The practical guide to AI search: from zero to market leader in 90 days

This isn't another "AI search is important" talk. This is the only session giving you the complete playbook - what to track, what to fix, and exactly how to dominate AI search in 90 days.

Why this talk is different: Everyone else explains how AI search works. I will show you what to do about it. No theory. Just the practical guide with templates, scripts, and tactics you'll use Monday morning.

The actionable framework you'll get:

Track what matters:
- The only 5 metrics worth measuring
- How to find prompts people actually ask (not keywords you think they use)
- The competitive intelligence system to see exactly where you're losing deals

Actions you need to take to improve your visibility:
- Find high-authority sites mentioning competitors but not you
- Find Reddit and UGC threads that are being cited and learn how to systematically engage
- Identify topics getting 100+ citations from competitors and third-party sites, create comprehensive content that AI can't ignore
- Refresh content that is not being cited - the weekly update workflow that maintains visibility
- Resolve server errors reducing your AI visibility

You'll leave with:
- Ready-to-use templates for content and outreach
- Prioritization formula for high-impact opportunities
- Specific fixes you'll implement this week

Based on analyzing millions of AI responses. This is your practical guide to winning AI search.

Transcript

2. 2.5% → 11% leads from AI search
3. 0% → 4% AI visibility in 20 days for this 9 DR Site
4. AI visitors convert 3-8x better
5. Why listen to me 1 2021 First GPT-3 production app 2 2022 Launched Chatsonic (ChatGPT + web search) 3 2023 Satya Nadella features us 4 2024 First AI agent for SEO 5 2025 Introduced our GEO Product
6. Track what matters
7. Backlink
8. Metric #1 - AI Visibility Score How Often Do You Show Up? Formula Visibility = Num Answers that Mention your Brand ÷ Total Answers × 100 Example • Test 20 prompts • Your brand appears in 8 • Visibility = 40% This is your North Star metric.
9. Metric #2 - Brand Mentions What It Measures Every time AI says your brand name in an answer Why It Matters • More mentions = more visibility • Position matters but presence matters more • Users see your brand repeatedly across queries EXAMPLE: ChatGPT mentions "Stripe" 47 times across 100 payment queries No mention = you don't exist. Competitors are probably stealing your revenue.
10. Metric #3 - Citation Rate How Often Is YOUR Content The Source? Formula Answers Citing Your Content ÷ Total Answers Tracked × 100 Why Track This • Branded queries: You want YOUR site as the source (most accurate, controlled messaging) • Non-branded: Your content influences AI's answers in your topics • Authority: AI trusts your content enough to reference it Control the narrative by being the source.
11. Metric #4 - Share of Voice Who Owns the Market? What It Measures Your visibility percentage compared to all competitors combined in AI answers. Reality Check If your share of voice is below 10%, you are virtually invisible in your market and to AI platforms. Know your real competitive position.
12. Metric #5 - Sentiment Score What Are They Saying About You? WHAT IT REVEALS • Positive things AI says about you • Negative mentions to fix • Competitor weaknesses you can exploit ACTION ITEMS • Negative about you: Find source citations, get them updated • Negative about competitors: Use in your positioning • Positive patterns: Amplify what's working Control perception by fixing the sources.
13. Weekly Tracking System Pick 20 prompts Select a diverse set of 20 AI prompts for testing. Test on 3 AI platforms Evaluate responses from ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Overviews. Use incognito mode Ensure unbiased results by testing in a private browsing session. Record in spreadsheet Document all findings and observations in a structured sheet. Every Monday. Set a reminder.
14. Mine real prompts from Search Console & Ahrefs Reddit & Forums Keyword Planner & People Also Ask Support & Sales
15. Turn Keywords (SEO Data) Into Prompts Use this prompt along with the seed keywords/questions from the previously mentioned sources (Ahrefs, Reddit, Search Console) You are an expert prompt engineer who understands how real users search for information on AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Your task is to generate realistic, natural-sounding prompts that users would actually type when searching for [TOPIC/KEYWORD]. Context: Users on AI platforms write conversationally, often including context, constraints, and specific needs. They don't just type keywords; they ask complete questions or make detailed requests. Input Seeds: [INSERT YOUR KEYWORDS/TOPICS HERE] Generate prompt variations following these patterns: 1. Direct Questions (How/What/Which/Where/Why) - Simple: "What is [keyword]?" - Contextual: "What's the best [keyword] for [specific situation]?" - Comparative: "Which [keyword] is better for [use case]?" 2. Problem-Solution Queries - "I need [solution] for [problem]" - "How do I [achieve outcome] with [constraint]" - "[Problem statement]. What [keyword] should I use?"
16. Estimating AI Search Volume AI Volume Estimate = Google Keyword Planner Volume × Intent Multiplier Navigational (login, pricing): × 0.01 Informational (how to, what is): × 0.15 Commercial (best X, X vs Y): × 0.25 Conversational (help me, create): × 0.40 High volume + commercial intent = Top priority
17. From Tracking to Actions Off-Page Build authority On-Page Create cited content Technical Remove barriers
18. Pillar 1 - Off-Page Authority THE REALITY: AI weighs third-party citations 6x higher than your own content Your website = self-promotion Other sites = validation
19. Where AI Gets Its Trust Wikipedia One of the most trusted references Reddit Top cited for every industry Industry publications Authoritative content News sites Current information
20. Find Your Citation Gaps Articles where competitors are mentioned but you're not
21. One Article = Dozens of Queries THAT TECHRADAR ARTICLE GETS CITED FOR: Which apps are best for meeting scheduling? scheduling tools for staff meetings comparison What are the best enterprise scheduling software in 2025 What meeting scheduler apps do you recommend? HELP ME TO FIND best free scheduling software
22. Direct Outreach That Works EMAIL TEMPLATE: Subject: Exclusive data for your #1 ranking article on [topic] "Hi [Name], your article on [topic] consistently ranks #1 in AI responses. I have [specific value]: • New 2025 industry data no one else has • Free annual subscription to test our product • Exclusive expert quote from our CEO • Mutual content collaboration opportunity Would this strengthen your piece?"
23. Beyond Outreach - 3 More Ways Paid Advertorials $500-5,000 per placement AI cites them like editorial content Digital PR Press releases, podcasts, conferences 1 press mention = avg 12 AI citations Partnerships Affiliate programs, integration directories Every partner = potential citation
24. 5-3-2-1 Reddit formula 5 subreddits to monitor 3 valuable posts weekly 2 helpful comments daily 1 AMA quarterly
25. Control Your Reference Data WIKIPEDIA ✓ Create company page if notable ✓ Update outdated information G2 & CAPTERRA ✓ Claim premium profiles ✓ Update feature lists INDUSTRY DIRECTORIES ✓ Professional associations ✓ Chamber of commerce ✓ Trade publications ✓ Partner directories
26. Pillar 2 - On-Page Authority Write on topics already getting citations Fresh, updated information Comparison content Structured formats GOAL: Create content so good AI must cite it
27. Finding winning topics
28. Test what AI currently cites
29. The clustering method
30. Step 1: Collect cited pages
31. Step 2: Group by intent & common topics
32. Step 3: Identify the patterns with top cited articles
33. Step 4: Write a better article that is more AI optimized
34. ✓ Include ALL companies from other lists ✓ Add 2-3 they missed ✓ Fresh 2025 data and prices ✓ Detailed comparison table on top ✓ Pros and cons ✓ Update monthly
35. The result...
36. Commercial > Informational
37. The 4 formats that dominate
38. #1: Listicles 90% of commercial mentions come from listicles
39. #2: A vs B comparisons
40. #3: A vs B vs C comparisons
41. #4: [Competitor] Review
42. But there's more...
43. Homepage & Product pages Product pages get 3x more citations
44. Data studies
45. Definition and FAQ content
46. BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front
47. Stop writing "We"
48. First 100 words = 80% attention
49. One idea per paragraph
50. Tables multiply citations
51. Key takeaways first
52. Include specific facts and figures
53. Schema markup matters
54. Meta tags are critical
55. Freshness signals
56. AI has extreme recency bias
57. 65% of AI hits < 1 year old
58. Update signals: 2-3 new stats & Fresh Examples
59. Update signals: "Updated [Month Year]"
60. Pillar 3 - Technical Foundation Remove the Barriers • Blocking wrong bots • JavaScript-only content • CDN security issues • Broken pages IF AI CAN'T CRAWL YOU, Nothing else matters.
61. The Divergence Has Begun
62. 2025: AI depends on traditional search ChatGPT Free Their own web index ChatGPT Plus Google Perplexity Own index Claude Brave’s index Gemini Google's index (obviously) Grok X + own web index
63. 2026: AI breaks free from search
64. Writesonic - Your Complete GEO Platform
66. Exclusive BrightonSEO Offer • Get a Free AI Visibility Audit for your Brand. Scan the QR code on the right. • Or come to Booth 17 (next to café) for a Free AI Visibility Audit and Action Plan • Limited slots available Deck available at Speakerdeck: https://speakerdeck.com/samanyougarg