How to Get Your Business to Show Up in AI Search Results
Your rankings look stable. Your content still performs well in traditional search. Yet your traffic keeps slipping.
This is happening to more businesses than ever, and the reason is simple. Search is no longer just about rankings.
Google’s AI Overviews are now deciding which sources get visibility. If your business is not being selected by AI, it may as well not exist in those results.
This is where AI search visibility comes in.
Why Traditional SEO Is Not Enough Anymore
Traditional SEO focuses on keywords, links, and rankings. Those foundations still matter, but they are no longer the final gatekeeper.
Google’s AI Overviews sit above the classic blue links and generate answers directly in the search results. These summaries are created by analysing multiple sources and selecting content that is clear, reliable, and easy to understand.
According to Semrush, AI Overviews synthesise information from authoritative sources to answer queries without requiring users to click through to websites. That alone changes how visibility works in search. Source: Semrush, What Are AI Overviews
In other words, you can rank well and still lose traffic if AI does not choose your content.
AI Overviews Are Expanding Faster Than Many Brands Realise
There is a common belief that AI Overviews mainly appear for basic informational queries. That is no longer true.
A 2025 Semrush analysis of more than 10 million keywords found that AI Overviews increasingly appear for commercial, brand-led, and trending searches, not just “what is” queries. Source: Semrush AI Overviews Study
This means AI is now shaping visibility across:
• Product and service research
• Brand comparisons
• Industry trends and news
If your content strategy relies purely on evergreen SEO pages, you are missing where visibility is shifting.
What AI Search Visibility Actually Means
AI search visibility is your likelihood of being selected, cited, or summarised by generative search systems.
This includes:
• Google AI Overviews
• Google AI Mode
• AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
Search Engine Land notes that AI search now spans multiple platforms, each delivering direct answers while citing only a limited number of sources. Brands not included in those answers are effectively invisible to users relying on AI. Source: Search Engine Land, Monitoring AI Search Visibility
Visibility is no longer about ranking first. It is about being trusted enough to be quoted.
How AI Chooses What to Show
Generative engines do not rank pages in a predictable order. They select passages that reduce effort and risk.
AI systems favour content that:
• Clearly answers a specific question
• Is well structured and easy to scan
• Uses defined entities like brands, products, and people
• Supports claims with credible sources
Search Engine Land highlights that structured data and entity clarity help AI systems interpret content accurately and confidently. Source: Search Engine Land, AI Search Visibility Blueprint
If your content is vague, overly promotional, or unsupported by evidence, it is unlikely to be selected.
How to Optimise Content for AI Search
Focus on the Right Content Types
Evergreen guides still support classic SEO, but AI Overviews favour timely and contextual content.
This includes:
• Emerging trends
• Brand and product comparisons
• Industry updates
• Clear explanations of complex topics
These formats are easier for AI to summarise and reuse.
Make Entities Explicit
AI relies on understanding who and what your content is about.
Clearly define:
• Your business name
• Your services or products
• Relevant people and expertise
• Dates, locations, and statistics
Using schema markup reinforces these signals and helps AI connect your content to recognised entities. Google and Search Engine Land both emphasise structured data as a key enabler for AI visibility. Source: Search Engine Land, AI Search Visibility Guide
Structure Content for Easy Extraction
AI systems extract sections, not full pages.
Use:
• Short paragraphs
• Clear subheadings
• Bullet points
• Direct definitions and summaries
Each section should be understandable on its own. If a paragraph cannot be easily summarised, AI is unlikely to use it.
Support Claims With Credible Sources
AI avoids unverified statements.
Semrush confirms that authoritative sources and factual support increase the likelihood of content being included in AI Overviews. Source: Semrush, AI Overviews and Visibility
Use reputable publications, primary data, and recent research. If a claim cannot be supported, frame it as analysis rather than fact.
Generative Engine Optimisation Explained
Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO, is the practice of designing content for AI selection rather than just rankings.
GEO prioritises:
• Clarity over creativity
• Structure over style
• Trust over persuasion
It builds on traditional SEO but adapts it for a world where machines decide what users see first.
What This Means for Your Business
Search Engine Land makes it clear that strong traditional SEO remains a foundation, but it must now be enhanced with entity optimisation, structured content, and trustworthy sourcing to compete in AI search. Source: Search Engine Land, AI Search and SEO
If your business wants to show up in AI search results, ranking is no longer enough.
You need to be:
• Understandable
• Credible
• Easy to summarise
Your Next Step
Audit one existing blog post or service page.
Ask:
• Is the topic current and relevant?
• Are entities clearly defined?
• Are key claims supported with sources?
• Is the structure easy to scan and summarise?
If the answer is no, rewrite with AI search in mind.
Final Thought
You are no longer writing only for readers.
You are writing for systems that decide what gets summarised, cited, and seen.
Businesses that adapt to AI search visibility now will stay visible. Those that do not will continue to lose traffic, even if their rankings never change.
AI search is already here. The only question is whether your content is ready to be chosen.