If the answer is mostly “AI visibility” without a clearer explanation, it is worth slowing down.
The useful takeaway
The sensible response to this story is not to dismiss AI search. AI systems are changing how people discover and compare businesses, and local organisations should pay attention. But the useful work is grounded and familiar: improve the content people can actually see, make pages easier to crawl and understand, and build enough trust signals for both humans and machines.
For many South West businesses, that means refreshing service pages, tightening website copy, adding genuinely helpful FAQs where they fit, linking related pages properly, documenting real experience, and checking that the website reflects the business as it is now.
A markdown duplicate may sound advanced. A clear, accessible, well-maintained website is usually more valuable.
