The way people find products and solutions is changing right under our feet. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google's AI Overviews. Users ask questions, AI gives answers, and often they never click through to any website.
If you're invisible to AI search, you're invisible to a growing chunk of potential customers. And that chunk keeps getting bigger.
Here's how to fix it.
The AI search landscape (quick overview)
ChatGPT from OpenAI. Hundreds of millions of users. Sometimes searches the web, sometimes works from memory.
Perplexity. Built specifically as an AI search engine. Always searches, always cites sources.
Claude from Anthropic. Known for nuanced, thoughtful responses. Growing fast in enterprise.
Google AI Overviews. Those AI summaries that now appear above traditional search results.
Gemini from Google. Google's AI assistant, integrated with search.
Grok from xAI. Growing presence, especially with X/Twitter users.
Each platform has quirks, but the optimization principles overlap significantly. Get the fundamentals right, and you'll improve across all of them.
Start with entity clarity
Before anything else, AI needs to understand what you are. If you confuse it, you don't get recommended.
Audit your web presence
Search for your brand across the web. Ask yourself:
Is everything consistent? Same name spelling, same description of what you do, everywhere?
Is it clear? Could someone understand what you are in one sentence?
Is it current? Are there old profiles with outdated information floating around?
Fix the inconsistencies
This is more important than most people realize. Update every profile, directory listing, and mention you can control:
- Company name (exact spelling, every time)
- What you do (same category, same description)
- Who you serve (consistent target audience)
- What makes you different (consistent positioning)
Create authoritative reference content
Your website should have canonical, clear information:
- About page with unmistakable positioning
- Product/service pages with explicit descriptions
- FAQ addressing common questions
This gives AI reliable information to pull from.
Optimize your content for how AI works
AI search rewards content that directly answers questions with authority. Here's what that means in practice.
Answer questions head-on
Think about what users actually ask:
- "What's the best X for Y?"
- "How do I Z?"
- "Which A should I use for B?"
Your content needs to answer these directly. Not buried in paragraph six. Prominently. Clearly.
Create comprehensive resources
Thin content doesn't get cited or recommended. Depth signals authority.
For topics you want to rank for:
- Cover the full scope, not just one angle
- Include practical, actionable information
- Address the follow-up questions users would have
- Provide examples and specifics
Structure for extraction
AI tools extract information from your content. Make it easy:
Clear headings that match what people search for. Your H2s and H3s should include the actual terms users use.
Bullet points and numbered lists when information is naturally list-like.
Tables for comparisons and structured data.
FAQ sections with explicit Q&A format.
Summary sections that provide quick answers.
Write naturally
AI understands meaning, not keyword density.
Write like you're explaining something to an actual person. Don't stuff keywords awkwardly. Focus on clarity and genuine usefulness.
Build the authority that matters
AI recommends brands it trusts. Trust comes from authority signals.
Earn third-party mentions
Being mentioned on authoritative sites matters:
- Industry publications and blogs
- Review sites (G2, Capterra, etc.)
- News coverage
- Educational resources
These mentions help AI associate your brand with credibility.
Build quality backlinks
The same backlinks that help Google SEO help AI trust you:
- Links from high-authority domains
- Links from relevant, topical sites
- Natural link patterns (not manipulative schemes)
Demonstrate expertise
Show you know your domain:
- Original research and data
- Thought leadership content
- Expert contributions (guest posts, interviews, quotes)
- Industry awards and recognition
Platform-specific considerations
For ChatGPT
Focus on comprehensive content that might influence training data. Ensure your content is accessible when ChatGPT does real-time web searches. Build consistent brand messaging across the web.
For Perplexity
Create highly citable content with direct, extractable answers. Structure content with clear headings, lists, and FAQ sections. Keep everything fresh since Perplexity always searches real-time.
For Claude
Provide balanced, nuanced information (Claude particularly values this). Include evidence and reasoning, not just claims. Demonstrate genuine, deep expertise.
For Google AI Overviews
Traditional SEO factors still matter here. Structured data helps. Featured snippet optimization overlaps significantly with AI Overview optimization.
Technical factors that matter
Don't block AI bots
Check your robots.txt. Common AI bot user agents:
- GPTBot (OpenAI)
- PerplexityBot
- ClaudeBot (Anthropic)
- Google-Extended (Google AI)
If you've blocked these, you're removing yourself from AI search.
Ensure accessibility
- Fast loading times
- Content accessible without complex JavaScript that bots can't execute
- Mobile-friendly design
- No content locked behind login walls (unless you specifically want it hidden)
Use structured data
Schema markup helps AI understand your content:
- Organization schema for company information
- Product schema for offerings
- FAQ schema for Q&A content
- Article schema for blog posts
Measure and iterate
You can't improve what you don't measure.
Track AI visibility
Monitor your mentions across platforms:
- Which prompts trigger mentions?
- How are you described?
- Where do competitors get mentioned instead?
Mentionable automates this tracking across multiple AI platforms.
Identify gaps
Compare where you want to be visible vs. where you actually are. The gaps are your optimization opportunities.
Test and learn
Make changes, track results, identify what works. AI search optimization is iterative, not a one-time project.
The integrated approach
Here's the thing: AI search optimization isn't separate from good marketing. It amplifies what already works.
Good content helps both Google and AI search.
Strong brand helps both traditional and AI discovery.
Authority matters everywhere.
The businesses succeeding in AI search are doing fundamentally good marketing, with specific attention to how AI tools discover and cite content.
Getting started
- Audit your current AI visibility across platforms
- Fix entity inconsistencies
- Identify high-value prompts you should rank for
- Create comprehensive, well-structured content
- Build authority through third-party mentions
- Monitor and iterate continuously
Start with Mentionable's 7-day free trial to see where you stand. Then prioritize based on the gaps you find.
AI search is growing. The optimization you do now builds an advantage that compounds over time.