Search is changing.
AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity are answering questions directly, and Google’s new AI Overviews (formerly SGE) put AI-powered summaries front-and-centre at the top of the SERP.
And midway through the SERP.
And who knows where else as they continue to experiment.
Whether you call it AI SEO, regular SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)… or anything you choose, it’s here to stay.
We’re going to go ahead with “AI SEO” – the art and science of being recommended and cited in AI responses, to keep things simple.
It’s eating up SERP clicks and driving referral traffic.
We’re going to assume you’re already sold on the value of appearing in AI – you’re a forward-thinking SEO after all.
We’ll break down the three key strategies we’re using to appear in AI responses, plus some advanced additional tactics to boost your brand’s AI awareness.
The first step in AI SEO is to invest in high-tier digital PR to get your brand mentioned by authoritative publishers. Winning coverage in major media and niche trade sites does two things: it creates strong backlinks and spreads your brand’s exact messaging.
Just like how regular SEO involves identifying key ranking factors and tailoring your site’s profile to those factors, AI SEO involves much the same – in this case leaning on how AI models factor in the trustworthiness and reputation of potential sources or recommendations.
AI models heavily rely on mentions in trusted contexts to help ground their responses and recommendations, so securing this kind of coverage should be a priority.
We’ve used this AI SEO tactic ourselves, using fatjoe’s own Digital PR Campaigns to target premium outlets like Forbes, MSN, NYPost and others to secure these mentions.
Just look at how it worked here – we’ve been recommended on the back of ChatGPT picking up positive coverage we secured via a digital PR campaign.
Landing your story or expert quotes on such sites means AI crawlers (and Google’s knowledge overviews) are far more likely to “see” your brand.
In short, treating AI SEO visibility like a PR effort ensures your brand name and core phrases are replicated widely on the web.