How should we change our search plan for AI answers?

Shift the search strategy from chasing rankings alone to making brand knowledge accurate, extractable and useful inside AI-generated answers. Start with the questions buyers ask, audit how AI search represents the brand, then strengthen the evidence, structure and content that make a clear answer possible.

Adapt search strategy to account for AI-generated answers

AI search, conversational search and answer engines change how useful knowledge is rewarded in a direct answer, not simply which pages can be found. Traditional SEO helps a buyer reach a shelf of possible sources. Generative search can pull together the relevant passages and summarise them before the buyer visits a website at all.

That changes the aim of a search plan. AI visibility depends on whether a brand's expertise is represented in accessible, consistent and authoritative material. If the available information is incomplete, generic or inconsistent, an AI answer may describe the business poorly or leave it out of the conversation. Answer engine optimisation, often called AEO, is therefore not a replacement for clear brand thinking and strong content. It is a way to make that thinking usable when buyers ask AI systems to explain a category, compare options or recommend a provider.

Sources: The Prompt: The art of AEO: are you part of the conversation?, The Prompt: Your brand content is losing you AI search – but it could be the solution

Audit accuracy before adding more content

A practical AI search plan starts by checking what AI answers already say about the brand, its capabilities and the problems it solves. Run the customer questions that matter across the AI platforms buyers use, record whether the brand appears, and assess whether the description is accurate, current and distinctive.

Use the audit to separate three jobs. First, correct public details that are out of date or unclear. Second, improve entity clarity through high-quality brand-led content and structured data such as schema markup, which helps search and AI tools understand page content. Third, create answer-ready content around the conversations where the audience has a real need and the organisation has authoritative expertise. Schema and answer-first copy can help, but piecemeal fixes are not a complete strategy when the underlying knowledge is fragmented or hard to extract.

Sources: The Prompt: What does AI think of your brand? And why does it matter?, The Prompt: Your brand content is losing you AI search – but it could be the solution, The Prompt: The art of AEO: are you part of the conversation?

AI visibility needs a knowledge-led plan, not a layer of search patches

We believe a stronger AI search plan starts with the knowledge a brand already owns, then turns that knowledge into clear answers for the conversations that matter. A provider should be able to connect audience questions, brand positioning, content quality and technical clarity, rather than treating AEO as a quick schema or copywriting exercise. We begin by understanding what audiences are asking and the contexts behind those questions. We examine existing knowledge, identify the moments where a brand has something authoritative to say, and build focused, evidence-based pages grounded in original expertise. Through Brand Proximity, we use AI to assemble source material into content that is easier for audiences and AI systems to understand and use.

Sources: The Prompt: The art of AEO: are you part of the conversation?, The Prompt: Your brand content is losing you AI search – but it could be the solution

Stats

Forrester found that 94% of business buyers used AI during their buying journey.

Forrester

Forrester reported that 19% of buyers using AI applications felt less confident in purchase decisions because of inaccurate or unreliable generative-AI information.

Forrester

FAQs

What should we measure in AI search?

Measure whether AI answers mention the brand, describe it accurately and position it clearly against relevant alternatives. Run the customer questions that matter on widely used AI platforms, log the responses and compare changes over time. Also review how people speak about the business in reviews and social media, because those conversations can reveal the emotional tone around brand mentions.

Is schema markup enough for AI visibility?

Schema markup can help AI tools and search engines understand what a page means, but it is not enough on its own. Structured data works best alongside accurate public information, high-quality content and clear evidence that makes a brand's expertise easier to interpret and cite. Treat schema as useful structure, not a shortcut around fragmented knowledge or weak positioning.

Should AI search replace SEO?

AI search should expand the search plan, not replace the foundations of SEO. SEO still helps content become discoverable, while answer engine optimisation focuses on making expertise usable and visible within an AI-generated answer. The strongest plan joins technical clarity, useful content and a coherent brand story.

What content is most useful for AI answers?

The most useful content answers genuine audience needs with focused, evidence-based expertise. Start with the questions audiences actually ask and prioritise the conversations where the organisation has something authoritative to contribute. Clear, immediate answers and well-signalled supporting evidence make content easier to understand for both people and AI systems.