As guidelines around AI search and ranking for large language models (LLMs) evolve, research by Semrush indicates that marketing execution is struggling to keep pace. According to their 2026 study, only 22% of marketers have fully integrated their traditional SEO and AI search efforts, including strategy, execution and reporting, while the remaining 78% are in a transitional phase.
As conversational AI search engines address early top-of-funnel (TOFU) research directly within their platforms, overall website traffic volume may drop. However, visitors who click through arrive much further along the purchasing funnel, converting at meaningfully higher rates than organic traffic. Navigating this shift requires moving past traditional SEO tactics toward a unified Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) strategy.
To help local businesses adapt, we recently partnered with digital marketing agency Tank to host an exclusive session for marketing leaders on “Lead generation in AI search,” led by their resident AI specialist and Head of Digital, Martin Harris. Below, we share some key takeaways from the session on how brands can maintain online visibility, along with practical techniques for ranking in LLMs that can be implemented today.
Hosted by Marketing & Digital Recruitment Manager, James Robinson
Improving online visibility with AEO
To ensure your brand appears in AI-generated search summaries, many marketing leaders are now adopting AEO tactics. This approach focuses on structuring content so that conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT can easily retrieve and cite your brand as the expert answer.
As touched upon earlier, this shift is critical as AI engines are now pre-qualifying users before they even reach your site. By the time someone clicks a cited link, they’ve already asked their questions, evaluated different options and arrived with high intent. In fact, a study by Seer Interactive found that ChatGPT referral traffic achieved a 15.9% conversion rate, compared to just 1.76% for organic, with referrals from Claude (5%) and Perplexity (10.5%) also converting at higher rates. This illustrates the widening gap between AI platforms and traditional search channels.
As with traditional SEO, there isn’t a one-and-done fix. Writing high-quality copy alone is no longer sufficient; how information is packaged, structured and positioned dictates whether an LLM cites your brand over a competitor.
As Tank’s Martin Harris highlighted during our session, AI engines don’t search the web in the same way as humans. Instead, they look for specific structural patterns that make information easy to digest, synthesise and repeat. While Harris went into a wide variety of techniques for LLMs, we’ve cherry-picked our highlights below.
Practical techniques to rank for LLMs
Competitor comparison pages: Build structured pages for when prospective customers ask search engines to compare your brand against a competitor. AI algorithms prioritise side-by-side comparisons that use a buyer’s specific questions as subheadings.
Data and benchmarking reports: Original data remains the most cited content type across generative AI. Publishing an annual survey or industry benchmark gives LLMs trusted statistics to reference. Ensure the data is updated regularly, kept un-gated and published in clean HTML text so AI crawlers can easily extract the numbers.
“Best of”, “how-to” and FAQ pages: Align content directly with natural and common user queries. Simple Q&A pages are an easy win that provide the immediate answers AI models favour. In addition, research by Ahrefs found that list-style “best X” articles account for over 43% of all pages cited by ChatGPT. When addressing “how to” queries, lead with a clear and concise answer upfront and support it with a real-world case study.
Creating off-site trust signals
Beyond a business’ own website, there are several off-site channels which generate the high-trust signals that LLMs rely on when making buying recommendations, including:
- Industry publications & thought leadership: Trusted B2B publications serve as primary sources of authority when AI engines search for industry coverage, particularly if the subject isn’t tailored to a mainstream audience. Simultaneously, organic LinkedIn activity from key leadership builds long-term brand equity before a prospective customer interacts with an advert, for example, an indirect case study or testimonial.
- Review platforms and communities: Third-party review sites such as Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra, as well as Reddit discussions, can directly influence which brands make it into AI-generated recommended shortlists.
To translate these insights into actionable steps, Harris advises claiming free review profiles immediately, as securing just five customer reviews can measurably boost a brand’s visibility.
In the longer term, however, the primary focus should shift toward securing earned media, as LLMs prioritise third-party validation over self-published website content. This could be through guest articles, podcast features, or expert quotes in high-authority industry publications; a single high domain authority external citation often carries more weight for AI visibility than publishing ten internal pages.
Modern SEO skills
In addition to traditional SEO skills, including technical website audits, data analysis and copywriting, Harris maintains that modern SEO extends far beyond technical site tweaks. Digital PR, user experience (UX), social media and overall brand presence all directly impact how AI perceives and cites your business.
Navigating modern SEO requirements may demand a broader skill set than what was traditionally expected from a standalone SEO specialist. At Distinct, we support businesses looking to expand their digital teams by matching skilled professionals with their next marketing opportunity, from content executives and media specialists to marketing managers and heads of digital. If you’d like to discuss your requirements, get in touch with our Digital & Marketing Recruitment team.
Special thanks to Tank and Head of Digital, Martin Harris, for sharing their actionable AI search and LLM recommendations. You may also like Why your SEO and Digital PR teams should have a united approach: insights from Tank
