The rise of AI-powered search has changed how people find information online. Instead of just clicking blue links, users are increasingly getting answers directly from AI tools—whether that’s Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other AI-driven engines.
For brands, this shift raises a crucial question: how do you get cited by AI and stay visible in search results?
The good news is, you don’t need to chase every new “AI SEO hack.” The fundamentals of strong content and authority still apply—just with a sharper focus on AI comprehension and entity signals.
Here’s what actually works for AI visibility in 2025.
1. Earn Mentions Across the Web
AI systems don’t just look at backlinks—they pick up brand mentions anywhere across the internet. That means every mention of your business, product, or content helps train AI models to recognize you as an authority.
Ways to increase high-value mentions:
- Industry roundups and “best of” lists – Reach out to publishers and ensure your brand appears in comparison content.
- Customer reviews and case studies – User-generated content carries weight and often gets cited.
- PR coverage and media features – Even unlinked mentions in reputable outlets can boost AI visibility.
The more your brand shows up in reliable, third-party contexts, the more likely AI will cite you when generating answers.
2. Publish Content AI Loves to Cite
Not all content is created equal. Data from Ahrefs shows specific formats dominate AI citations:
- “Best” content (7.06%) → In-depth buying guides, e.g., Best VPNs for Remote Work.
- How-to guides (6.35%) → Step-by-step tutorials with clear outcomes.
- “Top” lists (5.5%) → Data-backed rankings and expert comparisons.
- Product comparisons (4.88%) → Detailed “vs” content that addresses real-world decision-making.
The takeaway? Instead of chasing trends, double down on evergreen formats that AI repeatedly pulls from.
3. Structure Your Content for AI Comprehension
AI needs to parse and cite your content quickly. The easier you make it, the more often you’ll get picked up.
Best practices:
- Use clear H1, H2, H3 headings that reflect how people ask questions.
- Break information into bullet points and short paragraphs (no text walls).
- Include specific stats, data, and figures AI can cite directly.
- Answer FAQs with short, factual statements (great for AI snippets).
- Add schema markup (FAQ, product, review) to reinforce meaning.
Think of your content as not just written for humans, but also structured for machine readability.
Surprisingly, two of the most-cited domains in AI answers aren’t blogs—they’re YouTube and Reddit. Yet most businesses underutilize them.
YouTube Optimization
- Create tutorials and product demos with clear timestamps.
- Use keyword-rich titles and long, descriptive summaries.
- Add full text-based descriptions so AI can parse your video content.
- Prioritize “how to” and comparison topics.
Reddit Strategy
- Find high-traffic threads in your niche that already rank in Google.
- Contribute authentic, thoughtful answers (not promotional).
- Participate in product discussion subreddits where users share experiences.
Since AI scrapes both platforms heavily, consistent contributions here can amplify your visibility without traditional SEO.
5. Track and Close AI Mention Gaps
If your competitors are getting cited but you’re not, it’s a clear signal to refine your strategy.
Tools like Ahrefs’ Brand Radar show where AI is pulling competitor mentions. From there:
- Create deeper, more authoritative content on those topics.
- Add original data, surveys, or expert quotes that competitors lack.
- Refresh older content with updated stats and fresh examples.
By filling the gaps, you position your brand as the more reliable, up-to-date source AI prefers.
The Bigger Picture
The reality is simple: AI search rewards the same qualities as traditional SEO—authority, clarity, and usefulness.
You’re not starting from scratch. Instead, you’re expanding your definition of success beyond just clicks and rankings to include AI citations and visibility in conversational answers.
Focus on:
- Building authority through mentions and PR.
- Creating content in proven, AI-friendly formats.
- Structuring pages for both human readers and machine parsing.
- Expanding into overlooked platforms like YouTube and Reddit.
Do these consistently, and you’ll future-proof your content strategy for both SEO and AI-driven discovery.