AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are experiencing explosive growth, driving a new wave of traffic opportunities. Are you ready to capture your share?
In this 30-minute webinar we break down:
Learn practical strategies from seoClarity and WillowTree to adapt and thrive in the age of AI search.
Leave this webinar with a blueprint strategy to use within your organization!
Discover the only end-to-end AI search optimization solution that empowers you to track, optimize, and elevate your brand’s visibility in AI-driven search engines.
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When it comes to understanding AI search engines and how to optimize for them, there is some important background information to know.
People looking for ChatGPT have doubled.
In addition, interest in Perplexity has shot up 10x.
Based on traffic from seoClarity research of hundreds of enterprise sites spanning multiple industries.
AI search engines can provide better answers to longer, more complex search queries than traditional search engines.
For example, AI search engines are able to sufficiently address:
Personalized Questions
Research and Learning
Decision Making
Advanced Analysis
Conversational Queries
Creative Tasks
Problem-Solving
Factual Inquiries
When using traditional search engines like Google, users will typically input high level queries such as “hiking backpack.”
However, what they really want to know might be more specific. For example, they may be looking for a hiking backpack for a trip to Philmont that fits a medium frame, is at least 65-litres, and is suitable for a novice hiker.
When inputting all that into Google, what we get is a very diverse set of responses from a lot of different sources – none of which may satisfy all the specifications of that query.
But, when inputting the query into ChatGPT, the result is very different.
It's able to assemble all the information and provide a selection, in this case, of products that match up with everything asked in the query. Here’s how it works…
The user poses a question:
AI breaks it down into sub-questions to feed to a traditional search engine:
And then, using all of those sources from the search results to those queries, brings all of the information together:
Google results are relatively static, usually only shifting slightly from day-to-day. AI search engines, on the other hand, produce different results for the same queries by the minute.
For example, here’s a query for “things to do in Chicago” in ChatGPT with SearchGPT enabled.
And here’s the response to that same query 10 minutes later:
But…not all AI search engines access the web. ChatGPT won’t retrieve web results if a prompt doesn’t require the most recent information.
And, when they do, they often cite third-party sources rather than the brands’ websites. In the example below, even products link to other parties like REI instead of Osprey.
So how do you adapt your SEO strategy for AI search engines?
Success in AI search optimization boils down to four essential steps:
Recommended Reading: AI Search Engine Framework
At seoClarity, we’ve built the only end-to-end solution for AI search engine optimization, helping businesses succeed at every stage of this process.
Ready to dominate AI search?
Schedule a demo with seoClarity today and harness the power of AI-driven traffic to propel your business forward!
Aside from these high-level SEO tactics, optimizing for AI search engines requires looking at a site’s overall online presence and breaking down silos between marketing teams.
SEOs must now think beyond optimizing websites alone; it’s about improving both the accuracy and the reputation of a brand in AI-generated responses.
That’s why WillowTree built Fuel IX, an enterprise AI platform that allows you to input a single prompt and view responses across multiple AI search engines, such as Gemini and ChatGPT, in one unified panel.
This approach provides invaluable insights into how clients' brands are represented across AI search engines, answering key questions such as:
With this insight, SEOs can get a holistic view of their online presence, allowing them to identify opportunities to improve brand reputation, enhance content, and engage in strategic outreach to be included in third-party sources.
Learn more about how WillowTree can help elevate your brand in AI search.