A Comprehensive Session on How to do SEO for Generative AI

Generative AI is changing search. If you’re not adapting, you risk losing traffic. AI-powered search engines ChatGPT and Perplexity are reshaping how content is discovered and consumed. The question is: How do you make sure your content still gets visibility?

The Rise of Generative AI in Search

Two years ago, AI-generated content was a novelty. Those days are over. Today, it’s mainstream. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity have made AI a staple of everyday internet use. Search engines now integrate AI-generated summaries like AI Overviews, pushing traditional search results further down the page.

Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta pour billions into AI development. But early results have been mixed. Google’s AI Overviews stumbled with misinformation, and AI-generated answers often lack reliability. This means there’s still an opportunity for brands to stand out—if they play the SEO game right.

Is AI Stealing Your Traffic?

The short answer? It depends. AI-powered search isn’t replacing traditional search yet, but it’s siphoning off some traffic. If your content is informational—think how-to’s, definitions, or FAQs—you’re at higher risk. Users can get answers directly from AI without clicking through to your site. This is resulting in less clicks, but a similar or even higher amount of impressions.

The industries seeing the most impact include:

• Informational content (blog-driven traffic, knowledge-based)
• News publishers
• Review sites
• Educational platforms

Think of it this way. While the opportunities to gain traffic might not be abundant right now, that doesn’t mean that AI might not be impacting your traffic. It just might be impacting it in a negative way. So when we talk about whether or not AI is stealing your traffic, there’s a huge variance here depending on industry and the size of the site.

If your organic traffic is dipping, AI-generated answers might be a factor. Still, that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. You have an opportunity to course-correct or, in some cases, to build a strategy to harness these AI-generated answers for brand visibility.

Understanding Current Impacts on Organic Traffic

Generative AI is already influencing search behaviors and traffic patterns. The biggest impact so far is on informational queries. Users searching for definitions, quick answers, or general knowledge now get their responses directly from AI tools instead of clicking through to websites. What does that look like for brands? It very well could be a fundamental shift in your top-of-funnel KPIs, where impressions and brand exposure in AI answers is now as important as those low-converting blog clicks used to be.

Key Observations:

• Decreased click-through rates (CTR): AI Overviews often provide enough information that users don’t need to visit a site.
• Increased competition for top rankings: AI won’t cite you if you’re not in Google’s top 10.
• Industry-dependent shifts: Finance, education, and health sites are experiencing more impact than transactional or entertainment-based content.

How to Adapt:

• Enhance content depth: Offer unique insights, detailed guides, and proprietary research AI can’t replicate.
• Optimize for AI citations: Structure your content with clear, concise answers that AI can reference.
• Leverage existing branding: Strong brand mentions and authority signals increase your chances of being cited.

How to Optimize for AI Search

1. Rank in Google’s Top 10

To get cited in Google’s AI Overviews, your content needs to already rank in the top 10 results. Unlike traditional snippets, AI Overviews pull from existing high-ranking pages. If you’re not already ranking, AI won’t suddenly send you traffic.

How to Do It:

• Focus on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness): Establish credibility by showcasing expert authors, citing sources, and demonstrating first-hand experience in your niche.
• Target long-tail keywords with less competition: Use AI tools to identify question-based queries that align with conversational AI trends.
• Improve your click-through rate (CTR) with compelling meta descriptions: Ensure your meta descriptions provide a strong hook that differentiates your content from AI summaries.
• Get quality backlinks to boost domain authority: Secure links from authoritative sources that reinforce your credibility.

2. Optimize for Conversational AI

AI tools like ChatGPT cite sources sparingly. When they do, they favor content that aligns with conversational queries.

How to Do It:

• Use natural language that matches how users ask questions: Optimize for direct, conversational phrasing that AI models can easily interpret.
• Provide in-depth answers that AI can summarize easily: Structure your content with clear sections, bullet points, and concise explanations.
• Structure content with FAQs so it’s easier for AI to pull key takeaways: Add a dedicated FAQ section at the end of articles to increase the likelihood of being cited.
• Leverage schema markup to improve how AI understands your content: Implement structured data like FAQ schema to make it easier for AI to extract information.

3. Prioritize Brand Mentions Over Backlinks

Links still matter, but AI models are shifting toward using brand authority as a ranking factor. Brand mentions—especially those in reputable sources—are becoming increasingly valuable.

How to Do It:

• Get featured in news sites, industry blogs, and expert roundups: Increase visibility by positioning your brand as a thought leader in your space.
• Encourage discussions about your brand on social media and forums: AI crawlers frequently pull insights from platforms like Reddit, Quora, and X.
• Use PR tactics to boost your brand’s visibility: Secure earned media placements that reinforce your authority and reputation.
• Monitor sentiment around your brand: Positive discussions increase trustworthiness in AI-generated answers.

4. Create Hidden Gem Content

Google has emphasized “hidden gems”—content that provides unique insights not easily found elsewhere. AI is great at regurgitating common knowledge, but it struggles with original research, firsthand experience, and unique data. It’s going to be very hard for you to be cited for very easy, very well-known, quick questions and answers because there are going to be massive authorities out there that are probably going to get those citations, at least for those big trophy terms and queries. But if you have information that is unique, then when people are searching out those unique problems or issues, you are more likely to be cited for that.

How to Do It:

• Publish original research, case studies, or expert insights: AI models favor unique, data-driven content that offers fresh perspectives.
• Use user-generated content (UGC) from forums, community discussions, andreal reviews: AI places a high value on content that reflects real-world experiences.
• Offer a fresh take that AI models won’t find elsewhere: Avoid generic content—provide analysis, insider knowledge, or niche expertise.
• Experiment with interactive content: AI may struggle to summarize interactive tools, quizzes, or embedded calculators, increasing user engagement on your site.

5. Leverage AI Without Overusing It

AI can help with efficiency, but over-relying on AI-generated content is risky. Google’s March 2024 update cracked down on AI spam. AI-written content needs a human layer of expertise.

How to Do It:

• Use AI for ideation, not final drafts: Let AI generate ideas, but refine and personalize content for quality and uniqueness.
• Have human editors refine AI-generated content: A human touch ensures accuracy, consistency, and brand alignment. It also avoids errors, as AI sometimes ” hallucinates” details or “facts.”
• Focus on quality, not quantity: Avoid mass-producing AI content that lacks depth or originality.
• Use AI for data analysis and insights: Instead of writing entire articles, leverage AI for topic research, summarization, and trend forecasting.

How to Use AI for Efficiencies in Organic Strategies

AI isn’t just reshaping search. It’s also a powerful tool that SEOs can use to streamline workflows and enhance strategy execution.

1. AI-Powered Keyword Research

AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can process vast amounts of data quickly, helping you:

• Identify long-tail keyword opportunities
• Predict search trends
• Generate content topic ideas based on user intent

2. Content Generation and Optimization

While AI shouldn’t replace human writers, it can assist with:

• Drafting content outlines
• Suggesting internal linking opportunities
• Rewriting and optimizing existing content for better engagement

3. Technical SEO and Automation

AI can make technical SEO tasks more efficient:

• Automate site audits with AI-driven tools
• Enhance schema markup implementation
• Monitor and analyze search rankings in real-time

4. Competitor Analysis and Market Research

AI tools can quickly analyze:

• Competitor backlink profiles
• Content gaps in your industry
• Emerging search trends

Leveraging AI effectively allows SEOs to focus more on strategic planning and less on repetitive tasks.

Should You Block AI From Crawling Your Content?

Some sites block AI bots (like OpenAI’s GPTBot) from scraping their content. But is that a good move? It depends.

Blocking AI makes sense if:

• Your content is paywalled or proprietary
• You see AI-driven traffic cannibalizing your business model

Blocking AI doesn’t make sense if:

• You rely on organic search and want to be cited in AI-generated answers for increased brand exposure and trust with users. 

If you want to block AI bots, update your robots.txt file. Here is an example for GPTBot

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

But remember: If AI doesn’t cite you, it will cite someone else.

FAQs

How do I check if AI is affecting my site’s traffic?

Check your analytics tools (Google Analytics, Google Search Console) for sudden drops in organic traffic, especially on informational content. Also, track referral traffic from AI-driven tools like ChatGPT.

Can I get my content featured in AI-generated answers?

Yes, but you need to rank in the top 10 results on Google first. Additionally, structured content with clear answers and strong brand authority increases your chances.

Will SEO still matter if AI dominates search?

Absolutely. AI still relies on quality sources to generate responses. The fundamentals of SEO—authority, relevance, and user engagement—will always be crucial.

Should I stop writing informational content if AI provides answers?

No. Instead, focus on content that adds unique value, such as case studies, expert insights, and in-depth research that AI can’t easily summarize.

What industries are most impacted by AI search?

Industries relying on informational queries—news, education, as well as formats like reviews and how-to content—are seeing the biggest impact. E-commerce and service-based businesses are less affected for now.

What’s Next for AI and SEO?

SearchGPT and other more visually focused engines are the next big disruptors, promising real-time search with conversational AI. Unlike traditional search engines, it combines AI-powered insights with interactive user experiences, potentially altering how users discover and interact with information. Its key innovations include inline source attribution, real-time data retrieval, and improved content personalization.

If SearchGPT gains traction, it could intensify competition in search, forcing Google to evolve faster. SEOs must be prepared for more dynamic search experiences, where conversational AI plays a bigger role in surfacing content. The fundamental principles of SEO—quality content, authority, and user engagement—will remain essential, but adaptation will be crucial.

Brands that proactively experiment with AI-driven search tools and optimize for these new interfaces will have an early mover advantage. The future of search is shifting, but those who embrace AI’s potential without abandoning core SEO best practices will continue to thrive.