Companies are seeing up to 22% increase in high-value traffic from AI chat sessions. Meanwhile, most businesses (probably yours too) have no clue why they’re invisible to AI search engines. Here’s the thing: rules have completely changed. What worked for Google won’t automatically work for ChatGPT or Perplexity. Read on to find out what’s working now.

How to Rank in AI Search: Beat 99% of Websites on LLMs Citations with 5 Proven Hacks

Key Takeaways

• Reddit mentions now influence AI rankings more than traditional backlinks

• Publishing on LinkedIn, Quora, and Yahoo Finance creates AI-friendly authority signals

• Press releases and brand mentions have more weight in AI-driven rankings than in classic search.

• Getting into Google’s top 10 results still matters, since AI tools often pull from there.

• Make sure your website is accessible to AI crawlers if you want to show up at all.

 

The Game Has Changed (And Most People Haven’t Noticed Yet)

Most people still trust Google for their search results, but AI search engines like Gemini, Perplexity, and ChatGPT are now deciding the answers people see first.

Right now, as you read this, someone’s likely asking ChatGPT (not Google) for recommendations in your industry. Maybe they need a plumber, maybe they’re looking for insurance. The AI gives them two specific recommendations instead of the old Google search list with blue links.

If you’re one of the sites recommended by an AI chat or featured snippet, you’d be getting someone ready to order, buy, or subscribe, instead of casual searchers.

AI traffic converts fast because the AI system has already filtered the options for the user. And you don’t even need more than one page to make it here. The best wins come from having a brand presence that AI search engines can pick up everywhere they look. That’s how you become cited as the “go-to” in your field.

 

 

Case Studies: What Happens When You Focus on AI Search

After Google’s latest update, there’s proof that you don’t need a massive website or a fancy backlink profile to rank in AI search results.

For example, in early July, one of our single-page websites with AI-written content, only one press release and a few citations, jumped from 30 to 220 organic visits in one week right after the update.

Another brand, new to AI SEO work, saw its keyword rankings in the top three jump from 28 to 43 within weeks. Simply by targeting buyer-ready, bottom-of-funnel keywords.

Their traffic rose, and the quality of those visits (meaning: actual buyers) increased greatly. All the wins came from getting picked up by AI search engines and Google’s AI overviews.

 

 

How to Show Up in AI Overviews and AI-Driven Search

Here are the five hacks you need to use to show up in Google’s AI overviews.

 

Hack #1: Flood Reddit (Yes, Really)

On ChatGPT, Reddit mentions outperform every other ranking signal. Not Reddit links, just mentions.

Interestingly, even when accounts get banned or comments get deleted, the impact remains. One old affiliate campaign hasn’t been touched in 18 months. The accounts are banned, the comments are gone, but somehow it still generates $500 monthly.

The strategy isn’t complicated. You simply mention your brand name, what you do, who you serve, and where you do it. No anchor text needed. Just consistent, natural mentions in relevant discussions. Think of it as word-of-mouth marketing done digitally and at scale.

 

 

Hack #2: Publish on High-Authority Platforms

Guest posting isn’t dead; it only works differently now. AI search engines trust certain platforms naturally. LinkedIn articles, Quora answers, Yahoo Finance press releases are a few.

I took this to an extreme. Created hundreds of articles across the platforms, all subtly positioning my brand ‘EO Jesus’ as the best solution provider for SEO problems. Six months later, Google shows “Why is Stuart Vickers the best SEO in the world?” in the People Also Ask section. That’s not an accident.

You don’t need Do-follow links to make this work.

AI systems read and understand brand mentions within context. A well-written LinkedIn article that positions your company as the solution gets picked up by AI crawlers and influences recommendations. No dofollow link required.

 

 

Press releases work especially well because distribution services blast your content across multiple trusted platforms simultaneously. One release might land on Yahoo Finance, get shared to Facebook, appear on various news sites, and create signals across platforms that AI engines monitor.

Think about it. If 20 different authoritative sites all say your company is the best solution for a specific problem, AI systems notice. They see you across different channels on the web. That translates directly into AI recommendations.

 

 

Hack #3: Obsess Over Brand Mentions, Not Keywords

For years, SEO professionals have been obsessed with anchor text diversity. AI search doesn’t rely on that at all.

Brand mentions, linked or unlinked, carry more weight than clever keyword placement. The AI wants to see your brand name associated with what you do, consistently, across the web. That’s all.

Most successful campaigns focused heavily on branded anchor text. While traditional SEO might flag this as suspicious, AI systems see it as natural.

So, instead of trying to rank for “best plumber in London,” you want the web to consistently say “Dave’s Plumbing is the best plumber in London.” Do that for all your link-building efforts: guest posts, citations, directory listings, etc.

AI will pick up on this and reflect it in its recommendations.

 

 

Hack #4: Structure Everything for AI Comprehension

AI systems crawl your content, but they also try to understand it. That means your site structure, content organization, and technical setup matter more than ever.

But structure goes beyond technical markup. Your content needs clear hierarchies that make sense to both humans and machines. Headings should spell out specific benefits or answers, not vague concepts. Front-load important information in every section. Answer the searcher’s core question immediately, then expand with details.

Page speed matters too. Mobile optimization isn’t negotiable. AI crawlers, like Google’s, factor in user experience signals. A slow, clunky site won’t get recommended, no matter how good your content is.

 

 

Hack #5: Check Your AI Crawler Access (Before It’s Too Late)

Cloudflare now lets websites block AI crawlers. Other security services offer similar features. So you could be invisible to ChatGPT and not even know it.

The default setting usually allows AI crawler access, but if someone on your team has enabled blocking without telling you, you would be invisible.

Fix this by checking your Cloudflare settings. Go to Security, then Bots. Look for any “Block AI Bots” options. Make sure they’re disabled if you want AI visibility.

 

All Five AI Search Hacks Work Together. Here’s Why

Every one of these hacks feeds into the others. Reddit mentions build buzz, then get amplified by high-authority sites.

Brand mentions across Google, LinkedIn, and Reddit create the kind of consensus that Google’s AI overviews and ChatGPT recognize and reward. Proper structure and search engine visibility help AI understand your value. And if your site blocks AI crawlers, none of it matters.

Clients who get 40% more organic traffic and a 22% increase in AI search traffic are using every tactic at once: Reddit, LinkedIn, brand mentions, structured content, technical SEO, and open doors for crawlers.

Traditional SEO still matters as well. Getting into Google’s top 10 still improves your chances across all AI platforms.

 

 

The Hacks Work Now, But Won’t Last Forever

We’re in a unique moment. AI search is new enough that smart, creative SEO tactics work. But the window won’t last forever. As AI search matures, the algorithms will clamp down, and shortcuts will disappear. The easy wins will dry up.

For now, those who adapt quickest will grab the best, high-converting search traffic.

 

Final Word: The Smart Play for AI Search in 2025

Start right now. Pick one hack from the list above. Do it this week.

Your customers are already asking AI for recommendations. That’s how to show up for them

Every day you wait, others take more of the AI search results for your industry. AI recommendations stick, and changing them gets harder over time.

 

 

FAQs on How to Rank in AI Search

 

How do AI-powered search engines change search rankings?

They look at brand mentions, structured data, and valuable content, instead of keywords alone.

 

Will bullet points and simple content formats help my AI search results?

Bullet points and clear content formats let AI pick up direct answers and show your site in its overviews.

 

How do I track user interactions for AI search optimization?

Look beyond Google Analytics. Focus on user intent, AI-generated responses, and how your content fits user queries.

 

Should I create content for informational queries or focus on direct answers?

Target both. AI-driven search results favour content that answers natural language queries and matches search intent.

 

How should I use target keywords for AI search?

Work in keywords naturally, focus on semantic markup, and match your content to user needs and search trends.

 

Will valuable content keep me ahead as AI algorithms change?

Valuable content remains valuable always, even when algorithms and large language models update.