August 3, 2025 • 18 mins
The digital landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Remember when ranking on page one of Google was the ultimate goal? Those days are rapidly disappearing as AI-generated summaries replace traditional blue links, fundamentally changing how brands connect with customers online.
We're witnessing the transformation from a click economy to a visibility economy. When AI summaries appear in search results, website clicks plummet dramatically—desktop clicks drop from 28% to just 11%, while mobile clicks fall from 38% to 21%. Even more telling, eye-tracking studies show 70% of users never scroll past the top third of an AI summary. If your brand isn't mentioned early in these AI answers, you might as well be invisible.
Looking ahead, we're entering a world where AI assistants function as autonomous buyers, not just search tools. Already, 41% of Gen Z consumers use AI for shopping decisions—a number climbing rapidly. For businesses facing this new reality, success hinges on understanding what makes AI systems trust and recommend your brand. Authority now frequently outweighs keyword relevance, with 58% of clicks going to sources from familiar or authoritative domains.
This deep dive explores the psychology behind effective content creation in an AI-first world, introduces the practice of "predictive SEO" (identifying and answering questions before they become popular), and outlines five practical strategies to maintain visibility: structuring content for machine understanding, establishing authority across platforms, engaging in validation communities, optimizing for conversational queries, and tracking AI visibility.
The most successful brands will master the art of identifying "Most Valuable Questions"—those emotionally charged queries people ask right before making decisions—and create comprehensive, structured answers that both humans and AI find valuable. Will you merely react to these changes, or strategically position your brand to anticipate tomorrow's digital landscape? Your visibility in the age of AI depends on it.
Don't forget to subscribe where ever you get your podcasts!
This podcast is produced by Xponent21, a top U.S. AI SEO agency headquartered in Richmond, VA. We specialize in AI-driven SEO strategies that help businesses optimize their content to rank in ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and Perplexity. Want to stay ahead in the evolving search landscape? Check out our expert guide on how to optimize your content for AI search and partner with Xponent21 for digital marketing success.
Dive deeper into the world of AI SEO with this article on WillMelton.com, Shaping Reality: A Journey into Influencing Generative AI Outputs and AI Search Engine Results.
Want to learn now videos and podcasts are leveraged to elevate your brand in AI search results? Watch a replay of our webinar: Winning The Attention War: How to Use Strategic Video to Stand Out in the AI Era.
Get a jumpstart on your competition in the AI search visibility race: get a free, instant SEO report at Xponent21.com...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, imagine this you type best subscription
management software into Google,but instead of that you know
familiar list of blue links weall expect.
An AI summary just pops upright at the top it's outlining
pros and cons before you evensee a single organic result.
Or maybe you ask ChatGPT thesame thing and you just get a
straight answer Concise,confident, no ads, no links.
(00:22):
Now, this isn't like sciencefiction we're talking about.
This is happening right now.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
And it's fundamentally changing how
businesses well, how theyconnect with customers online.
The whole digital landscape isreally undergoing a massive
shift.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's quite profound and our mission in this deep
dive is really to unpack that,to look at how AI is
transforming online discovery,why these AI agents are becoming
sort of the ultimategatekeepers for visibility and,
maybe most importantly, whatactual steps you can take to
keep your brand visible.
You know, front and center inthis AI-first world, we're
drawing on some reallycutting-edge insights and
(00:56):
real-world results that we'reseeing play out.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Exactly.
That's why this deep dive isreally for you.
Maybe you're prepping for a bigmeeting or just trying to get
your head around this fieldthat's changing so fast, or
maybe you're just like supercurious about what's coming next
online.
Okay, let's dive in and unpackthis.
So let's start with thefundamental change here.
For years, we all knew it.
Page one of Google, that wasthe goal, the gold standard.
(01:19):
But that whole traditionalsearch model, the one built on
blue links, it's rapidly givingway to these AI explanations,
these summaries.
It's a completely different waypeople are finding information
now.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
And the data?
Well, it really shows howsignificant this shift already
is.
Research indicates that by May2025, fully half of all Google
results pages featured one ofthese AI generated overviews.
But here's the kicker theimpact on click through rates.
It was immediate when that AIoverview appeared.
Clicks to websites, just well.
They plummeted.
On desktop, it went fromroughly 28% down to about 11%.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Wow, that's huge.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah, and on mobile it was even more stark 38% down
to 21%.
This isn't just tweaking thesystem, it's a fundamental move.
We're shifting from a clickeconomy to what you might call a
visibility economy.
Being named in the AI answer isoften way more valuable than
ranking first, just below it.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Right, that attention piece is so, so critical.
I read about those eye trackingstudies.
They show users are mostly justskimming.
Right, yeah, like a very toppart of the AI summary.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Exactly About 70 percent never even scroll past
that top third 70%.
Which means if your brand getscited early, right up top in
that block, you capture almostall the attention.
If you're mentioned lower downor not at all, you might as well
be invisible.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
It's like being picked first for the team or
just left on the sidelinesentirely.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And as if that wasn't enough disruption we're already
heading into the next frontier.
Ai assistants aren't justsearch tools anymore.
They're evolving into wellautonomous buyers.
There was a McKinsey survey, Ithink late 2024, found that 41%
of Gen Z consumers already useAI tools for shopping and task
management 41%.
All right, yeah, and thatnumber's climbing fast.
(03:01):
So picture this.
A procurement lead just tellstheir AI find me.
A project management platformneeds to meet our security for,
say, smaller businesses or newerbrands.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
If your product isn't already in the AI's kind of
trusted knowledge base, you hitthis cold start problem.
That's the new visibilitydilemma.
Right, If the AI doesn'tshortlist you, your potential
customer might literally neverknow you exist.
It just completely rewrites therules of getting discovered.
So, okay, we've got thispicture huge shift, big
challenges.
(03:45):
But if the landscape ischanging this dramatically, what
actually makes an AI chooseyour brand?
Is it still just about havingthe right data points, or is
something else going on?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, it actually comes down to something very
human.
It comes down to trust.
Think about it.
When a user sees an AI answer,they're going to be like what's
the first thing they oftenglance at?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
The sources, like where it got the information.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Exactly the cited sources.
If they recognize a name orrespect the publication maybe
it's a well-known brand or ahigh authority domain like edu
or gov they accept that AIresponse much more readily.
One study found 58 percent ofclicks went to links from those
familiar or authoritativedomains 58 percent Wow.
(04:27):
Yeah.
So this signals a massive shift.
Authority in many ways isstarting to outweigh simple
keyword relevance.
For businesses, this means youhave to instantly signal trust.
That could be through thingslike expert authorship, getting
third party endorsements,showcasing security
certifications, getting coverageand respected outlets.
And to really get this, thereare some fascinating insights
(04:47):
from folks like Courtney Turin.
She's a Yale-trainedneuroscientist at Exponent 21.
She points out that AI SEOisn't just technical tinkering.
It's deeply about understandinghuman psychology what grabs
attention, what builds belief,what actually drives decisions?
You know people don't reallywant to search, they just want
to know.
Every search query is basicallyan expression of uncertainty
(05:08):
and your content's job is toreduce that uncertainty quickly
without adding more complexity.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
So it's less about just stuffing in keywords and
more about being the clearest,maybe the most reassuring voice
for both the human and the AI.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Precisely.
Take cognitive load, forexample.
That's the mental effort neededto process something.
If your content is hard work,people just move on.
It feels expensive mentally.
They're also doing what'scalled information foraging.
They're scanning fast, lookingfor cues, good headlines, bullet
points, clear summaries,signals that tell them this is
worth my time, like a birdlooking for the best seeds.
(05:42):
And then there's cognitivefluency when information is easy
to process, it actually feelsmore true, more reliable.
So you need to simplify, guidethe user, make it feel
effortless.
You're kind of designing forthese mental shortcuts the brain
takes.
And think about the buyer'spsychological journey.
Your content needs to meet themwherever they are.
(06:03):
Are they just becoming aware ofa problem?
Are they investigatingsolutions, comparing options, or
are they ready for commitment?
You need content for each stage.
This is where you see thatshift from exploration, where
they're looking around, toexploitation where they decide
okay, this source is reliable,I'm sticking with it.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Ah, okay, so you want to be that trusted source they
stick with, yeah right.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
If your content gives a good answer but doesn't help
them take that next step, theirbrain might keep that task open
it's called the Zeigarnik effectremembering unfinished things
and they might wander off.
You want to be the one thathelps them close that loop, and
what's really interesting is howthe AI overview itself almost
acts like a social learning toolTo the user.
(06:44):
Seeing that summary feels a bitlike pulling the room, getting
a quick, confident consensusfrom what AI thinks are the best
sources.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Like getting the group wisdom instantly.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Kind of, yeah, psychologically, users get this
borrowed credibility if yourbrand shows up there.
The AI did the homework,presented the consensus that
feels trustworthy.
And while logic supportsdecisions, let's be real emotion
often drives them.
So great content.
It evokes relief, confidence,hope, maybe even belonging,
often through narrativetransportation, pulling people
(07:14):
into stories they connect with.
The big goal here is buildingthis continuum of confidence,
consistent presence, makingpeople feel understood.
That leads to brand saliencebeing top of mind and it fosters
psychological safety, thatfeeling of okay, this brand gets
me.
They have the answer I need.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Wow, that's a lot to think about, but it makes a ton
of sense.
So if this is the new realitydriven by trust, easy answers,
humans and psychology, what doesit mean for what you listening
right now should actually bedoing?
How do you build that kind oftrust and visibility in practice
?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Well, the answer really lies in a strategy that's
gaining a lot of traction.
It's called predictive SEO.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Predictive SEO.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Okay.
Yeah, it's essentially theproactive practice of
identifying search queries thatare just starting to emerge,
questions people will be askingsoon, and then creating really
high authority content for thembefore they become super popular
.
It's about building thedefinitive answer early, so when
that wave of interest finallyhits, your content is already
(08:11):
there.
Already seen as the trustedresource, this head start, it's
not just nice to have anymore,it's becoming kind of essential.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
That sounds really different from traditional SEO,
which mostly reacts to trendsthat are already happening,
right?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Looking at existing high volume keywords.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Exactly.
Traditional SEO often playscatch up.
Predictive SEO tries toanticipate what's next.
It looks at, you know, evolvingconversations online, new tech
coming out, cultural shifts.
What questions will thesethings spark?
And this is especially criticalfor AI search, because often
being the first one to provide areally good, comprehensive
answer helps cement your brandas the go-to authority in the
(08:49):
AI's mind, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
It's like drawing the map before everyone else
realizes they need directions.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Precisely, and a really key part of this is
identifying what we call mostvaluable questions, or MVQs.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
MVQs okay.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
These aren't your standard generic FAQs.
Ok, these aren't your standardgeneric FAQs.
These are the specific, oftenquite loaded questions maybe
emotionally, maybe financiallysignificant, that your ideal
customers ask right beforethey're about to make a decision
.
They signal real urgency andhigh intent.
Can you give bone loss?
(09:30):
See how that carries a lot ofweight for the person asking.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, you can feel the need behind those questions.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Exactly.
And MVQs matter becauseanswering them well means you
show up right when your audienceis actively looking for
solutions.
It builds trust because you'readdressing their specific
high-stakes concern.
It earns you that crucialvisibility in AI overviews and
those featured snippets andultimately it drives traffic
that's much more likely toconvert.
Now to actually get quotedconfidently by an AI, your
(09:57):
content needs to nail what youmight call the anatomy of the
best answers.
This means it has to be reallythorough, written with
confidence and structuredclearly.
It needs to clearly define theproblem, explain why it's
important, offer practical,actionable advice.
Maybe share comparisons, ifrelevant, make confident
judgments, include visuals,maybe augment with audio or
video clips, build the reader'sconfidence, link out to related
(10:20):
helpful content, address cost orbenefit, really align with the
user's deeper intent and evenanticipate potential objections
or follow-up questions.
You pretty much neednear-perfect marks across all
these areas If your answer islacking even just a bit.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The AI will just pull from someone else who do it
better.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Exactly Someone else who checked all those boxes.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
That sounds incredibly thorough, almost
demanding, but I guess thepayoff could be pretty huge.
I saw that Exponent 21 casestudy you mentioned earlier.
That was really striking.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
It really was.
Back in August 2024, interestin AI SEO was just a tiny blip
right.
Barely anyone was searching forit, but their team went ahead
and proactively published thesesuper detailed answers to the
questions they anticipated wouldemerge.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
So they got in really early they anticipated would
emerge.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So they got in really early, super early, and by
mid-2025,.
The results were staggering.
They saw an 80x, that's 8-0increase in total impressions
for that content 80 times.
And an 18x jump in organictraffic.
Crucially, they secured thattop citation status in the AI
overviews for those key terms.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
That's a massive return for being proactive.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Absolutely, and there was another key lesson from
their experience too Consistencyreally matters.
They mentioned their contentcreation kind of stalled over
one holiday season, and theyactually saw their positions
start to slip a bit.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
So you can't just set it and forget it.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Definitely not.
But the good news was, byrecommitting to regular updates
and putting out fresh content,they quickly regained that lost
ground.
So predictive SEO it's not aone-off campaign.
It's really an ongoingcommitment to staying ahead.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Okay, this is all making sense.
So, for everyone listening, ifyou want your brand to be seen
and trusted and ultimatelypicked by these new AI advisors,
what are the concrete thingsyou can start doing right now?
Where do you even begin withall this?
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Okay, let's break it down.
There are probably five corestrategies to focus on for
earning a place in those AIresults.
First, structure your contentfor machines.
Use really clear headings, H2s,H3s, bullet points, FAQ
sections.
Definitely use schema markup.
Surface the key facts early andclearly.
This makes it easy for AI toparse.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Okay, structure for machines Got it?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Second, establish authority everywhere.
This means publishingexpert-written articles, yes,
but also getting high-qualitybacklinks from reputable sites
highlighting certifications orawards, and actively seeking
mentions in respected media orindustry publications.
Build that credibility profile.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Authority everywhere Makes sense.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Third, engage in validation communities.
Participate authentically whereyour audience hangs out.
That could be Reddit, specificYouTube channels, industry
forums, review sites.
Encourage happy customers toshare their real experiences too
.
Ai models look at these signals.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Right Be where the conversations are happening.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Fourth, adapt your SEO thinking to conversational
queries.
Optimize for full questions theway people actually talk or
type into AI tools.
Monitor how AI cites sourcesfor topics in your space and
refine your content to matchthose successful patterns.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Think like a human asking a question.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Exactly.
And finally, fifth, track yourAI visibility.
You have to actively test yourkey questions on ChatGPT,
perplexity, google's AIoverviews, whatever tools are
relevant.
Log where you show up, whereyou don't, and use that feedback
to iterate and improve yourcontent.
So those are the strategies.
Then there are four tacticalsteps specifically for putting
predictive SEO into action.
(13:42):
First, you have to spot theearly signals of emerging demand
.
Don't wait for keywords to blowup.
Look at Google Trends for thoserising queries or breakout
topics.
Keep an eye on Reddit threads,industry forums what questions
are just starting to bubble up?
Check the People Also Ask boxesin Google Search and there are
even AI-focused tools emerging,like Peakai, that try to track
(14:02):
prompts, generating AI answerseven if the search volume is
still tiny.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
So it's like being a digital detective, looking for
those thing signals beforeanyone else notices them.
That's challenging.
For busy teams Is the mainhurdle just dedicating time to
look for things that aren't bigyet.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
That's often the biggest mindset shift.
Yes, Investing resources insomething before it shows up in
the high volume keyword reports.
It feels counterintuitive ifyou're used to traditional SEO
metrics, but once you spot thosesignals, step two is to
identify the MVQs, the mostvaluable questions that have
real urgency.
From all those potentialemerging questions, prioritize
(14:37):
the ones indicating clear painpoints, maybe fears or immediate
needs tied to big decisions.
Those are your million-dollarquestions.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Focus on the high-st stakes questions.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Right.
Then step three create trulycomplete, structured content
that works for humans and AI.
Don't just write a short blogpost.
Aim to create the definitiveresource.
Cover the what, why, how.
Next steps thoroughly Use thosedescriptive headings, bullet
points, faq sections andespecially schema markup things
like FAQ schema, how-to schema.
(15:06):
That structure is vital for AI.
And, a key tip start thecontent with a concise,
confident answer that an AIcould easily quote.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Then you can expand with more detail for the human
reader.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Give the AI the soundbite first, kind of yeah.
And finally step four submit,track and refine.
Proactively.
Submit your new content tosearch engines via Google Search
Console.
Then you absolutely have totrack where that content appears
or doesn't in AI overviews andanswers for your target MVQs.
If you're not getting picked up, go back, look at the content,
(15:40):
see what's missing, refine it.
The mantra really has to bepublish, measure tweak.
It's a continuous loop.
The mantra really has to bepublish, measure tweak.
It's a continuous loop.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
That is a really practical, powerful playbook for
anyone trying to navigate this.
I mean, the core message seemscrystal clear, doesn't it?
The rise of AI in search?
It's fundamentally raised thestakes If your brand isn't seen
as the answer well, it mightjust not be seen at all.
And this predictive SEO,grounded in understanding people
and building trust, it reallyfeels like the new standard for
getting found online.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I think that's exactly right.
At the end of the day, AI tendsto amplify what's already good
on the web.
So high quality solutions,genuinely helpful content,
combined with these kinds ofstrategic, proactive visibility
efforts, they will rise to thetop of these algorithmic
recommendations.
The goal really is ensuringyour business is seen, that it's
trusted and, ultimately, thatit gets selected by these
increasingly influential digitaladvisors that are now guiding
(16:33):
so many decisions so here's thefinal thought for you to chew on
in this incredibly fastevolving ai first world, how
will you position your brand?
Speaker 1 (16:41):
will you just react to the changes as they come, or
will you start trying toactively engineer the demand
behind tomorrow's most valuablequestions?
Okay, imagine this you type best subscription
management software into Google,but instead of that you know
familiar list of blue links weall expect.
An AI summary just pops upright at the top it's outlining
pros and cons before you evensee a single organic result.
Or maybe you ask ChatGPT thesame thing and you just get a
straight answer Concise,confident, no ads, no links.
(00:22):
Now, this isn't like sciencefiction we're talking about.
This is happening right now.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
And it's fundamentally changing how
businesses well, how theyconnect with customers online.
The whole digital landscape isreally undergoing a massive
shift.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's quite profound and our mission in this deep
dive is really to unpack that,to look at how AI is
transforming online discovery,why these AI agents are becoming
sort of the ultimategatekeepers for visibility and,
maybe most importantly, whatactual steps you can take to
keep your brand visible.
You know, front and center inthis AI-first world, we're
drawing on some reallycutting-edge insights and
(00:56):
real-world results that we'reseeing play out.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Exactly.
That's why this deep dive isreally for you.
Maybe you're prepping for a bigmeeting or just trying to get
your head around this fieldthat's changing so fast, or
maybe you're just like supercurious about what's coming next
online.
Okay, let's dive in and unpackthis.
So let's start with thefundamental change here.
For years, we all knew it.
Page one of Google, that wasthe goal, the gold standard.
(01:19):
But that whole traditionalsearch model, the one built on
blue links, it's rapidly givingway to these AI explanations,
these summaries.
It's a completely different waypeople are finding information
now.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
And the data?
Well, it really shows howsignificant this shift already
is.
Research indicates that by May2025, fully half of all Google
results pages featured one ofthese AI generated overviews.
But here's the kicker theimpact on click through rates.
It was immediate when that AIoverview appeared.
Clicks to websites, just well.
They plummeted.
On desktop, it went fromroughly 28% down to about 11%.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Wow, that's huge.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah, and on mobile it was even more stark 38% down
to 21%.
This isn't just tweaking thesystem, it's a fundamental move.
We're shifting from a clickeconomy to what you might call a
visibility economy.
Being named in the AI answer isoften way more valuable than
ranking first, just below it.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Right, that attention piece is so, so critical.
I read about those eye trackingstudies.
They show users are mostly justskimming.
Right, yeah, like a very toppart of the AI summary.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Exactly About 70 percent never even scroll past
that top third 70%.
Which means if your brand getscited early, right up top in
that block, you capture almostall the attention.
If you're mentioned lower downor not at all, you might as well
be invisible.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
It's like being picked first for the team or
just left on the sidelinesentirely.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And as if that wasn't enough disruption we're already
heading into the next frontier.
Ai assistants aren't justsearch tools anymore.
They're evolving into wellautonomous buyers.
There was a McKinsey survey, Ithink late 2024, found that 41%
of Gen Z consumers already useAI tools for shopping and task
management 41%.
All right, yeah, and thatnumber's climbing fast.
(03:01):
So picture this.
A procurement lead just tellstheir AI find me.
A project management platformneeds to meet our security for,
say, smaller businesses or newerbrands.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
If your product isn't already in the AI's kind of
trusted knowledge base, you hitthis cold start problem.
That's the new visibilitydilemma.
Right, If the AI doesn'tshortlist you, your potential
customer might literally neverknow you exist.
It just completely rewrites therules of getting discovered.
So, okay, we've got thispicture huge shift, big
challenges.
(03:45):
But if the landscape ischanging this dramatically, what
actually makes an AI chooseyour brand?
Is it still just about havingthe right data points, or is
something else going on?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, it actually comes down to something very
human.
It comes down to trust.
Think about it.
When a user sees an AI answer,they're going to be like what's
the first thing they oftenglance at?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
The sources, like where it got the information.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Exactly the cited sources.
If they recognize a name orrespect the publication maybe
it's a well-known brand or ahigh authority domain like edu
or gov they accept that AIresponse much more readily.
One study found 58 percent ofclicks went to links from those
familiar or authoritativedomains 58 percent Wow.
(04:27):
Yeah.
So this signals a massive shift.
Authority in many ways isstarting to outweigh simple
keyword relevance.
For businesses, this means youhave to instantly signal trust.
That could be through thingslike expert authorship, getting
third party endorsements,showcasing security
certifications, getting coverageand respected outlets.
And to really get this, thereare some fascinating insights
(04:47):
from folks like Courtney Turin.
She's a Yale-trainedneuroscientist at Exponent 21.
She points out that AI SEOisn't just technical tinkering.
It's deeply about understandinghuman psychology what grabs
attention, what builds belief,what actually drives decisions?
You know people don't reallywant to search, they just want
to know.
Every search query is basicallyan expression of uncertainty
(05:08):
and your content's job is toreduce that uncertainty quickly
without adding more complexity.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
So it's less about just stuffing in keywords and
more about being the clearest,maybe the most reassuring voice
for both the human and the AI.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Precisely.
Take cognitive load, forexample.
That's the mental effort neededto process something.
If your content is hard work,people just move on.
It feels expensive mentally.
They're also doing what'scalled information foraging.
They're scanning fast, lookingfor cues, good headlines, bullet
points, clear summaries,signals that tell them this is
worth my time, like a birdlooking for the best seeds.
(05:42):
And then there's cognitivefluency when information is easy
to process, it actually feelsmore true, more reliable.
So you need to simplify, guidethe user, make it feel
effortless.
You're kind of designing forthese mental shortcuts the brain
takes.
And think about the buyer'spsychological journey.
Your content needs to meet themwherever they are.
(06:03):
Are they just becoming aware ofa problem?
Are they investigatingsolutions, comparing options, or
are they ready for commitment?
You need content for each stage.
This is where you see thatshift from exploration, where
they're looking around, toexploitation where they decide
okay, this source is reliable,I'm sticking with it.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Ah, okay, so you want to be that trusted source they
stick with, yeah right.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
If your content gives a good answer but doesn't help
them take that next step, theirbrain might keep that task open
it's called the Zeigarnik effectremembering unfinished things
and they might wander off.
You want to be the one thathelps them close that loop, and
what's really interesting is howthe AI overview itself almost
acts like a social learning toolTo the user.
(06:44):
Seeing that summary feels a bitlike pulling the room, getting
a quick, confident consensusfrom what AI thinks are the best
sources.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Like getting the group wisdom instantly.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Kind of, yeah, psychologically, users get this
borrowed credibility if yourbrand shows up there.
The AI did the homework,presented the consensus that
feels trustworthy.
And while logic supportsdecisions, let's be real emotion
often drives them.
So great content.
It evokes relief, confidence,hope, maybe even belonging,
often through narrativetransportation, pulling people
(07:14):
into stories they connect with.
The big goal here is buildingthis continuum of confidence,
consistent presence, makingpeople feel understood.
That leads to brand saliencebeing top of mind and it fosters
psychological safety, thatfeeling of okay, this brand gets
me.
They have the answer I need.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Wow, that's a lot to think about, but it makes a ton
of sense.
So if this is the new realitydriven by trust, easy answers,
humans and psychology, what doesit mean for what you listening
right now should actually bedoing?
How do you build that kind oftrust and visibility in practice
?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Well, the answer really lies in a strategy that's
gaining a lot of traction.
It's called predictive SEO.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Predictive SEO.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Okay.
Yeah, it's essentially theproactive practice of
identifying search queries thatare just starting to emerge,
questions people will be askingsoon, and then creating really
high authority content for thembefore they become super popular
.
It's about building thedefinitive answer early, so when
that wave of interest finallyhits, your content is already
(08:11):
there.
Already seen as the trustedresource, this head start, it's
not just nice to have anymore,it's becoming kind of essential.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
That sounds really different from traditional SEO,
which mostly reacts to trendsthat are already happening,
right?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Looking at existing high volume keywords.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Exactly.
Traditional SEO often playscatch up.
Predictive SEO tries toanticipate what's next.
It looks at, you know, evolvingconversations online, new tech
coming out, cultural shifts.
What questions will thesethings spark?
And this is especially criticalfor AI search, because often
being the first one to provide areally good, comprehensive
answer helps cement your brandas the go-to authority in the
(08:49):
AI's mind, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
It's like drawing the map before everyone else
realizes they need directions.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Precisely, and a really key part of this is
identifying what we call mostvaluable questions, or MVQs.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
MVQs okay.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
These aren't your standard generic FAQs.
Ok, these aren't your standardgeneric FAQs.
These are the specific, oftenquite loaded questions maybe
emotionally, maybe financiallysignificant, that your ideal
customers ask right beforethey're about to make a decision
.
They signal real urgency andhigh intent.
Can you give bone loss?
(09:30):
See how that carries a lot ofweight for the person asking.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, you can feel the need behind those questions.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Exactly.
And MVQs matter becauseanswering them well means you
show up right when your audienceis actively looking for
solutions.
It builds trust because you'readdressing their specific
high-stakes concern.
It earns you that crucialvisibility in AI overviews and
those featured snippets andultimately it drives traffic
that's much more likely toconvert.
Now to actually get quotedconfidently by an AI, your
(09:57):
content needs to nail what youmight call the anatomy of the
best answers.
This means it has to be reallythorough, written with
confidence and structuredclearly.
It needs to clearly define theproblem, explain why it's
important, offer practical,actionable advice.
Maybe share comparisons, ifrelevant, make confident
judgments, include visuals,maybe augment with audio or
video clips, build the reader'sconfidence, link out to related
(10:20):
helpful content, address cost orbenefit, really align with the
user's deeper intent and evenanticipate potential objections
or follow-up questions.
You pretty much neednear-perfect marks across all
these areas If your answer islacking even just a bit.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The AI will just pull from someone else who do it
better.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Exactly Someone else who checked all those boxes.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
That sounds incredibly thorough, almost
demanding, but I guess thepayoff could be pretty huge.
I saw that Exponent 21 casestudy you mentioned earlier.
That was really striking.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
It really was.
Back in August 2024, interestin AI SEO was just a tiny blip
right.
Barely anyone was searching forit, but their team went ahead
and proactively published thesesuper detailed answers to the
questions they anticipated wouldemerge.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
So they got in really early they anticipated would
emerge.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So they got in really early, super early, and by
mid-2025,.
The results were staggering.
They saw an 80x, that's 8-0increase in total impressions
for that content 80 times.
And an 18x jump in organictraffic.
Crucially, they secured thattop citation status in the AI
overviews for those key terms.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
That's a massive return for being proactive.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Absolutely, and there was another key lesson from
their experience too Consistencyreally matters.
They mentioned their contentcreation kind of stalled over
one holiday season, and theyactually saw their positions
start to slip a bit.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
So you can't just set it and forget it.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Definitely not.
But the good news was, byrecommitting to regular updates
and putting out fresh content,they quickly regained that lost
ground.
So predictive SEO it's not aone-off campaign.
It's really an ongoingcommitment to staying ahead.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Okay, this is all making sense.
So, for everyone listening, ifyou want your brand to be seen
and trusted and ultimatelypicked by these new AI advisors,
what are the concrete thingsyou can start doing right now?
Where do you even begin withall this?
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Okay, let's break it down.
There are probably five corestrategies to focus on for
earning a place in those AIresults.
First, structure your contentfor machines.
Use really clear headings, H2s,H3s, bullet points, FAQ
sections.
Definitely use schema markup.
Surface the key facts early andclearly.
This makes it easy for AI toparse.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Okay, structure for machines Got it?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Second, establish authority everywhere.
This means publishingexpert-written articles, yes,
but also getting high-qualitybacklinks from reputable sites
highlighting certifications orawards, and actively seeking
mentions in respected media orindustry publications.
Build that credibility profile.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Authority everywhere Makes sense.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Third, engage in validation communities.
Participate authentically whereyour audience hangs out.
That could be Reddit, specificYouTube channels, industry
forums, review sites.
Encourage happy customers toshare their real experiences too
.
Ai models look at these signals.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Right Be where the conversations are happening.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Fourth, adapt your SEO thinking to conversational
queries.
Optimize for full questions theway people actually talk or
type into AI tools.
Monitor how AI cites sourcesfor topics in your space and
refine your content to matchthose successful patterns.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Think like a human asking a question.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Exactly.
And finally, fifth, track yourAI visibility.
You have to actively test yourkey questions on ChatGPT,
perplexity, google's AIoverviews, whatever tools are
relevant.
Log where you show up, whereyou don't, and use that feedback
to iterate and improve yourcontent.
So those are the strategies.
Then there are four tacticalsteps specifically for putting
predictive SEO into action.
(13:42):
First, you have to spot theearly signals of emerging demand
.
Don't wait for keywords to blowup.
Look at Google Trends for thoserising queries or breakout
topics.
Keep an eye on Reddit threads,industry forums what questions
are just starting to bubble up?
Check the People Also Ask boxesin Google Search and there are
even AI-focused tools emerging,like Peakai, that try to track
(14:02):
prompts, generating AI answerseven if the search volume is
still tiny.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
So it's like being a digital detective, looking for
those thing signals beforeanyone else notices them.
That's challenging.
For busy teams Is the mainhurdle just dedicating time to
look for things that aren't bigyet.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
That's often the biggest mindset shift.
Yes, Investing resources insomething before it shows up in
the high volume keyword reports.
It feels counterintuitive ifyou're used to traditional SEO
metrics, but once you spot thosesignals, step two is to
identify the MVQs, the mostvaluable questions that have
real urgency.
From all those potentialemerging questions, prioritize
(14:37):
the ones indicating clear painpoints, maybe fears or immediate
needs tied to big decisions.
Those are your million-dollarquestions.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Focus on the high-st stakes questions.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Right.
Then step three create trulycomplete, structured content
that works for humans and AI.
Don't just write a short blogpost.
Aim to create the definitiveresource.
Cover the what, why, how.
Next steps thoroughly Use thosedescriptive headings, bullet
points, faq sections andespecially schema markup things
like FAQ schema, how-to schema.
(15:06):
That structure is vital for AI.
And, a key tip start thecontent with a concise,
confident answer that an AIcould easily quote.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Then you can expand with more detail for the human
reader.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Give the AI the soundbite first, kind of yeah.
And finally step four submit,track and refine.
Proactively.
Submit your new content tosearch engines via Google Search
Console.
Then you absolutely have totrack where that content appears
or doesn't in AI overviews andanswers for your target MVQs.
If you're not getting picked up, go back, look at the content,
(15:40):
see what's missing, refine it.
The mantra really has to bepublish, measure tweak.
It's a continuous loop.
The mantra really has to bepublish, measure tweak.
It's a continuous loop.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
That is a really practical, powerful playbook for
anyone trying to navigate this.
I mean, the core message seemscrystal clear, doesn't it?
The rise of AI in search?
It's fundamentally raised thestakes If your brand isn't seen
as the answer well, it mightjust not be seen at all.
And this predictive SEO,grounded in understanding people
and building trust, it reallyfeels like the new standard for
getting found online.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I think that's exactly right.
At the end of the day, AI tendsto amplify what's already good
on the web.
So high quality solutions,genuinely helpful content,
combined with these kinds ofstrategic, proactive visibility
efforts, they will rise to thetop of these algorithmic
recommendations.
The goal really is ensuringyour business is seen, that it's
trusted and, ultimately, thatit gets selected by these
increasingly influential digitaladvisors that are now guiding
(16:33):
so many decisions so here's thefinal thought for you to chew on
in this incredibly fastevolving ai first world, how
will you position your brand?
Speaker 1 (16:41):
will you just react to the changes as they come, or
will you start trying toactively engineer the demand
behind tomorrow's most valuablequestions?
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