AIO: How to Get Picked Up by AI Search

Search engines are ever-evolving. One of the biggest evolutions that's been hard to miss is the introduction of AI into search. Whether it's AI-assisted summaries of content or casual conversations with a generative AI bot, AI search is quickly becoming a preferred way to search for many internet users.

In order for your content to be found via AI you need to optimize for this new type of search. 

You've heard of SEO. Well, now there's AIO: Artificial Intelligence Optimization. Here's what you need to know about this emerging technology.

What is AI Search?

Throughout this blog, I use "AI search" in a general sense, but there are really two types of AI search:

1. AI search platforms like Perplexity, where users ask an AI conversational questions which are then supported through sources cited.

a screenshot of a search in perplexity. the search for "what is ai search?" is answered with a long format, blog-style response.

These results are typically longer-form and resemble blog posts more than they do a simple question/answer format. Users can then ask follow-up questions about the results, which the AI search will respond to in a similar, conversational tone.

2. Existing search platforms like Google, where AI is used to synthesize and summarize data.

a screenshot of a google SERP (search engine results page) for the term "what is ai search?" near the top is an AI overview, which then leads into organic results below.

Here, the AI overview that appears near the top of the screen is an add-on to the SERP (search engine results page). By default a user sees a quick answer to their query with sources cited, which then leads into a "show more," which creates a longer generative result like you would see in Perplexity. Below that are the organic results, any ads on the page and other existing SERP areas like "people also ask."

These two types of AI searches both rely on core data to power the results. While each may use additional resources, both rely on databases like Google and Bing as a source to supply information.

What Factors Does AI Search Consider?

Most AI search tools follow the same guidelines that search engines do. This includes:

  • How accurately does this information answer the question posed by the searcher?
  • How deeply does the content answer the question? (ex: Is it just two lines of text, or does it give more context?)
  • What's the intent behind this search, and does your site content match that intent? (ex: if a user is looking to buy something right now, does the content allow them to make a purchase on that page?)
  • How reputable is the source of this information? (aka the author and publisher)
  • Is the information clear and easy to understand?
  • Is the content narrowly focused on a topic, or is it extremely broad? More credence is typically given to narrow vs. broad.

The goal of AI search is the same as all searches: giving the searcher the best possible answer to their question.

vector illustration of three computers displaying different search results

How to Get Picked Up by AI Search

AI is ever-evolving and so is our understanding of how best to rank in an AI-powered world. However, there are a few tactics that you can use now to impact your likelihood of showing up in all types of AI search results. 

1. Continue to Use SEO Best Practices

SEO isn't going anywhere. Most AI search tools are built on a base of existing databases (Google as the most obvious). Most AI tools will analyze the top-ranking search results only when synthesizing their answers. For that reason, it's important to continue to follow SEO best practices. These include:

The specifics of each of these bullets could be entire blogs on their own. For an in-depth look at all things SEO, check out our guide: What is Search Engine Optimization?

The key takeaway here is don't stop doing what's already working. Instead, you want to add onto your existing SEO strategy.

2. Follow a Question-Answer Format OR List Format

Currently, AI search is great at picking up and summarizing simple concepts that have a clear answer or list of directions. It's not quite there yet for hypotheticals and philosophical quandaries. This means that if you want to get picked up by AI search, you can shift how you write your content to do so.

question-answer format for your content works extremely well for both blogs and video content. In this structure, the title of your content poses a question that is quickly answered in the first paragraph of your content and then expanded on in the rest of the blog.

You can see a full example of this format on this blog: What is HubSpot's New Content Hub? The Title asks a question, which is then answered directly in the first paragraph - AI can read this, and use this info to populate a quick answer ("What is Content Hub? Content Hub is an all-in-one AI-powered content marketing software that is an evolution of their previous CMS Hub and Marketing Hub software."). However, this isn't the full story. The rest of the blog then goes into more detail about this topic, which gives both AI and human users more context.

flat vector graphic of open book with icons floating around it

list format works well for blog posts. In this structure, the title of your blog implies a list is coming. This can be broad, but let's look back at the question-answer example. "What is HubSpot's New Content Hub?" is a direct question that would be answered with an explanation. On the flip side, phrases like "2025 Marketing Trends You Can't Ignore," "5 Examples of Inbound Marketing Automation," or "How to Adapt Your Content for Google's Search Generative Experience" are all titles that can't be answered in a simple sentence and will be explained with either examples or steps. Note that it's not necessary to include a specific number in the title.

As you might expect from the name, to create list format content, you'll want to organize your content in the form of a list. If you want to maximize your chances of getting picked up by AI search, I recommend adding a number to each item. The key here is to make sure that your list items all have clear subheadings and that each subheading is formatted as an H2 or as an H3 underneath an H2 subheading.

You can see this in action in this blog - the subheading "How to Get Picked Up by AI Search" is an H2, while each item underneath is an H3. This goes back to my point about continuing to follow existing SEO best practices - if I didn't format according to these guidelines, the AI wouldn't be able to correctly read and decipher my content.

3. Use Simple Language (NOT AI-Generated)

AI looks for text that is more straightforward and written at a general level. The average Amercian reads at a 7th to 8th-grade level, and if you want to get picked up by AI your best bet is to write to this level as well. This means choosing common words over uncommon (ex: "talkative" vs. "loquacious"), choosing a more direct writing style versus a passive or philosophical style, and following grammar conventions. If you want to get picked up by AI search, don't get experimental with your writing. While my focus is on English-speakers and residents of the US, this advice applies to all languages.

However, infusing personality into your writing is still important for your readers. There are a million competitors out there, you want buyers to feel comfortable choosing you because they identify with your brand's personality. Vary your blog authors and writing style. Stick to the generic style described above when publishing blogs as your company - if I were to do that for this blog, the author would be "BizzyWeb." Sprinkle in more personal, imperfect and personality-infused content that's published by your team members. 

cute white shiny robot holding tablet with envelopes floating in background

Now here's a bit of irony. AI search does not favor AI-written content. Google has a whole host of criteria they use to filter out AI content, but one thing is clear: Google gives priority to helpful, useful and original content. This means that if you ask ChatGPT to write a blog post and then just publish that verbatim on your website without reviewing it, you're not likely to be producing helpful, high-quality content under Google's guidelines.  Unedited AI-generated content typically violates Google's sniff test for authentic information. It is often repetitive, keyword-heavy, stiff, and impersonal. All signals to Google that this is not valuable content.

Use AI as a helper, not a creator. If you want your content to be picked up by AI search, it should still be your content.

4. Monitor the Trends

AI search is still in its infancy. Google's search generative experience has already changed drastically from when it was first introduced. We don't know exactly how AI search will shape the content landscape. That makes it important to stay current on both AI and general internet trends so you can adapt.

Some great sources I use to monitor trends are:

Getting picked up by AI search is a growing priority for businesses as the popularity and integration of AI continues to grow. We don't have a clear roadmap, but there are some things you can do now: continue to follow SEO guidelines, format your content for AI, keep it simple and keep an eye on the trends.

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BizzyWeb is a Minneapolis-based digital marketing and web design agency that helps companies get the high-quality leads they need to grow and thrive. Our tactics include inbound marketing, SEO, advertising, web design, content creation and sales automation. We are an accredited HubSpot Platinum Partner and we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for new and current users.

 

Dave Meyer
Author: Dave Meyer
Dave Meyer is President of BizzyWeb. Dave has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications and has presented digital marketing topics to thousands of people across the US and Canada.