How Brands Can Win Real Estate in AI-Powered Search 

In traditional SEO, ‘real estate’ refers to the layout of a search engine results page. Results that appear near the top of the page are considered prime real estate since they’re what users will see first. 

The further you move down the page, the less favorable the real estate becomes. 

As an example, Google’s AI Overviews now occupy the very top of the search results, making them the most desirable real estate:

Since AI Overviews now appear for more keywords since the Gemini 2.0 upgrade, developing an AI search strategy has become a necessity for virtually all businesses.

Besides AI Overviews, users are flocking to generative AI (GAI) search tools like Perplexity, Claude, and ChatGPT to find information online. 

However, AI real estate looks a bit different than SEO real estate. 

In particular, instead of focusing on page placement, you’ll want to target:

• Citations. It’s valuable whenever a GAI tool provides a link back to your website, as it presents the ability to generate traffic and raise brand awareness. 

• Brand mentions. GAI tools will recommend top-rated brands when asked for product and service recommendations. 

• Source panels. Google AI Overviews and tools like Perplexity provide their sources in panels that users can click on (like the one pictured above). Appearing in these is especially valuable. 

Today, we’ll show you how to win prime real estate in GAI search tools, so stay tuned to learn more!  

Which Content Formats Perform Best in AI Results?

As a kicking-off point, let’s examine which types of content get cited most in AI-generated results. 

From Google’s AI Overviews to generative AI assistants like Perplexity, AI-powered search tools reference the web to answer user questions and respond to queries. 

They select multiple high-quality sources and then generate an original summary that breaks down all of them. 

Here’s an example of what that looks like.

On Google, typing in ‘what is SEO’ generates this AI Overview:

Here, Google’s AI (Gemini) is summarizing the 3 websites listed in its source panel. Its summary is original, but it pulls the information from existing content online. 

Other AI tools work exactly the same way. 

Here’s what the same query looks like on Perplexity:

Also, notice that two of the sources are exactly the same. 

Search Engine Land and Moz’s SEO definition posts appeared as sources in the Google AI Overview and Perplexity’s response. 

Why is that?

For one, both are highly trusted, frequently cited brands in the SEO world. Their traditional SEO is top-notch, and they’ve both established strong topical authority in the areas of SEO and digital marketing. 

These are major factors for improving AI visibility, as we’ve mentioned in previous articles. 

For two, they produced the right type of content to get noticed. 

Let’s explore further. 

Content type #1: Definition content 

AI tools love content that clearly defines terms, concepts, and acronyms in simple language. 

For instance, both Moz and Search Engine Land produced posts titled ‘What is SEO?’ This type of simple language appeals to GAI tools, and it makes it easy for them to connect content with a user query (i.e., a user wanting to know what SEO is). 

In fact, the ‘What is (blank)’ title formula is the bread and butter of definition content. 

You can add more clarification after the initial question like the Moz article did (it added Best Practices into the mix), but sticking with the straightforward ‘what is’ question is important. 

‘Definition of’ is another great title template, but remember to keep your language as down-to-earth as possible. Industry jargon confuses both search engines and users, so keep things beginner-level. 

Last but certainly not least, answer the titular question within the first 1 – 2 lines of the post. 

Why?

As ChatGPT lets us know here, the first paragraph is prime AI-response real estate:

So, don’t beat around the bush and define key terms and concepts early on! 

Content type #2: How-to guides and listicles 

GAI tools also love listicles and how-to guides that use consistent, readable formatting. This type of content teaches readers new skills, breaks down benefits, and lists products and services. 

Yet, not all how-to guides are created equal. 

Here are some best practices you’ll want to implement:

1. Use proper headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) and break the process down into steps. 
2. Back up the text with high-quality visuals throughout the entire post (charts, infographics, real-world examples). 
3. Share your personal experience and expertise with the subject (good for Google E-E-A-T and establishes credibility). 
4. Make frequent use of bullet points and numbered lists to break up walls of text. 
5. Use short paragraphs and simple language. 

Those are the building blocks for high-quality how-to’s that get cited in GAI search responses. 

Content type #3: FAQs and Q&As 

Most user searches take the form of questions, which is why the FAQ/Q&A format is a goldmine for improving AI visibility. 

AI search tools are trained to mimic the question-answer format, so they prefer content that’s already formatted this way. 

We recommend including FAQ sections for just about every post, even if it’s informational. Of course, FAQ sections are integral for product and service pages. Not only do they answer common questions your customers have, but they also provide lots of rich content for search engines and GAI tools. 

The Q&A format is also valuable, so don’t hesitate to mix things up with questions coming from actual clients and prospects. 

What are the Top Questions to Target in Your Niche?

Okay, by now it should be clear that AI tools love question-based content. Whether you’re writing definition content, how-to’s, or FAQs, uncovering questions that matter to your target audience is super important. 

The good news is there are ways to find them without having to guess. 

One way is to use AlsoAsked, a keyword search tool that aggregates questions from the People Also Asked section on Google. 

Typing in a keyword will provide a cluster of questions coming from Google’s database:

Clicking on the plus symbol next to each question will create a new cluster containing even more questions. 

Semrush Keyword Magic Tool 

If you have a subscription to Semrush, its Keyword Magic Tool is a great way to look up trending questions about your industry. 

First, enter a keyword related to your industry and hit the Search button. 

Next, select the Questions filter:

This will provide a list of relevant questions along with their SEO metrics:

You get to see things like search volume, keyword difficulty score, qualifying SERP features (including AI Overviews), the CPC, and the freshness of the data (i.e., the last time it was pulled from Google). 

Using Visuals, Data, and Direct Answers In Your Content 

Now that you know how to target the right questions, the last step is to create content that combines engaging visuals, compelling data, and direct answers. 

Remember, your goal is to create excellent content for your users first. Optimizing it for AI and search engines should come secondary to providing value to your audience. 

That’s not to say that there won’t be some overlap. 

For example, including visuals that help explain the content is beneficial for both AI tools AND your target audience, so it’s a win-win. 

Wherever possible, include charts, infographics, high-resolution images, and memes (a little humor never hurts anyone) to supplement your content. 

Also, AI tools love content that’s backed up by high-quality sources like .gov and .edu websites. Linking out to original data and research is also huge. If you have any original research of your own, be sure to link to it as often as possible (and mention it in your articles). 

Doing so will add credibility and authority to your content, which is what AI wants to see. 

As a bonus, these factors will all positively contribute to your traditional SEO, so you should see improvements in your search rankings as well. 

Lastly, be very direct with your answers. 

What do we mean by that?

We mean that you should immediately provide an answer to a question after asking it. 

That’s what we did in our Ultimate Guide to Digital PR, and it scored us a Featured Snippet and position 9 on Google:

As you can see, the very first line defines what digital PR is, which is why we got featured. Do not bury your answer deep within the content, as that will make it difficult for AI tools to find. 

If the title of your post asks a question, the first lines of your post should be the answer. 

Final Thoughts: Earning AI Real Estate 

Before we let you go, here are some editorial tips for improving AI visibility:

1. Use short paragraphs consisting of 1 – 2 sentences max. 
2. Break things up with expert quotes, call-out boxes, and relevant statistics. 
3. Use active voice and simple syntax. 

Follow these guidelines, and your content will be extremely valuable to audiences, search engines, and GAI tools. 

Do you not have time to handle SEO and GSO (generative search optimization) in-house?

HOTH X, our fully managed service, is the solution. Our team will develop a winning strategy that boosts your visibility on search engines AND AI tools, so don’t wait to sign up!