How To outrank
your competitors in ai search
Strategy and Tactics to Gain AI Visibility
Get an AI Summary of this post on:
Human Authored content draws from personal experience and creative intuition that AI cannot replicate, resulting in work with greater authenticity, emotional depth, and original perspective.
How to Outrank Your Competitors in AI Search
The digital marketing landscape is experiencing a seismic shift. Traditional SEO strategies that have dominated for years are losing ground and no longer as effective as they once were. AI-powered search engines, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude, are fundamentally changing how people discover information and make purchasing decisions.
Recent research reveals a striking trend: AI search visitors will likely surpass traditional search visitors by 2028. The average visitor from a Large Language Model (LLM), a machine learning model that can comprehend and generate human language, is worth 4.4 times more than traditional organic search visitors. These users arrive more informed, with fewer clicks to find what they want, often qualified, and ready to make decisions.
Key Insights from the Data
If you’re still relying solely on traditional SEO, you’re missing a massive opportunity. Here’s everything you need to know today about dominating AI search results and outranking your competitors in this new and exciting era.
I want to thank you personally for your leadership, insights and knowledge which allowed us the confidence to trust you as our fractional Chief Marketing Officer.
Because of you and your team our business has more than doubled over a relatively short period of time and so has my personal income.
I can’t tell you enough how grateful we are for what you have been able to accomplish for us and we want to continue to add to our marketing cost because our formula has been that
for every dollar we spend with you we are putting at least 5 back into our pocket AFTER we subtract what we spent.
That’s an amazing cost/benefit that I have never received before in any of our previous marketing endeavors. Feel free to use me as a reference.
I am happy to share our experience with anyone who is fortunate enough for you to take them on as a client.
Daniel C Goodwin
Provident 1031
Chief Investment Strategist
July 4, 2025
COMPLETE THE FORM TO
BOOK A STRATEGY CALL
"*" indicates required fields
The New Reality: Why AI Search Changes Everything
The Great Decoupling
What we’re seeing across the board is a “decoupling” of search performance. While impressions on traditional search engines continue to rise, click-through rates are dropping dramatically due to the incorporation of AI. Users are getting their answers directly from AI overviews and summaries, reducing the need to visit multiple websites.
However, referral traffic from AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude is trending upward. More importantly, when users do click through from AI sources, they’re qualified leads who often arrive with specific, high-intent questions.
What is referral traffic?
Referral traffic is website traffic that comes from visitors clicking on a link from another website or platform that directs them to your site.
In the context of AI engines, referral traffic occurs when someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude a question, receives an answer with citations or links, and then clicks through to visit your website. This type of traffic is particularly valuable because these visitors are already informed about your brand and often arrive with specific, high-intent questions, and in many cases are ready to buy.
The Water Cooler Effect
Think of AI engines like a conversation around the office water cooler. When a doctor asks colleagues for recommendations on surgical guides and someone mentions “The All On X Success Guide from Burbank Dental Lab,” it gets on their radar, but they probably won’t immediately order it.
However, if everyone around the water cooler – dentists, oral surgeons, dental specialists, and lab clinicians – all mention the same guide, the likelihood of that doctor checking it out skyrockets.
AI engines work similarly. The more times your brand appears across various sources in relation to relevant queries, the higher the probability that AI tools will recommend you. It’s about being everywhere that matters across influential touchpoints, such as:
Following are additional influential touchpoints:
High-Authority Platforms Frequently Cited by AI:
Industry-Specific Authority Sites:
Emerging Influential Touchpoints:
The key insight: AI engines favor platforms with strong moderation, user-generated content, and established authority. Focus on platforms where your target audience naturally gathers to discuss problems and solutions in your industry.
It’s about being everywhere that matters across influential touchpoints.
The Three-Pillar Framework for AI Visibility
1. Be the source
Pro Tip: Focus on middle and bottom-funnel content. People using AI search are typically further along in their buyer’s journey and asking specific, high-intent questions.
Unlike traditional search where users might start with broad “what is” queries, AI search users often come pre-informed with specific needs: “Which company provides the best service and education around a 1031 exchange?” or “What are the implementation costs for an intraoral scanner?” They’ve moved past awareness-stage content and want detailed comparisons, implementation guidance, pricing information, and specific use cases.
This shift means your content should address decision-making criteria, feature comparisons, and practical implementation details rather than basic educational content. AI engines recognize this intent and preferentially cite content that helps users make informed decisions rather than content that simply explains concepts.
The brands that thrive in the AI era will be those that combine tactical AI optimization with long-term brand building.
2. Be included in the sources
Have your marketing company audit where you’re currently meitoned and systematically fill the gaps:
Target thise high-value platforms:
Outreach Strategy: This isn’t traditional link building. Think of it more like account-based marketing. Build relationships, offer value exchanges, and get creative with your approach. Some effective tactics include:
3. Replace the source
This is where you get creative and think outside the box. Look at current citation patterns and ask: “Can I create a better source?”
High-Leverage Opportunities:
The Video Advantage: Video content has a higher barrier to entry, which means less competition. If you can create quality video content that answers common questions in your industry, provide tips and strategies, customer stories, product profiles, then you’ll likely see strong AI visibility results.
Measuring AI Visibility: The New Analytics Framework
Layer 1: Visibility Tracking
Layer 2: Referral Traffic
Set up tracking for AI engine referrals:
Layer 3: Business Impact
The most important layer – does this drive real results?
This is one of the best written, most informative email newsletters I’ve ever read!
Thank you for sharing your expertise, and hope you’re doing well.
Beth Zimmerman
Founder, Executive Director
July 3, 2025
COMPLETE THE FORM TO
BOOK A STRATEGY CALL
"*" indicates required fields
Building Long-Term Dominance
Originality
In rapidly evolving spaces like AI and marketing technology, there’s often low consensus on best practices. By conducting original research, you can:
Be The Brand Worth Mentioning
Ultimately, the most sustainable approach is building a brand that people naturally want to recommend. Ask yourself: “If AI engines didn’t exist, would these tactics still be valuable for my customers?”
Lont-term brand building includes:
Platform-Specific Optimization
Different AI engines favor different content types:
Monitor which platforms drive the most qualified traffic and adjust your strategy accordingly.
The New Ranking Factors for AI Search
Based on current research and testing, these factors increase your chances of AI visibility:
The Future of AI Search
If people don’t recommend you, no model will either.
While tactics can provide short-term boosts, the most sustainable strategy is building a brand that people genuinely want to recommend. Focus on creating real value, building authentic relationships, and establishing genuine expertise in your field.
The AI search revolution isn’t just changing how people find information—it’s returning us to fundamental marketing principles: be helpful, be trustworthy, and be everywhere your customers are looking for solutions.
The brands that thrive in the AI era will be those that combine tactical AI optimization with long-term brand building. Start implementing these strategies today, and you’ll be well-positioned to dominate AI search results as this new paradigm continues to evolve.
COMPLETE THE FORM TO
BOOK A STRATEGY CALL
"*" indicates required fields
