Your AI Search Playbook - 6 Moves to Reclaim Visibility and Demand

Part 4 of our four-part series exploring how AI search is transforming visibility, SEO, and digital strategy - and what CEOs need to do now to stay competitive.

If your executive team is struggling to understand why web traffic is down or inbound leads are drying up, it’s time to zoom out. This is no longer a question of website performance - it’s a strategic visibility issue.

AI Search has changed the way buyers discover, evaluate, and select vendors. And most mid-sized companies haven’t adjusted their playbook.

Here’s how to start reclaiming control - and visibility.

1. Recalibrate Your Metrics

Stop focusing on traffic alone. Today’s success indicators include:

• Conversions from organic traffic

• Brand mentions in AI engines

• Citations in AI-generated overviews

• Sentiment across forums and third-party platforms

Your dashboards need to reflect the reality of how discovery now works - not how it worked three years ago.

2. Reinforce Technical Foundations

Make sure your house is in order leveraging the combination of classic SEO practices and new GEO practices including:

• Eliminate heavy JavaScript that AI bots can’t read

• Maintain strong Core Web Vitals, such as page speed

• Add schema markup to clarify content structure

These are table stakes in the AI era.

3. Optimize Content for AI (Not Just Humans)

Understand the nuances of what AI prefers. Ways in which you can positively influence your presence in AI answers include:

• Write in clear, short paragraphs - one topic at a time

• Use question-and-answer formats that AI can parse

• Add TL:DR summaries and key takeaways at the top

• Keep your content fresh - even quarterly updates help

• Have a content fan-out strategy to answer expanded queries

AI prioritizes clarity, recency, and direct answers.

4. Manage Offsite Visibility and Brand Narrative

• Monitor brand mentions on Reddit, Quora, review sites

• Drive earned media and positive comparison content

• Track sentiment - it affects how AI summarizes your brand

• Watch for competitor-created “head-to-head” content

Your brand’s reputation is being shaped well beyond your site.

5. Invest in Multitouch Attribution

Buyer journeys are not linear - and AI introduces new entry points. Use attribution tools that account for:

• Repeat visits across platforms

• AI-driven interactions that influence decisions

• Long cycles in B2B journeys with multiple touchpoints

If your team only tracks first-click or last-click, they’re missing the big picture.

6. Get a Baseline — Then Act

You can’t fix what you don’t see. Most teams don’t even know:

• How they’re represented in AI engines

• Where they’re being cited (or not)

• What competitors are doing differently

That’s where a structured AI visibility assessment comes in — giving your team clarity and a roadmap to move forward with confidence.

AI search is not a side project for your marketing team. It’s a strategic shift that affects growth, lead generation, and competitive positioning.

Start by understanding how visible your brand is - and whether AI is helping or hurting your buyers find you.

For an executive summary and overview, download the free AI Search Report.

If you need a custom roadmap based on your market, content, and competitive position, consider the AI Search Readiness Assessment.

AI Search Team

Carol Eversen Area Managing Partner, CMO & CRO Chief Outsiders	Sabrina Donley CMO Chief Outsiders	Doug Bell Partner & CMO Chief Outsiders	John Prinzo Team Outsiders	Jon Aron Team Outsiders

Catch up on the full series

• AI Search is Here – And it’s Reshaping the Buyer Journey
• GEO – What it is and Why You Should Understand It
• You’re Being Talked About (or Ignored) - Offsite Signals Drive AI Search Visibility
• Your AI Search Playbook - 6 Moves to Reclaim Visibility and Demand