As if ranking atop Google isn’t hard enough, marketers are now also expected to gain visibility in AI search. And while SEOs broadly understand what traditional search engines look for, AI optimization is uncharted territory.
Some say traditional SEO is enough for visibility in AI. Others boast new optimization practices branded as GEO, AEO, or LLMO. And some have given up on organic channels altogether.
In our experience, traditional SEO is as vital as ever. But gaining and maintaining AI visibility requires a new layer of analysis: one that understands how and why AI surfaces particular information, and how it uses trust and authority signals to amplify brands’ presence.
We refer to this layered approach as the AI Visibility Pyramid. Let’s unpack this framework and how you can implement it.
Base Layer: Traditional SEO
Traditional SEO focuses on delivering relevant content and a user-friendly site experience to your ICP audience. For SEO to attract and convert qualified visitors, you need to have basics in place, such as:
- High-quality and search-optimized BOFU and MOFU content
- Strong backlink profile and domain rating
- Unified messaging and positioning across your entire content library
- A consistent approach to refreshing and updating content
- Funnel stage-appropriate CTAs and conversion sequences
- An intuitively structured and fast-loading site
It helps to ensure your robots.txt allows ChatGPT‑User, PerplexityBot, and Googlebot‑Extended to scrape your site. Blocking them makes AI visibility impossible.
Also, write your content in BLUF format with answers first, details second. LLMs reward mirrored headings, shorter paragraphs, and credible stats over keyword stuffing.
Once you build this foundation, you’ll likely be highly visible in traditional search engines. For example, the language learning platform Preply brings tens of thousands of new visitors to its website each month by following fundamental SEO principles.
Success in traditional SEO translates into AI visibility because AI tools use search engine indexes to provide real-time information. For instance, ChatGPT uses data from Bing and other third-party providers, while Gemini uses Google’s search index.
Search experiences change as users adopt AI, but traditional SEO should remain your top priority. According to data published by the audience research tool Sparktoro, Google received over 370 times more searches than ChatGPT in 2024.
Google is also expanding its AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode. Top rankings in search results increase your chance of being cited in Google’s AI-generated summaries.
Research shows that anywhere from 52% to 99% of sources mentioned in AI Overviews rank in the top 10 results.
Middle Layer: Context & Content Strategy
The next step is to understand the context in which AI mentions your brand and those of competitors.
You can figure this out by running a simple context-learning exercise. Ask AI the same questions your prospects ask during their buying journey, such as:
- What are some ways to solve PROBLEM (E.G., TALENT ACQUISITION)?
- What are the best TYPE (E.G., HR SOFTWARE) tools in the market?
- What is BRAND, and what does it do?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of BRAND?
- How frequently does BRAND roll out new features or updates?
- Why do people choose to use BRAND?
- What do customers say about their experience with BRAND?
- What are the main alternatives to BRAND?
The AI-provided answers you get from these questions help you gauge the overall brand sentiment. You’ll learn how AI affects the customer journey, if it mentions your latest product features, and whether it’s up to date on your positioning.
As you get these answers, note the sources AI uses. Here’s what it looks like in ChatGPT search in the right bar:
Ideally, your pages should be among the listed sources. If they are not, then you just discovered a content gap to fill. Run this exercise through several AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) for more comprehensive results.
Analyze competing brands in the same way. If competitors are referenced more often, try to understand why. Potential causes to check for:
- They published an article comparing their products to competing brands.
- A particular subreddit praises their product.
- They generated hundreds of positive reviews.
If you want a high-level overview of how AI search engines discuss your brand, HubSpot’s AI Search Grades (AISG) can be of help. It complements your more manual research into specific user queries.
The tool shows your brand sentiment rating and how you measure up to your competitors. You can run an AISG analysis along with a manual query review every month to check if you’re making progress.
As you analyze your AI presence, you’ll understand which types of sources influence the results. These sources may include:
- Product pages
- Review platforms
- Company blog posts
- Wikipedia
- YouTube videos
- Case studies
The sources you identify can inform the content strategy you should pursue. For instance, maybe you discover that LLMs heavily cite Reddit and YouTube when discussing your or competitor’s products. Or that a competitor has a vast library of BOFU articles and case studies that influence AI to recommend the competitor instead of you.
As you build your AI-focused content plan, try to achieve some quick wins to build momentum and secure internal buy-in. For instance, update existing blog posts to help AI pick up on your latest product positioning.
Top Layer: Trust & Authority Signals
Once you’ve created content that can influence AI-generated answers, the next step is to actively increase its reach and credibility.
AI models increasingly use signals like third-party mentions, reviews, and discussions across niche online communities to evaluate a brand’s trust and authority. When your company appears consistently in positive contexts across platforms like Reddit, industry forums, and product review sites, LLMs are more likely to surface your content and brand in their answers.
Focus on promoting your content across platforms and channels where AI models gather information. Here are some specific ways to do that:
Participate in online discussions: Identify and contribute to relevant Reddit threads (e.g., r/SaaS, r/ProductManagement) and industry-specific forums like GrowthHackers or StackExchange. Provide helpful answers, link to your resources where appropriate, and build a reputation for expertise by posting weekly.
Optimize review site presence: Claim and regularly update your company’s profile on major review platforms like G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot. Set a reminder to respond to new reviews within 48 hours, addressing both positive and negative feedback professionally.
Submit to product directories: List your product or service on popular directories relevant to your industry, such as Product Hunt, AlternativeTo, or Clutch. Ensure your listing is fully optimized with updated product info, visuals, and recent testimonials.
Launch digital PR efforts: Create and distribute data-driven reports, case studies, or industry benchmarks. Pitch your findings to journalists and bloggers. Share published coverage widely across LinkedIn, Twitter, and your company blog for maximum reach.
Keep in mind that improved visibility isn’t instantaneous. Most large models only refresh their data at intervals and need time to incorporate new mentions.
For example, Claude 3.7 Sonnet’s knowledge only extends as far as October 2024. However, some models, including ChatGPT and Gemini, actively search the web and can reflect changes in your online presence much sooner. In these cases, the impact of your efforts can show up more quickly in AI-powered search results.
Let the Pyramid Work for You
AI search is evolving fast, and strategies will keep adapting, but the fundamentals behind the AI Visibility Pyramid are built to last.
No matter how search shifts, brands that continually strengthen their SEO foundation, build citation-worthy content, and amplify their credibility across the web will remain visible and competitive.
“Take a simple idea and take it seriously.” — Charlie Munger
The AI Visibility Pyramid is that simple idea. Treat it like your execution calendar: Each month, ship one improvement at the base (high-intent content or site improvement), one citation‑worthy asset in the middle (context‑rich, AI-friendly content), and one credibility play at the top (reviews, PR, directory listings). Three deliverables, four weeks — then start the cycle again. With enough cycles, you’ll build lasting authority and start to own the answer boxes your buyers see.
If you want a quick gut check on where to focus first — or a partner to help you ship those monthly deliverables — let’s talk. We’ll add the next brick to your pyramid and make sure AI can’t ignore you.