AI search is no longer coming… it’s here. From ChatGPT’s web browsing of AI results to Google’s AI Overviews, millions of people are already getting recommendations from AI systems instead of traditional search results.
The businesses positioning themselves now will dominate AI recommendations for years to come. But AI optimization requires a different approach than traditional SEO, however, like the early days of SEO we are all slowly getting a clearer picture of how to get our proudcts and content into AI results.
Below there a report from Semrush that outlines several strategies to help, however we started to the source, asking Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT what it takes to get recommended in the AI results / overviews. Here’s what we discovered:
| Category | Claude‘s Recommendations | Gemini‘s Recommendations | ChatGPT‘s Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Quality & Authority | • Create high-quality, authoritative content • Maintain consistent online presence • Focus on comprehensive answers • Create original research or insights | • Be a Subject Matter Expert (E-E-A-T) • Provide in-depth answers • Answer user intent directly • Use facts, figures, and credible sources • Keep content fresh | • Be explicit and authoritative • Make brand clearly authoritative in niche • Use phrases like “We are a leading…” or “Used by over X customers…” |
| Content Structure | • Structure content clearly with headings and formatting • Use proper headings, bullet points, and clear formatting | • Use clear hierarchy of H1, H2, H3 tags • Organize with lists and tables • Keep paragraphs concise (1-3 sentences) • Optimize for featured snippets | • Use FAQ sections (What is…, How to…, Best…) • Use clear headings (H1, H2, etc.) • Include summary boxes or TL;DRs |
| Language & Readability | • Focus on genuinely valuable, authoritative content | • Use clear, concise, and conversational language • Avoid jargon where possible • Mirror how people speak | • Think prompt-style queries • Optimize for question-based searches • Use consistent brand mentioning |
| Technical Optimization (where SEO for AI focuses) | • Implement structured data (schema or metadata markup) • Monitor AI platforms • Stay aware of different AI systems | • Fast loading speed (under one second) • Mobile optimization • Clean HTML/Markdown • Allow AI crawlers in robots.txt • Clear structured metadata and sitemaps • Favicons and lead images | • Create structured data • Add metadata for Organization, Product, Article |
| Link Building & Authority | • Generate quality backlinks • Get mentioned by authoritative sources | • Natural link ecosystems • Brand mentions in reviews, forums, comments • Engage with AI platforms | • Get mentioned by trusted sources • Aim for citations in Wikipedia, high-authority blogs, GitHub, academic papers |
| Keyword Strategy | • Create content that directly answers user queries | • Semantic search focus • Incorporate sub-keywords and related terms • Focus on contextual understanding and user intent | • Use LLM-friendly keywords • Think prompt-style queries • Use tools like AlsoAsked, AnswerThePublic, or ChatGPT |
| Testing & Monitoring | • Monitor AI platforms • Adjust strategy as AI systems evolve | • Measure AI-centric metrics • Monitor featured snippet appearances • Analyze engagement metrics | • Test what LLMs say about your industry • Ask ChatGPT/Gemini direct questions • Analyze who shows up and why |
| Platform Engagement | • Engage with emerging platforms • Establish presence early on new AI-powered tools | • Engage with AI platforms • Submit sites for crawling • Share research on LinkedIn, Reddit, Quora | • Consistent brand mentioning across platforms • Use YouTube, Reddit, Quora, Medium, LinkedIn • Maintain consistent wording/catchphrase |
| Unique Approaches | • Stay aware of evolving AI recommendation systems • Focus on creating value vs gaming algorithms | • Understand AI search vs traditional SEO differences • Adapt to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) • Allow major AI crawlers (Google-Extended, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot) | • Use tools like Surfer AI, Neuroflash, InLinks • Leverage ChatGPT plugins for site analysis • Create specific “answer” paragraphs for common questions |
The Semrush report on AI results / Google overviews
This snippet from a Semrush report tells us a few things about the AI results / overviews:
- AI Overviews are being layered on top of existing formats rather than replacing them—at least for now
- Visual-rich and structured content types—videos, reviews, FAQs—look more likely to survive
- Classic monetization features (Ads, Shopping, News) are rarely paired with AI Overviews (under 1%)
Visual-rich and structured content types to help you appear in AI results
This is where SEO for AI shines. We focus on providing the best content structure for your existing content be that blog posts on WordPress or products on Shopify. We have focused here as there are plenty of tools that help with general SEO optimization, and creating the best title for your post in terms of SEO keywords. We wanted to be sure that if you use those then AI had the best opportunity to understand your site.
Unfortunately, like SEO, this is not a short term win and is very much a long game, but the best idea is to start asap so you can be ahead of your competitors.
Where should you generate links / get mentioned etc?
There are 2 changes we can see from ‘normal’ SEO.
Firstly it’s not just the quality of the backlink (which can be artificially raised by a lot of back linking) but the reputation/authority of those backlinks.
Second from the same Semrush report as above, Nick Eubanks, VP of Owned Media at Semrush says:
“Some of the sites being included the most are Reddit, Quora, and YouTube, with video seeing the largest increase of mentions and inclusions in AI Overviews (at least in recent months). As AI tech gets better at parsing videos for text, I only expect this to continue.”
So as we can figure out the list of Reddit, Quora, and YouTube should be good starting points to make sure you are mentioned and linked to, and where possible you should try to be an authority in that space.
Is it guaranteed to work? Nothing in digital marketing is guaranteed – just like traditional SEO. But adding proper structure gives you the best chance of being discovered as AI search grows. The downside risk? Virtually zero. The upside potential? Huge.
Hopefully this article helps your journey on getting into the recommended AI results – please let us know if we’ve missed anything.
Start Today, Lead Tomorrow
AI search is still in its early stages—which means there’s a massive first-mover advantage for businesses that act now. The companies implementing these strategies today will dominate AI results for years to come.
But remember: this is a long-term game that requires consistent, technical execution. From allowing AI crawlers access to implementing structured data correctly, every detail matters.
Want to stay ahead of the curve? Our SEO for AI WordPress and Shopify plugins take care of all the technical optimization, monitoring, and updates so you’re always positioned for maximum AI visibility. Don’t let your competitors get there first.