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How Do I Get My Business Recommended by AI Search?

Posted by Maria Anderson

Why AI Search Visibility Matters for Your Business

Key Takeaways

✓ AI search builds on SEO foundations—it doesn't replace it
✓ Sites ranking #1 on Google appear in AI answers 25% of the time* 
✓ Start with FAQs, schema markup, and visible author credentials
✓ Community mentions on platforms like Reddit influence AI training data
✓ Monitor your AI visibility with tools like Peec.ai and Mention Network
✓ Local businesses in Brisbane and Redlands can compete by demonstrating clear expertise
    (* Source:  Search Engine Journal)

When someone asks ChatGPT "best Redlands Digital Marketing agency," only 2-3 businesses get named. Your website might have great SEO, but if AI search tools can't easily understand and trust your content, you won't make that shortlist.

At Sustainable Marketing Services, we’re very proud to come up in this list of top Digital Marketing agencies in the Redlands. It shows that we know what it takes to help clients build the exact foundation needed to increase their chance of being cited by AI search tools. We've helped businesses like Milana Law in the Redlands and K&G Auto in Underwood increase their AI mentions by structuring their content for both human readers and AI recommendation engines.

Here's how to do it.

Why AI Search Recommendations Matter

Traditional search gives you a list of links. AI search gives you a recommendation—and that changes everything.

When someone asks an AI "best digital marketing agency near me," they're not comparing ten blue links. They're getting three to five names presented as trusted advice, not advertising.

These mentions carry serious weight. Leads generated through AI recommendations are often further along the decision path. They've already done their research. If you're in that shortlist, you're talking to qualified prospects.

The competition isn't for ranking position anymore. It's for being one of the few businesses AI trusts enough to recommend.

Is SEO Dead—or More Important Than Ever?

No, SEO is not dead. It's more critical than ever because AI search is built on SEO foundations.

AI tools prioritise sources that already pass fundamental SEO checks: fast site performance, relevant content, clear structure, and mobile optimisation. If your site fails basic SEO requirements, AI is unlikely to consider it credible enough to cite.

This isn't speculation. Industry research backs it up.

Search Engine Land, one of the most trusted voices in digital marketing, puts it bluntly:

"The narrative that this new service offering somehow implies that SEO is no longer important is some of the most inaccurate and irresponsible framing I've seen … Optimising for AI search is essential … but none of this implies that SEO is dead." Source: Search Engine Land

What this means: AI search doesn't eliminate the need for SEO discipline. It amplifies it. If your fundamentals are weak, AI won't compensate.

A 2024 study found that websites ranking #1 on Google appeared in AI-generated answers approximately 25% of the time. Sites with poor SEO rankings rarely appeared at all.  Source: Search Engine Journal

The strategy isn't "SEO or AI"—it's SEO plus AI visibility. SEO provides the foundation. AI optimisation is the new layer built on top of it.

How AI Decides What to Recommend

AI doesn't crawl your website in real time the same way Google does. It works from a combination of training data and selective live retrieval.

This means AI gives more weight to content that is:

  • Clear and direct – No jargon, no fluff, straight answers
  • Structured with schema markup – Behind-the-scenes labels that tell AI what each page contains
  • Linked to credible external sources – Citations build trust
  • Backed by visible author expertise – Real people with credentials, not anonymous content

Dr Samantha North, a guest on the AI Explored Podcast's "AI Search: How to Get Recommended By AI", describes her approach to understanding AI decision-making:

"You don't know what it's going to say, right? One thing I've taken to doing is that if the response doesn't contain the brand I want, I ask the AI why. And it tells me—and that's illuminating."

Translation: AI looks for brands it can easily understand and confidently trust. If your content is vague, overly complex, or lacks clear authority signals, AI will skip you for a competitor that makes its job easier. Source: AI Explored Podcast Transcript, 2025

What's Different from Traditional SEO

Traditional SEO was about rankings. AI search is about recommendations.

On Google, ads can buy visibility. There are sponsored slots at the top of results. In AI-generated responses, there are no ad placements. Only answers get shown.

This changes the rules. You can't pay your way into an AI recommendation. You must earn credibility through high-quality content, effective structure, and trust signals.

AI doesn't care about keyword density or backlink volume the way traditional algorithms do. It cares about whether your content can be confidently cited as a trustworthy answer.

Download the full LLM Search Visibility Checklist PDF

The 9 Critical Areas: Full LLM Search Visibility Checklist

Here's what every business needs to optimise for AI search visibility. This checklist covers technical setup, content structure, and ongoing monitoring.

1. Technical Foundation

Your website must work flawlessly across all devices and load quickly. AI tools deprioritise slow, broken, or mobile-unfriendly sites.

What to check:

  • Site loads in under 3 seconds on mobile
  • No broken links or 404 errors
  • Mobile-responsive design
  • HTTPS security enabled
  • Clean, crawlable URL structure

If your site fails these basics, AI won't trust it enough to recommend it, regardless of content quality.

2. Schema & Structured Data

Schema markup is like adding labels to your content that AI can instantly understand. Think of it as metadata that says "this is a blog post," "this is a service page," or "this section contains FAQs."

Which schema types help AI search:

  • FAQPage schema – For Q&A sections (critical for AI)
  • Article schema – For blog posts and news content
  • Organisation schema – For business information pages
  • LocalBusiness schema – For service area and contact pages
  • Review schema – For testimonials and ratings
  • Product schema – For services or products you offer

Your web developer or SEO specialist can implement these. Tools like Google's Structured Data Testing Tool can verify they're working correctly.

Why this matters: Schema tells AI exactly what your content is about without requiring interpretation. It's one of the strongest trust signals you can send.

3. Content Clarity & Readability

AI prefers short sentences, clear headings, and direct answers. Break information into small, digestible chunks.

Best practices:

  • Use headings as questions when relevant (H2, H3)
  • Keep paragraphs to 3-4 sentences maximum
  • Use bullet points and numbered lists for easy scanning
  • Write at a Grade 8-10 reading level
  • Avoid jargon unless you immediately define it

AI doesn't reward clever wordplay or complex prose. It rewards clarity.

4. FAQ Sections

Add a dedicated FAQ section to every service page and most blog posts. Answer questions in 1-2 simple sentences.

Why FAQs work for AI:

  • They match the question-and-answer format AI uses
  • They target natural language queries people actually ask
  • They're easy for AI to extract and cite directly

Use real customer questions. If people email or call asking the same things repeatedly, those belong in your FAQs.

5. Author Bio & Trust Signals

AI wants to know your content was created by a real person with relevant expertise. Anonymous content gets deprioritised.

What to include:

  • Full name and title
  • Years of experience in the field
  • Relevant qualifications or certifications
  • Why this person is qualified to write about this topic
  • Optional: Photo and social links

Place author bios at the top or bottom of articles, not buried in a sidebar.

6. Topical Authority

Surface-level content won't cut it. AI trusts businesses that demonstrate deep expertise through detailed, specific information.

How to show expertise:

  • Use real examples from your work (case studies, anonymised if needed)
  • Include data, stats, or research findings
  • Cover topics comprehensively, not just the basics
  • Reference your direct experience ("In 25 years of marketing, we've found...")
  • Answer follow-up questions readers might have

This is where the "Experience" in E-E-A-T comes in. Don't just tell people what to do—show them you've done it.

7. Citations & External Links

If you mention a fact, statistic, or claim, link to where it came from. This could be:

  • Industry reports
  • Government websites
  • Academic research
  • Trusted news sources
  • Other authoritative sites in your field

Why citations matter: They show AI that your claims are backed by evidence, not just opinion. They also demonstrate you're part of a broader network of trusted sources.

Don't link to competitors, but do link to complementary authoritative content.

8. Media & Metadata

Every image should have descriptive alt text so AI understands what it shows. If you publish videos or podcasts, include written summaries or full transcripts.

Optimise these elements:

  • Alt text on all images (descriptive, not keyword-stuffed)
  • Captions for videos
  • Transcripts for podcasts or video content
  • Descriptive file names (not "IMG_1234.jpg")
  • Meta descriptions for all pages

AI can't "see" images or "listen" to audio without these text-based signals.

9. Monitoring AI Mentions

You can't improve what you don't measure. Track whether AI tools are mentioning your business and in what context.

Tools to use:

What to track:

  • Which AI models mention you
  • In what context (positive, neutral, negative)
  • How often competitors are mentioned
  • Which queries trigger your brand name

This is your early-warning system. If competitors are being cited and you're not, you know where to focus your efforts.

Download the full LLM Search Visibility Checklist PDF

3 Quick Wins You Can Implement This Week

Don't wait for a complete overhaul. Start here:

1. Add a Comprehensive FAQ Section

Use real customer questions. Answer each in 1-2 plain sentences. Add FAQPage schema markup.

Example:

  • Q: How long does it take to see results from AI search optimisation?
  • A: Most businesses see initial AI mentions within 2-3 months of implementing structured content and schema markup.

2. Show Author Credentials Prominently

Add or enhance author bios on every piece of content. Include name, title, experience, and why they're qualified.

3. Implement Basic Schema Markup

Start with FAQPage and Article schema on your most important pages. Your web developer can add this, or use a plugin if you're on WordPress.

Reddit, Forums & Community Mentions

AI models are trained on large public data sources, including Reddit, forums, and community discussions. That means what people say about your business in these spaces can influence how AI "sees" you.

Positive community mentions help. Negative or misleading ones hurt.

Tools for monitoring community mentions:

  • Reddit Mentions – Track keywords across Reddit threads
  • Notifier – Get alerts for brand mentions
  • Redplus.ai – Monitor and respond to Reddit mentions in real time (redplus.ai)

Pro tip: Contribute helpfully to discussions in your industry. Don't spam or hard-sell. AI picks up on authentic, helpful engagement as a credibility signal.

If your business serves the Redlands or Brisbane, local Reddit threads and community forums are valuable places to build that presence.

Why Work With Sustainable Marketing Services

At Sustainable Marketing Services, we don't just write blog posts and hope for the best. We build AI search readiness into every aspect of your digital presence.

Here's how we do it:

✓ Technical setup: We ensure your website meets AI-friendly technical standards*
✓ Schema implementation: We organise schema markup across your key pages*
✓ AI-optimised content: We write content that meets both SEO and AI search requirements
✓ Integrated strategy: We work directly with dedicated SEO specialists (not generalists)
✓ Ongoing monitoring: We audit and track your AI mentions over time
    (* with your developer or one of ours)

Our collaborative approach:
Marketing is too broad for any one person to master every discipline. That's why we work with Janet Camilleri and Front Page SEO for SEO strategy.  

If we're your marketing team, SEO execution can be included in your retainer. If you only want SEO, we'll connect you directly with Janet.

As a trusted Redlands Digital Marketing agency, our role is to bring the pieces together—brand positioning, marketing strategy, content strategy, digital marketing, social media, PR, AI search optimisation, and technical SEO—so your business gets seen everywhere it matters.

Real results:
We've helped Milana Law in the Redlands and K&G Auto in Brisbane increase their AI mentions by implementing the exact strategies outlined in this guide.

 

Ready to Get Recommended by AI?

Book a AI Search Audit and discover how visible your brand is across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. We’ll review your current visibility, identify gaps, and show you exactly what to update to make your website AI-ready.  

Ask for a quote to create a customised AI search strategy for your business. Call 07 3446 5837 or email us.

Or Download the LLM Search Visibility Checklist PDF and start improving your AI search results today.

Contact us to discuss a customised AI search strategy for your business.

FAQs - AI Search

AI search is when tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Perplexity recommend businesses directly, rather than just showing a list of links. It functions more like a trusted advisor than a search engine.

Because buyers trust AI recommendations. If you're not mentioned when someone asks for businesses in your industry, you're invisible to that lead. AI-driven recommendations carry more weight than traditional search results.

No. Traditional search engines aren't going anywhere. But AI is becoming a significant part of how people discover and research businesses, especially for recommendations and advice-based queries.

Start with three fundamentals: add comprehensive FAQ sections, implement schema markup (especially FAQPage and Article schema), and display clear author bios with credentials. These create immediate trust signals AI looks for.

No. SEO is more important than ever. AI search builds on SEO foundations. Sites with strong SEO are 25% more likely to be cited by AI tools. You need both—SEO provides the base, and AI optimisation adds a new visibility layer.

Use monitoring tools like Peec.ai, Mention Network, or PromptWatch to see when and where AI tools mention your brand. You can also manually test by asking AI tools questions your customers would ask.

Yes. AI prioritises clarity, expertise, and trust signals over brand size. A small business with well-structured content and visible expertise can outperform a large competitor with generic content.

SEO focuses on ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). AI search optimisation focuses on being recommended by AI tools. The techniques overlap significantly, but AI search places heavier emphasis on structured data, author credentials, and clear, direct answers.

Most businesses see initial AI mentions within 2-3 months of implementing structured content, schema markup, and author bios. Consistent optimisation over 6-12 months typically produces more reliable visibility.

You can implement basic improvements yourself (FAQs, author bios, clearer content). However, technical elements like schema markup, comprehensive content strategy, and ongoing monitoring are more efficient with professional help, especially if you're also managing your business day-to-day.

About the Author

Maria Anderson is the Founder & Managing Director of Sustainable Marketing Services, a multi-award-winning Brisbane marketing agency known for integrating brand, marketing, digital, PR, and social to deliver measurable, sustainable growth.

A data-driven strategist with over 25 years’ experience, Maria is a Certified Practising Marketer (Australian Marketing Institute) with a Bachelor of Business (Marketing and Public Relations) and Diplomas in Sustainability and Financial Services. She helps businesses launch, grow, and protect their brands through results-focused, sustainable marketing strategies.