Ranking on the first page of Google is still vitally important for getting found. The question is: are you popping up in the first round of AI search results, too?
Discoverability has long been a focus of digital marketing strategy. Ensuring prospective clients, strategic partners, referral sources and funders can easily find an organization – and the most pertinent information about it – is key to filling the sales pipeline, ranking prominently on Google and staying one step ahead of the competition. Today, discoverability also extends to AI search, ensuring organizations also rank favorably in the eyes of ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and the like. So, what does it take “get found” on AI? Here’s what you need to know:
1. Building a robust digital footprint is key
This isn’t about a great website or a trending TikTok. It’s about a holistic set of digital assets that reinforce a consistent message. For AI search to synthesize an organization’s relevance and distill it into a succinct summary for the end user, it needs a wealth of information to pull from.
For example: A simple, single-page website may give prospective clients a high-level overview of a brand and its value proposition, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. Who is leading the team? What has the company accomplished? Are third parties taking notice? Hint: the last part is where your online newsroom comes in.)
In order for AI search to build a summary and make a recommendation, it needs to have access to adequate information to ensure surfacing your organization in its response is both relevant to the user’s query and accurate.
2. Gaining third-party validation is critical
AI search isn’t looking for a single proof point that your organization is the right fit for a user query. It’s looking for multiple digital assets that validate your organization’s relevance and credibility, which is where third-party validation comes in. Two impactful ways to check that box? Media coverage and award recognition.
Whether it’s being quoted in round up story or trends piece or securing a feature story about your latest advancement or innovation, press coverage is a powerful tool for boosting your AI discoverability. An ongoing public relations program that ensures fresh content, featuring your expertise, is published consistently can help to keep your name top-of-mind with AI search.
Another opportunity to secure third-party validation is award recognition. Whether being recognized as a top workplace, fast-growing private company, leader in a field or for employing exceptional talent, awards can help put your brand in front of new audiences and create digital content (think profiles and photos) for AI search to consider. Consider how ranking lists, recognition within membership and trade organizations, and opportunities to nominate trailblazers within the organization can help to expand a list of relevant recognition opportunities.
3. Emphasizing expertise is important
Traditional search considers a keyword or key phrase as a core element when determining how to rank content. AI search, on the other hand, is looking at a broader context. Think of it as the difference between saying, “ABC Company is led by a team of senior living executives” and “ABC Company is led by award-winning senior living executives with more than 75 years of hands-on experience working in elder care communities.” The latter offers a more robust response with relevant proof points that help to establish trust.
Reinforcing an organization’s expertise encompasses everything from putting the leadership team’s bios and relevant case studies on the website to building out a portfolio of strategic press coverage and credible social media content. Remember, this isn’t about one great marketing asset – it’s about a portfolio of digital content that is consistent, credible and, as we like to say, perfectly clear.
4. Keeping content fresh, and your brand footprint consistent, should be top priorities
Keeping content fresh applies not only to your website and social media channels but to your online business and directory listings. An outdated address or inconsistent name reference are just two examples of how a lingering piece of old information could weaken the trust signals your company is sending to AI search.
To help ensure a current and consistent footprint, consider conducting a quarterly audit of your online marketing presence. Beyond those regular checkpoints, ensure a thorough and exhaustive assessment of your company’s digital footprint is executed in the face of a rebrand, merger or acquisition.
When it comes to keeping content fresh, consider how the third-party validation coming out of your public relations program can provide fodder for social media content, short videos, email marketing, blog posts and more. While you don’t want to saturate your audiences with the same information, there are often tidbits worth extracting for relevant and engaging shorter format content.
Ensuring your organization is viewed favorably by AI search requires a strategic approach to digital marketing. In the eyes of Claude, ChatGPT and others, brand consistency and credibility are critical. Users are looking to these AI-powered engines to deliver a relevant and accurate response, ultimately saving them the time of manually researching to determine which organization best meets their needs. As you consider how to strengthen your digital marketing efforts to align with the needs of AI search, start by defining which core values are most important to clients and prospects and how you can refine existing marketing assets to better convey those values. With a solid foundation in place, your organization will be well-positioned to scale thought leadership and expand marketing channels to achieve long-term ROI.
