\n<\/p>\n
For a long time, the marketing firm Vital Design kept a blog. It was a basic SEO tactic: Write posts about the things your target user searches for, and those people are more likely to discover you in Google searches.<\/p>\n
Then AI came along, and Vital\u2019s organic blog traffic plummeted by 60%. Maybe you\u2019ve experienced the same problem, just like businesses everywhere.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s the twist: While Vital\u2019s traffic cratered, its sales-ready leads remained steady or increased. How? Because Vital had started investing in the next SEO-like strategy: It\u2019s often called answer engine optimization, or AEO, and it helps boost your company\u2019s visibility in AI search queries.<\/p>\n
In addition, AEO can help search engines more efficiently inform your consumer \u2014 which is changing the entire sales cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Max DesMarais, Vital Design\u2019s director of strategy, calls this the \u201cmarketing funnel push.\u201d Customers\u2019 research phase now happens outside your website, through AI tools that synthesize information from multiple sources. So by the time they reach your site, they\u2019ve already been prequalified by AI.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are already further down the funnel than they previously were, creating a better environment for them to convert on sales-ready leads,\u201d DesMarais says. So if you can get AI to recommend your business during that research phase, you\u2019ll attract more qualified prospects who are ready to buy.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n One of the most effective tactics, DesMarais says, is to create content such as new product pages on your website \u2014 including features, attributes, and FAQs \u2014 that address extremely specific customer needs. The more niche and targeted, the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re a marketing agency (like Vital Design) that works with many different WordPress themes and serves multiple industries. You\u2019d want to build pages that address each of those combinations \u2014 highlighting specific tools you use, industries you serve, problems you solve, or geographic areas you operate in.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, we would\u2019ve never created a page that said we work on, say, the WordPress plug-in Elementor \u2014 because there was no search volume on Google telling us that we should do that,\u201d DesMarais says. \u201cBut nowadays, we\u2019re going to create the page that says we work on Elementor, and that we do this specifically for higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n These pages don\u2019t need to rank on Google; they just need to be crawlable by AI tools that are looking for precise matches to user queries.<\/p>\n The strategy works because AI tools excel at matching specific queries with specific solutions. When someone asks ChatGPT for \u201ca WordPress agency that works with Elementor and does SEO and paid advertising and branding work in higher ed,\u201d DesMarais wants his business to be recommended.<\/p>\n While many businesses are still creating top-of-funnel blog content, DesMarais recommends shifting resources toward bottom-of-funnel pages that directly address purchase intent.<\/p>\n In other words: In the past, a marketing agency might have posted an article called, \u201cHow to Choose a Marketing Agency.\u201d That was top-of-funnel content, aimed at anyone searching for general information on marketing agencies. But now, DesMarais suggests, you want to create posts that are more specific. Like:\u00a0<\/p>\n For e-commerce companies, these blogs and posts might center around products, while software-as-a-service startups focus more on specific solutions and industries. \u00a0<\/p>\n To be clear: Consumers may never read this content, or even be aware that it exists. But the pages will help inform the AI answers, creating more certainty that your business is the right fit for someone\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re writing content for humans, you need to focus on good storytelling and fluid language.<\/p>\n But when you\u2019re writing content to be read by AI, you need to think like a machine \u2014 and craft content that\u2019s clear, structured, and easy to organize.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make sure that the information is accessible and easy for these AI overviews to read and see,\u201d DesMarais emphasizes.<\/p>\n Your headlines should be clear, not clever. Use lots of bullet points and lists to detail services and specialties. Include markers of authority, like testimonials, specific industry experience, and case studies. And include an FAQ section that tackles the things that people are most likely to ask AI.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve done all this, you\u2019ll face a new challenge: It\u2019s hard to know what\u2019s actually working. Traditional analytics don\u2019t capture the full customer journey, so someone might research you through ChatGPT, then visit your website days later and convert.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re missing some marketing attribution because you\u2019re not even quite aware of it,\u201d DesMarais says.<\/p>\n To get a clearer picture, you\u2019ll need to be more proactive than before. Here are some ways to start:<\/p>\n While this shift can feel daunting, DesMarais sees it as an opportunity for businesses willing to evolve. \u201cIf you\u2019re not adapting, you\u2019re going to fall behind,\u201d he says. \u201cStart to think about how your target audience is shifting their behavior, and figure out how you can show up in front of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to know if AI is recommending your company, or if your AEO efforts have paid off? You could write queries all day to find out\u2026or you could use any of the multiple AI tools specifically designed to find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here are three of the most popular:<\/strong><\/p>\n For entry-level tracking<\/strong>: Otterly.ai\u00a0<\/strong> For fast-moving teams<\/strong>: AthenaHQ<\/strong> For enterprise-level data<\/strong>: Profound<\/strong> For a long time, the marketing firm Vital Design kept a blog. It was a basic SEO tactic: Write posts about the things your target user searches for, and those people are more likely to discover you in Google searches.<\/p>\n Then AI came along, and Vital\u2019s organic blog traffic plummeted by 60%. Maybe you\u2019ve experienced the same problem, just like businesses everywhere.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the twist: While Vital\u2019s traffic cratered, its sales-ready leads remained steady or increased. How? Because Vital had started investing in the next SEO-like strategy: It\u2019s often called answer engine optimization, or AEO, and it helps boost your company\u2019s visibility in AI search queries.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nCreate hyperspecific service pages<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Focus on bottom-of-funnel Content<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Make your information AI-readable<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Track what\u2019s actually working<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nWhat Does AI Say About You?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Monitors and analyzes your brand mentions across ChatGPT, Gemini, and many other AI platforms. Audits your site to improve search results. Notable for its affordable cost.\u00a0(from $29\/month; otterly.ai)<\/p>\n
Also monitors and analyzes. Plus, it includes features that provide specific optimization signals and automated content creation to improve your rank. (from $95\/month; athenahq.ai)<\/p>\n
Detailed analytics. Helps brands understand their ranking in complex shopping queries and buyer journeys. Especially known for enterprise services. (from $99\/month;\u00a0 tryprofound.com)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n