A lot of people in the marketing world are saying that AI search optimization is the same as traditional SEO. They think nothing has changed and that if you’re good at SEO, you’re automatically good at AI search. This idea is spreading, and honestly, it’s a bit worrying because it’s just not true. Believing this could really hurt your business while others get ahead.
Think about it: 800 million people are using tools like ChatGPT to find information and decide what to buy. And over half of all searches now get an AI-powered answer. The message is pretty clear: if you want your business to be found, you need to be recommended by these AI tools. So why aren’t more people working on this? Well, some just haven’t thought about it yet. Others are stuck on the idea that AI search is just a new name for SEO. But that’s a dangerous myth.
At Exposure Ninja, we started looking into AI tools like ChatGPT back in late 2022. By early 2023, we were figuring out how to get websites recommended in Google’s AI Overviews, even before they were officially launched. For the last year and a half, we’ve been helping clients get noticed by AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, and we’ve seen a big jump in traffic from them. Through all this, we’ve learned that AI search optimization is definitely not the same as SEO.
Key Takeaways
- AI search optimization operates on different rules than traditional SEO.
- Top-ranking SEO sites don’t always appear in AI answers.
- AI tools sometimes answer questions without even searching the web.
- AI often pulls information from third-party sites, not directly from brand websites.
- Digital PR and earned media are key for influencing AI recommendations.
Proof That AI Search Is Different From SEO
We’ve got three solid reasons why AI search optimization is its own thing:
1. Top-Ranking Websites Aren’t Always Featured
Let’s look at a search for "Google market share." The top organic results might be sites like Stat Counter, Statista, Clatch, and Search Engine Land. But when you look at the AI overview, only Stat Counter shows up, and it’s at the very bottom, unlikely to get many clicks. Search Engine Land and Clatch aren’t even there.
Even for commercial searches, like "best USBC audio interface for shotgun mics," the top results might be Reddit, Music Radar, Sounder, and Andertons (a shop). But in the AI overview, Andertons and Sounder might be missing, and Reddit might not be there either. Only Music Radar might be visible.
This is good news for smaller sites. We’ve seen sites that don’t even rank on Google’s first page appear in AI overviews. In fact, about 40% of sites in AI overviews are actually on the second page of Google search results. So, while good SEO helps, it’s not enough on its own for AI visibility.
2. AI Sometimes Answers Without a Web Search
Sometimes, AI tools like ChatGPT can answer questions without even looking at the web. If you ask for "good sportswear brands that don’t look like barbecue dad," ChatGPT might just list brands like Lululemon, Nike ACG, and Adidas Y3 from its own knowledge base. Your perfectly optimized Reebok website won’t get a mention if ChatGPT doesn’t perform a web search for that specific query.
Traditional SEO has no effect on these kinds of answers.
3. AI Often Uses Third-Party Sources
Even when AI tools do search the web, they often don’t look at the brand’s own website for answers. If you ask for a "business bank for the renewables group," ChatGPT might recommend banks, but the sources it lists are usually third-party sites, not the banks’ own websites. This means all the SEO work a bank does on its own site might not matter for these AI recommendations.
We see AI tools pulling information from sites like TripAdvisor, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, Reddit, and Expedia. Each AI platform has its own preferences. ChatGPT might lean towards authority publications, while Perplexity might favor user-generated content from sites like TripAdvisor or Reddit.
Why SEO Still Matters, But Isn’t The Whole Story
So, is SEO dead? No, of course not. Many people still use traditional search engines, and SEO is as important as ever for that. SEO is also a starting point for AI search optimization. It helps increase the chances that AI tools will find information on your website when they do a web search.
However, AI acts as a layer between the user and the web. When you type a prompt into ChatGPT, it first checks its training data. If it needs more info, it might do one or multiple web searches. Google, for example, uses a "query fanout" technique, breaking down a query into many smaller ones, searching them, and then combining the results.
Even when AI searches the web, it might find information on your site (thanks to SEO), but it can also get information about your brand from other websites. This is where digital PR and getting featured on other sites become important. By ensuring a consistent message about your brand across the web, you make it easier for AI tools to relay that message to users.
Thinking AI optimization is just SEO is like an archer in World War I saying tank warfare is just like medieval warfare. It’s a dangerous oversimplification.
Some people are scared of these changes because they’re comfortable with how SEO works now. They want their existing knowledge to remain useful. But technology doesn’t wait for anyone’s feelings. If you don’t have a plan for AI search optimization, we can help.
Getting Started With AI Search Optimization
Exposure Ninja can help you create an AI search optimization plan. The first step is to request a free digital marketing review on our website. We’ll send you a personalized video showing you what you need to do to improve your visibility on AI tools, generate more leads, and increase sales. This service is free, and we usually send the video within two to three working days. Not everyone is eligible, so you do need to apply.
What do you think? Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments!
Rodney Laws is an ecommerce expert with over a decade of experience helping entrepreneurs build and grow online businesses. He specializes in reviewing ecommerce platforms, optimizing user experience, and guiding brands toward higher conversions. His insights have been published on leading industry sites including UsabilityGeek, G2, Spendesk, and PPC Hero.
As the editor at EcommercePlatforms.io, Rodney combines hands-on knowledge with clear, actionable advice to help business owners choose the right tools and strategies. When he’s not testing the latest software or analyzing trends, he’s sharing practical tips that make complex ecommerce decisions simple.
