Technology changes how people find your business. It used to be that the best way to get in front of customers was print, from newspapers to the yellow pages; then it became radio and TV; and then online, with ranking on search engines. And now there is AI. If your customers ask AI questions, are you showing up in the results? Let’s talk about how you can optimize your business to be referenced by and referred to when people ask generative AI agents.
When and What Do Customers Ask AI?
You might love or hate AI, but it’s important to remember: chances are you are not your ideal customers. Great marketing is about knowing where your customers look and putting your business right in front of them. Typically, people use AI a lot like search for the following two reasons:
- Finding Information: Customers often want to educate themselves on topics, and therefore seek expert sources. When AI provides information, it will often reference sources. That’s your in.
- Finding Solutions: Sometimes people ask AI for answers and solutions. Sometimes AI can give them DIY solutions; sometimes it will reference apps, products, and services, both locally and internationally. That’s another in.
Search Results & AI Results
Often the lines between optimizing your business for AI and for search engines can be murky. Many of the same techniques can work for both, and some platforms, like Google Search, provide traditional search results and AI results at the same time. When in doubt, work on optimizing your marketing for both.
What You Can Do to Be Referenced and Referred by AI
AI, when it’s working properly, is looking to base its answers on the best sources. The top sources and the ones it uses the most are often cited, such as the Google AI overview or the more in-depth results from ChatGPT and other LLMs (Large Language Models). Do the following to show up in results:
- Ask and Answer Questions: A great way to get attention is to write the questions people ask AI and provide the answers—whether this is a blog, a website FAQ, or a think piece you’ve got published online or on social media.
- Show Expertise: Write blogs that show your expertise in your industry. AI means anyone can “write” a blog, so you need to write better. Write clearly and concisely with content that flows and is easy to scan.
- Be Original and Authentic: Experience and a strong voice while writing make an impression on both customers and AI. Writing new and original content, even if it’s your personal take on a well-worn subject, gets attention from AI.
- Don’t Just Use AI: When we talk about “AI marketing slop,” this is when you use AI not as a tool, but as the complete product. AI can enhance an image or help reword an article, but when used without thought, it’s not only ugly; it’s something AI doesn’t want because it doesn’t add anything to its knowledge base.
Planning around AI and even using it as part of your marketing strategy can drive new users to your website and generate new leads for your business. The trick is to start now and not rely just on traditional search engine marketing and advertising. Vision can help; contact us today to learn how. Want proof? Take a look at our original expert content marketing in our Vision blogs, our enVisioning Success podcast, and our downloadable Marketing Strategies Playbook.
