Seven ways to appear in AI answers
by Johan Högborn
Key takeaways
Two ways in: AI answers based on what it has already been trained on and what it searches for on the web in real time.
Make it easy for the AI: Ensure your website can be crawled technically (don't forget Bing) and answer the questions your customers actually have clearly and directly.
Other people's words carry the most weight: Mentions, reviews, and client cases make a bigger difference than what you say about yourself.
No shortcuts: It comes down to proven SEO, great content, and solid PR – done properly and for the long term.
When your customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot for recommendations on who to choose – which companies get mentioned? If the AI mentions your competitors but not you, you are not alone. The good news is that most of it is within your control. Here are seven things you can do, and one question you can ask today.
Seven ways to increase your chances of being recommended by AI
When someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot which partner or supplier to choose – which companies get mentioned? Are you one of them?
There are two paths into the AI's answers:
Path 1: what the AI has already learned
Built up slowly, through how often and how positively others mention you.
Path 2: what the AI searches for right now
Works much like regular search, meaning your website needs to be easy to find and crawl.
1. Make sure the AI can read your website
Important content must be available as plain text, and no settings should block AI services, whether on the website or in the firewall. It is a quick check for your digital agency, or for us.
Example: The website is submitted in Bing Webmaster Tools, not just Google. Many forget this, even though several AI services pull their answers from Bing.
2. State clearly what you do and for whom
Describe your services, who you help, and where you are located. Use the same wording across the web, on LinkedIn, and in your Google profile.
Example: ”We help mid-sized Nordic industrial companies shorten lead times” says much more than ”We deliver end-to-end solutions”.
3. Answer the questions your customers actually ask
Think about how a customer phrases things when asking an AI for advice. Give the answer first and the details second. And don't forget the follow-up questions.
Example: To the question ”How much does it cost to replace an ERP system?”, provide an approximate range first and then explain what factors influence the price.
4. Share what only you know, and keep it fresh
Highlight original data, client cases with real results, and give your experts the spotlight. Update anything that has become outdated.
Example: A client case demonstrating what the challenge was, what you did, and the results it delivered.
5. Get others talking about you (the most important part)
What others say about you often carries more weight than what you say about yourself. Even unlinked brand mentions count. Make sure you are included in industry lists and comparisons.
Example: An industry publication quoting your survey, or a client sharing details about your collaboration on LinkedIn.
6. Collect reviews where your customers look
Ask satisfied clients to leave reviews on platforms that matter in your industry. Respond to both praise and critique.
Example: Ask for a review as soon as the project wraps up. That is when it is fresh in mind.
7. Regularly ask the AI what it says about you
Ask the same questions your customers would ask. Do you show up? Who shows up instead? Are the facts correct? Fix errors at the source, and track traffic from AI services in your analytics tool.
Example: ”Who do you recommend for [your service or product] in [your region]?”
No shortcuts
There are no AI tricks that will do the heavy lifting for you. Most of this is good old SEO and PR, done properly and consistently over time.
Start today
Ask the question in point 7 to a couple of different AI services. Log out first, and ask more than once. Do you show up?
Want to know how AI sees you today?
