Everything in life is a competition—the only thing that changes is the rulebook.
When it comes to competing for consumers’ attention online, Generative AI just changed the name of the game. While SEO keywords for high rankings used to be the way to get ahead, the introduction of AI overviews makes rankings largely irrelevant.
When AI overviews are present in search results, organic CTRs fall sharply. And with Google expanding AI overviews globally, it’s time for brands to learn the new rules.
1. Context is king
Do keywords still matter? The short answer is yes. But playing in a field dominated by AI means using keywords in a different way. Identify searches that commonly trigger AI overviews, then use segmented keywords—groups of related words around a certain topic—and semantically related terms that address those searches.
Semantically related words, or words that are conceptually linked, include things like “pizza” and “dough,” or “content marketing” and “writer.” Semantically related words aren’t necessarily secondary keywords, although they can be. Instead, they’re terms or phrases that lend context to your keywords. This context is crucial, because it helps GenAI process your content
2. Scannability pays
Writing for AI means using concise statements that directly address search queries, offering real value rather than empty word salads. Structure your content into scannable sections with clear headers, short paragraphs, bullet points, and lists. Help AI quickly process your content by including a quick overview at the top, and consider adding an FAQ section for common search queries related to your topic.
3. Authority is your entrypoint
Gen AI tries to use content that it deems trustworthy. Cite relevant, high-authority sources and weave in data and statistics if relevant to your topic. But don’t rely too much on secondary content. Original insights and proprietary data count for more than regurgitated facts.
Strengthening your brand through cross-channel patterns also boosts authority, increasing visibility. Expand into channels like LinkedIn, SubStack, and YouTube, backlinking to your written content and vice versa.
4. Schema markup matters
Schema markup, or structured data markup, is code that helps search engines better understand your content. Schema markup is what Google uses to pull details like ratings and prices into search results. In the age of AI, schema markup can help AI engines quickly digest your content. Without it, your content risks falling into the black hole of the internet.
Playing by the new rules
Today, getting clicks isn’t about rankings; it’s about gaining the trust of our AI overlords—or in other words, creating content that positions you as an authoritative source worthy of being summarized by Gen AI.
To appear in AI overviews, your content needs to:
- Address specific search queries
- Include semantically related words
- Use concise, informative statements
- Structure for scannability
- Offer original insights and data
- Build authority through citations and backlinking
- Use schema markup
Amid this new landscape, adaptation is an urgent matter for enterprise marketing teams.
Since 2010, MarketSmiths has created high-visibility content for thousands of brands, playing by a constantly changing rulebook as the marketing world shifted from the blogosphere to social media to AI-dominated channels. Whatever the game, we create copy and other media that helps enterprises subvert the rules and cream the competition.
