by | Dec 12, 2025

As Yogi Berra once said, it’s “déjà vu all over again” when it comes to AI Search. In the early days of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), experts claiming to have secret formulas to manipulate Google and quickly move websites to the top of search results came out of the woodwork.

Although some service providers were legitimate, many were not. The worst offenders were those that used black hat tactics (keyword stuffing, link farms, cloaking) to try to game the search algorithms. Fast forward to today, and we’re witnessing history repeat itself with AI search (Answer Engine Optimization or AEO).

Just as early SEO sparked a cottage industry of consultants, we’re seeing the same pattern develop today. One of our clients was approached by a company claiming to have cracked the code for being found through large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why the rise of AI search mirrors the chaotic early days of SEO
  • How to spot misleading claims about “cracking” AI ranking systems
  • What LLMs actually prioritize when surfacing content
  • Why trust is still the most powerful signal in digital discovery
  • How businesses are already gaining leads through AI search the right way
  • The foundational steps you can take today to build authority with AI tools
  • What kind of content AI models are more likely to reference in responses
  • Why consistency and strategy matter more than “magic formulas”
  • How to align your marketing approach with evolving AI-driven buyer behaviour

Here We Go Again

In the early 2000s, many companies fell for questionable SEO practices because they didn’t understand how search engines worked. Google’s algorithm was a mystery, and the pace of change in digital marketing was overwhelming. The same fog of confusion now surrounds AI search.

According to an article in Search Engine Journal titled AI Poisoning: Black Hat SEO Is Back, “AI has opened a new frontier, a new online gold rush. This time, instead of search rankings, the fight is over visibility in AI responses. And just like Google in those early days, the AI pioneers haven’t yet developed the necessary protections to prevent the Black Hats riding into town.”

Large language models are most definitely mysterious and complex, and their exact inner workings aren’t even entirely understood by the people building them. This creates a perfect storm: businesses wanting to stay ahead of the curve, combined with new technologies they don’t understand—an ideal environment for dubious advice and unrealistic claims.

We’ve been around for twenty years. We’ve seen this movie before.

AI Search Is the New Frontier… But It’s Still Marketing

There is no “magic formula” for getting your business favoured by ChatGPT, or any other AI technology, in response to a searcher’s questions. Anyone claiming to “guarantee” you will be listed in AI-generated answers is either misinformed, misleading, or both.

Google has been telling us for years not to worry about impressing them, but to concentrate on the informational needs of potential buyers, and the resulting search rankings will take care of themselves. This also applies with AI search.

Despite the differences in the underlying technologies, one fundamental truth has not changed: getting found online, whether by a search engine or an AI model, starts with a deep understanding of your target customer. Followed by a commitment to consistently produce value-based content to make online connections.

Prospective buyers don’t search or prompt online just for the sake of it. They’re gathering information that will help them make an informed purchasing decision. They want to reduce risk. They want to be confident they are in control. They definitely don’t want to experience buyer’s remorse.

Marketing is about understanding what your target customers want and giving it to them. So, for your business to show up in AI search results, the path forward isn’t a secret formula or gimmicks. It’s sharing relevant, informative content that positions you as a subject matter expert and builds trust with all the relevant audiences: prospects, influencers, AI models and search engines.

The Truth About Getting Found, Then and Now

AI tools are trained to identify and prioritize helpful, relevant, well-structured information. They pull from high-authority online sources. They reference content that directly answers user questions. They recognize expertise, clarity, and structure. And they reward businesses that have built a trustworthy presence over time.

We’re already seeing our clients get leads through AI search channels. Why? Because we’re helping them do the right things, day in and day out. We’re creating content that’s insightful, educational, and designed to help their prospects make informed decisions.

When an AI tool is asked for guidance on a topic, it’s more likely to pull from a client’s website if that site contains relevant, trustworthy, and well-articulated information. And that’s not something that can be faked or fast-tracked with a “magic formula.” It’s earned through consistency and value creation through imparting subject matter expertise.

What Should Businesses Do Right Now to Be Found Online?

If you’re a business leader trying to understand how to prepare for the era of AI-driven discovery, the answer isn’t magic. It’s marketing 101 applied to a powerful new technology.

Yes, we’re in the wild west of AI search. But just as the chaotic early days of SEO eventually matured into a discipline driven by strategy, relevance, and value, so too will AI-powered search settle into sustainable best practices.

Businesses that stay focused on their customers, on answering their questions, reducing their perceived risk, and helping them make better decisions, will win in the long run.

This means you must:

  • Understand your target customer’s journey. What problems are they trying to solve? What information are they seeking in their decision-making process?
  • Creating content that is aligned with the customer’s journey. Not generic online content stuffed with buzzwords and platitudes. Helpful, detailed, well-structured content that answers questions and that a human and an AI model can understand and trust.
  • Demonstrating authority and expertise. Creating substantive content in formats such as case studies, testimonials, FAQs, educational videos, or whitepapers.
  • Building a digital footprint. If you want to be found by AI-driven queries, your online content must be “everywhere”. Make sure your business has consistent, accurate information across the web; on your site, on third-party directories, in reviews, on social channels, etc.

Final Thoughts: Trust Is Still the Ultimate Ranking Signal

We may be operating in a new frontier, but the rules of the game really haven’t changed. What prospective buyers are seeking when making a decision remains the same: clear, trustworthy information that helps them move forward with confidence.

Neil Patel, a highly respected expert on SEO and AI Search says “AI rewards high-trust, original content.”

Admittedly, just like SEO, there are best practices related to how your content must be structured, getting citations and where to place your content for maximum visibility and credibility with Large Language Models. We will address these issues in our next article.

But the bottom line is whether it’s Google in 2005 or ChatGPT in 2026, trust has always been, and will always be, the most powerful search signal there is.

So don’t get distracted by “so called experts” who try to make this more complicated than it needs to be. Stay focused on what matters; being committed to creating value-based content for your target audience in order to gain credibility and earn their trust.

Curious what AI search means for your marketing strategy? We’ll help you assess your current digital presence and identify where it needs to go, so you’re not guessing how these changes could impact your leads, visibility, or bottom line. Book a no-pressure conversation with our team today.

Ben Molfetta
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