Not a day goes by without someone telling me they’re using AI to find information, answer a question, or locate a product or service they need. It’s quickly becoming the single source of truth for consumers and B2B buyers alike. If brands want to be included in an AI answer, it helps to understand how AI search engines read, evaluate, and surface their content.
The rapid adoption of ChatGPT, Claude, and other services for everyday tasks – like shopping for a new raincoat – reminds me of the launch of the smartphone. One day I was getting a tour of the new iPhone from an early adopter and before I knew it, I was watching Florida retirees swipe through apps.
As fast as AI is reshaping the shopping experience, we’re still in the early stages. Although 42% of consumers have used AI to shop in the last month, only 17% have used it for product recommendations and just 10% have engaged with an AI-powered shopping assistant.
The B2B buyer journey is changing too. It’s less linear and more unpredictable. By 2028, 62% of traditional demand generation is expected to be AI-led and more dynamic, asking questions to understand intent and helping to guide buyers in real-time.
Content marketing has always been about creating content for the top, middle, and bottom funnel. These stages still matter. But now we need to be ready to provide both broad and deep industry knowledge and product information at every stage.
AI Seeks First to Understand, Then to Answer
One way to think about AI is as an expert in research and not the expert on the topic. In my experience, this is also true of human writers and editors. They’re excellent researchers who use their skills to deliver topic expertise.
Like a human researcher, AI seeks first to understand and then to answer. It’ll quickly research the topic and gather the background it needs, then ask you some follow-up questions.
This first step is designed to help it understand the broad topic, so it can give you a specific answer.
For example, my Wi-Fi mesh network recently began to degrade. Video calls were bumpy, with audio and video cutting out sporadically. I suspected the cause might be my aging equipment, so I started with Amazon, which owns the eero brand that I’m currently using (and love). Despite all the great info in the eero store, it was hard for me to discern a simple answer to a big question: Is it time to upgrade and if so, what should I get?
So I turned to ChatGPT.
After reviewing the support area of the eero website and several ratings sites, ChatGPT recommended an upgrade but only if certain conditions – like slow internet speed and problems like video calls freezing – existed. Otherwise, making some small changes might allow me to continue with my same setup.
Intent: The New Frontier for Content
Then it proceeded to ask me a number of questions. Through our back and forth, it refined its recommendations based on the answers I gave to its follow up questions.
This second step helped it understand the intent behind my question: Why was I asking about this topic? What did AI need to know about my situation to give me the best possible answer?
Through our conversation, I tracked the sources ChatGPT consulted. Many were from eero’s product support pages and the help section of my ISP. Others were reputable tech publications. A fair amount – and not surprisingly, given the nature of my question – were from ratings or review sites. Some were from sources that wouldn’t pass my trained editor’s sniff test.
My experience, though, is on par with other conversations I’ve had with AI. The AI assistant seems to favor brand sites with extensive and in-depth content and, to my surprise, not just the marketing content.
Once it understood my intent, ChatGPT dove deep into product and support pages. That’s notable, because this content isn’t often part of the strategic marketing plan.
From a content perspective, this means putting more effort into creating ungated, in-depth content about your industry, customer pain points, and trends. This 101 content should be organized on well-structured pillar pages that explain ideas in detail.
But that’s not all. Product and support content need to be surfaced and structured in a way that AI search can find them.
3 Steps to Raise Your AI Search Visibility
1. Conduct a GEO audit.
Your best starting point is to know where you stand today. Are the AI engines using your content to create answers? If your content isn’t cited, you need to re-structure your existing content and create new content.
Start by asking AI engines the top three questions you think your buyers are asking. Then, dive deep into the results. (If you need a hand, Version A can help with your GEO audit.)
2. Create 101 content.
There will come a time in the not-so-distant future when AI search is the primary way people make decisions. Just like the early days of Web search, marketers will have to learn and adapt to the way AI understands content.
Here’s one way: AI search engines conduct background research before searching for the right answers. Help them out by creating 101 content that covers the latest industry trends, explains how products in your category work, and describes the pain points your services solve.
3. Add Product and Support Content Into Your Strategy.
My conversation with ChatGPT about my mesh network focused on my specific needs. Why was I considering replacing my mesh network? What problems was I having? How big was my house? How many floors? Where was my office in relation to my husband’s?
Make the most of your product and support content – dive deep into the details and surface answers to the types of questions. Your sales and support teams can help you build out an extensive repository of common questions from prospects and customers.
Refocus Your Content Marketing Team’s Intention
Content is just as important for brand visibility, but content marketing teams need to approach content from a new lens. Foundational information and product and support pages should become a higher priority in your content strategy, but it’s also important to identify which (if any) of your content is already showing up in AI search queries.
Looking for help in identifying gaps in your content to improve your brand visibility in AI search? Reach out to us today.
