Stop the scroll: how to win at SEO in the age of AI search

Search isn’t what it used to be. Between Google’s AI overviews, and LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot changing how people seek and find information, optimising for the front page of search engines is no longer optimal.

We’re in the age of zero-click, and it feels like all the rules are out the window. But while your brand link might never go blue, you can still win big on influence through GEO, aka Generative Engine Optimisation.

So, how do you make sure your content shows up and gets cited in AI-powered search? 

Whether you’re building thought leadership or trying to keep your website visible in a zero-click world, the fundamentals are evolving. Here’s what you need to know.

Substance over search tricks

People used to be able to get away with content that existed purely for SEO rankings: lower quality and crammed full of keywords.

But like any good sniffer dog, AI will be able to tell. It’ll find your content, and then it will ignore it.

Google has been explicit about how this will work with its EEAT framework - a set of guidelines used by human raters to assess content quality and teach its automated systems to rank helpful, reliable and people-first content.

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  Experience: Does the content demonstrate real experience in the topic? Product reviews and case studies perform well here.
• Expertise: Does the creator have the knowledge and qualifications or skills to write about the topic?
• Authority: Is the website a go-to source for the knowledge within its industry or niche?
• Trust: Is the page accurate, transparent, safe and honest?

If your content doesn’t meet these guidelines and genuinely answer a question better than anyone else, it isn’t likely to surface.

Write like you’re answering a real question

AI search thrives on intent. The old SEO playbook asked for keyword cramming, but people aren’t searching “adtech trends 2026” anymore. The advent of LLMs sees search behaviour becoming more conversational. That means search asks real questions, like ‘what’s changing in programmatic right now?’, ‘which adtech podcasts are worth listening to?’ and ‘is CTV worth investing in?’

Your content needs to mirror that intent:

• Clear headings that sound like questions
• Direct and concise answers that aren’t buried in the body text
• Supporting detail layered underneath

This structures your web content to suit the way AI models extract and summarise information, increasing the likelihood the LLMs will find your website.

Be an original source

Brands need to realise that the new aim of the game is to be cited, not simply ranked. AI-generated answers pull from multiple sources, combining them into one response.

This means original, well-structured content is far more likely to be referenced, because it isn’t competing.

Unique data, bold and personal opinions and expert commentary gives your content an edge that can make it stand out from the noise.

Authority isn’t a buzzword, and SEO isn’t dead

At the same time, don’t forget everything you already know about SEO.

Backlinks, brand mentions and reputation matter more than ever. AI search models lean on authority signals to decide what to trust. Appearing in AI search should be part of a long-term strategy, not a quick win. That means:

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  Digital PR isn’t optional - focus on building your presence and name
• Thought leadership helps you stand out. Establishing your name as a leader in your space becomes a ranking factor for AI search
• Consistency builds credibility - the more content you create over time, the more likely you are to be considered an authority in your industry or niche

If your brand shows up across respected publications, you’re far more likely to appear in AI-generated answers. Publications that backlink to your website go a long way, as do mentions of your brand from credible titles, and internal linking between sources on your website becomes highly relevant. If someone is likely to find anything they need to know at each junction of your website, then AI search will too.

Content structure is an AI search secret weapon

Messy content is going to miss out these days. Clean, scannable and well-formatted writing is easier to read, both for people and machines. Want an example? Look back over the structure of this article!

On a technical level:

• Logical heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) helps machines scan your writing
• Bullet points allow for speedy extraction of answers
• Clear sections with defined topics makes it easy for AI to lift your words into an answer

This doesn’t just go for articles, but website page structure as well. Watch those header fonts.

Technical SEO is still a heavy lifter for AI search

If your site is slow, hard to crawl or poorly indexed, your content isn’t going to enter the equation. GEO has made technical SEO more important than ever.

Optimise your page speed, mobile views, indexability and structure data as best you can, because if search engines can’t access your content properly, LLMs don’t stand a chance.

Think beyond blog posts

AI doesn’t pull content only from written articles. LLMs learn from:

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  Video transcripts
• Podcasts
• PDFs
• Social media content, both personal and professional
• Research papers
• Website FAQs

The more formats you publish in, the more surface area you’re giving your brand to build authority and be discovered. Content distribution has become a multichannel game.

Your content needs to earn its place in AI search

More searches now end without any clicks at all, especially with AI summaries on search engine pages. But visibility still builds influence. Appearing in AI answers, getting quoted and referenced, means becoming associated with expertise and trust.

Traffic is no longer the KPI; presence is.

There’s no denying that search is getting more competitive, complex and unpredictable. But for brands that know their stuff, it’s becoming increasingly rewarding. There’s still space to show up and shape the conversation… as long as you’re adding something worth reading.

Ask yourself: What do you know enough about to become a trusted source? That’s the content you need to make - the content AI will surface, and the content your audience will come back to over and again.



Ren Bowman is the Senior Multimedia Lead at The Digital Voice™, a first-class graduate in Creative Writing and an award-winning podcast producer. They’ve written for a range of industries including tech, entertainment, education, business finance, and lifestyle. Outside of work, they are an activist for social justice, especially Women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.