How to get recommended by ChatGPT

07/23/25
Source: Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged by Kyle Poyar. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of How to Win in AI Search: 9 Tactics for Answer Engine Optimization

The rise of **AI-powered answer engines** like ChatGPT and Google AI is radically changing how B2B buyers discover products. To capture this new audience, businesses must adopt **Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)** strategies focused on owning key prompts, creating hyper-specific content, and leveraging trusted sources like Reddit. Unlike traditional SEO, success is measured by **influence and brand mentions** rather than just clicks. Staying adaptive to rapidly shifting AI citations and optimizing structured content are essential to thrive in this evolving landscape.

Optimixed’s Overview: Mastering the New Frontier of AI-Driven Product Discovery

Understanding the AI-Powered Buyer Journey

AI answer engines such as ChatGPT have become critical gatekeepers in the buyer’s decision-making process, with billions of daily prompts rivaling traditional search engines. Buyers increasingly rely on AI to recommend what to buy, who to trust, and how to decide, making it vital for brands to appear in these AI-generated answers to remain relevant.

Core Strategies for Effective Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

  • Target the Right Prompts: Identify and prioritize core, competitive, and experimental prompts that align with your product’s key differentiators and audience queries.
  • Create Hyper-Specific Content: Develop highly detailed and specialized content around niche topics to dominate your product category and improve AI citation chances.
  • Build “Surround Sound” with Trusted Sources: Amplify your presence through user-generated content and social platforms like Reddit, which is a top-cited domain in AI answers.
  • Use Structured Content Formats: Favor punchy paragraphs, comparative lists, and tables over images, as AI answer engines prefer text-based, well-structured information.
  • Measure Influence Over Traffic: Focus on brand mentions and share-of-voice metrics instead of traditional click-through rates, as most AI interactions result in zero-click outcomes.

Adapting to the Rapidly Changing AI Landscape

AI answer engine citations experience high volatility, with domain references shifting frequently. Brands must regularly refresh their prompt analytics and remain agile to evolving AI preferences and personalization trends. This continuous adaptation is key to maintaining visibility and influence in AI-driven searches.

The Opportunity Ahead

As AI engines increasingly control product discovery, brands that move quickly to optimize for these platforms can unlock a powerful new growth channel. Embracing AEO not only ensures inclusion in the consideration set but also positions companies to lead in the next generation of digital buying experiences.