SEO beyond the website: Winning visibility in the AI era
By DynamicSEO
When was the last time you clicked through from an AI-generated answer to a brand website?
These days, it’s rare – thanks to how AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews deliver information.
Visibility now means being referenced in trustworthy sources used by LLMs, far beyond your own website.
In this new environment, SEO teams can’t optimize everything on their own.
They need to evolve from executors to internal partners and consultants, working across content, product, PR, data, and engineering to influence visibility where your audience actually finds information.
Still not convinced? Continue reading to learn why SEO is now a company-wide strategy – and how your business should shift to stay competitive.
From ranking to referencing
The traditional SEO mindset focused on ranking, where ranking in Position 1 often meant claiming the lead.
Now, when users turn to ChatGPT, Perplexity, or AI Overviews for a recommendation, the answer is instant. No click-through needed.
To make things even more fun, the information in the AI answer is sourced from multiple sources across the web.
Your site might never appear, even when your brand is there.
And in this new reality, what matters is whether your brand, product, or perspective appears in the AI’s response.
This changes your optimization goals and calls for a complete strategic rethink.
In the AI era, a crucial part of your job as an SEO is shaping how the brand is talked about across ecosystems, not just how it performs on a SERP.
That means you also need to collaborate more closely with teams like content, comms, product marketing, data, and engineering.
Influencing AI visibility is now a shared responsibility.
Dig deeper: AI visibility: An execution problem in the making
Where AI tools look for information
The first step in building this new AI strategy is understanding where these tools source their answers and how they choose what to present in their answers.
A big part of this is still a black box.
Studies from Profound, Writesonic, XFunnel, or Rankscale have already provided some insights and lists of the current winners in the AI visibility race.
Here is a quick roundup of the most influential sources:
- Reddit’s dominance in AI results isn’t surprising, given its user-generated content and licensing deals with Google and OpenAI. (Even without a deal, Perplexity also favors the platform.)
- Monitor relevant threads and product mentions. Don’t push – participate where it makes sense.
Wikipedia
- Wikipedia’s strict policies and multi-layered reviews make it one of the most authoritative sites – a quality AI answer engines tend to favor.
- Ensure your brand or topic has accurate, well-cited mentions where appropriate. If possible, create your own Wikipedia page, but remember to follow all their guidance.
YouTube
- It’s surprising how often people forget YouTube is its own search engine, with a long-standing presence in Google results.
- The only new twist is how often its videos now appear in ChatGPT’s answers.
- Use clear headings, descriptive metadata, and transcripts to influence visibility in AI tools.
Quora and other subject-matter expert websites
- Forum sites like Quora, Stack Overflow, and other specialized communities are valuable for their subjective yet expert insights.
- Contribute answers under a verified profile where your brand has relevant expertise. Bonus: By contributing to these platforms, you also lay the foundations of your brand community.
- LinkedIn has earned its place among AI sources. It’s often cited for business-focused prompts that call for thought-leadership insights or practical tips.
- LinkedIn posts should be part of your content strategy. Use clear, direct language and original points of view. Post from profiles of people who can be your brand ambassadors.
Review platforms and marketplaces
- Websites like G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and other vertical-specific directories find a special place in AI answers, especially for commercial prompts when users are searching for a solution.
- Optimize your profiles on these platforms. Find other relevant platforms that you can join.
- With Google now indexing Instagram posts in some instances, its visual content may appear more often in AI Overviews, especially for local or consumer brands.
- Make sure your visual posts have well-optimized text around them (i.e., image alt tags and captions) and that your profile information is accurately optimized.
External media and listicles
- Be present in roundups, “best of” articles, and trusted publications. These links from external sources will build the perception of your brand in AI tools.
- Try to be present on external authoritative websites. Digital PR is now one of your winning strategies.
This list is far from exhaustive, but it shows that visibility depends on being referenced across many platforms and websites.
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How SEO can partner across the business to win AI visibility
Winning visibility in AI results isn’t something SEO can deliver alone.
If the goal is to get your brand cited in the sources AI tools trust, every department has a role to play – from content and comms to product marketing, PR, data, and engineering.
That means SEO’s role has to expand. It’s no longer just about optimizing owned pages. It’s about acting as an internal consultant:
- Shaping strategy.
- Advising on discoverability across platforms you don’t control.
- Getting involved early – before campaigns, product launches, or content go live.
Below are some examples of how SEO can work with other teams to win AI visibility.
Content teams: Building AI-friendly assets
- Identify topics and formats more likely to be cited in AI results (e.g., Reddit-friendly answers, FAQ sections, expert roundups, topic summaries).
- Optimize titles, structure, and metadata so content is easy for AI to summarize.
- Explore guest posting or repurposing blog content into Quora answers to earn high-authority mentions.
- Create original, customer-focused content AI models can easily interpret, such as listicles or use case articles tied to specific pain points.
What to expect: Platform-native ideas, structured feedback, and content that “travels” across channels.
Ideal outcome: Content that ranks in search and gets referenced in AI answers.
Dig deeper: Chunk, cite, clarify, build: A content framework for AI search
Product marketing: Strengthening discoverability through naming and positioning
- Provide search and AI insights when naming products or crafting key messages.
- Identify high-intent terms for inclusion in category listicles (e.g., “best tools for X”).
- Optimize profiles on relevant marketplaces like G2, Capterra, or niche platforms.
What to expect: SEO review of messaging and guidance on boosting visibility in third-party channels.
Ideal outcome: Products that appear in AI-powered recommendations.
PR and comms: Securing AI-trusted coverage
- Suggest story angles and topics already driving search interest.
- Target high-authority publications that LLMs tend to favor.
- Ensure mentions and backlinks are structured in ways AI can parse.
- Test pitching to publications that frequently surface in your category’s AI answers.
What to expect: Search-backed media ideas and domain recommendations.
Ideal outcome: PR wins that work for awareness and AI discoverability.
Dig deeper: Why PR is becoming more essential for AI search visibility
Research teams: Turning insights into AI citations
- Present findings with clear headlines, quotable stats, and concise summaries.
- Focus on questions that fill search gaps or align with trending topics.
- Optimize research landing pages for external pickup and sharing.
- Test posting key stats on LinkedIn to see if they surface in AI summaries.
What to expect: Editorial guidance to package research for maximum pickup.
Ideal outcome: Data that’s cited by journalists, bloggers, and AI tools.
Engineering: Keeping your site AI-ready
- Maintain fast, crawlable, indexable pages.
- Implement structured data, LLMs.txt, or IndexNow for improved bot access.
- Monitor technical health continuously, not just during audits.
What to expect: Clear technical priorities and diagnostics.
Ideal outcome: A site that search engines and AI models can easily find, parse, and trust.
Customer teams: Surfacing credible proof
- Identify and amplify high-value customer testimonials.
- Prioritize third-party review platforms that appear in AI answers.
- Check how your brand is mentioned in Reddit threads or category discussions.
What to expect: Guidance on which customer stories and channels will have the most AI impact.
Ideal outcome: Authentic social proof that AI can pull into relevant answers.
These partnerships work best when SEO teams are embedded early, helping shape campaigns and assets before they’re launched – not after.
The cost of not evolving
When your brand isn’t discoverable, growth quietly stalls. No leads. No pipeline. No presence where decisions are made.
And it rarely looks like failure – it looks like missed potential.
You might be ranking well, but a competitor is the one showing up in AI summaries, Reddit threads, YouTube explainers, and review listicles.
You might launch a great product, but if it’s named in a way no one searches for, it won’t surface where it should.
You might publish valuable research, but if it’s not structured or distributed for AI to reference, it stays invisible.
This is what it means to fall behind today: not being part of the answer when the answer is generated.
Dig deeper: From search to answer engines: How to optimize for the next era of discovery
Start small, shift smart
Visibility today is about being referenced by AI tools. That means showing up on platforms you don’t own and in conversations you didn’t start.
Traditional SEO still matters, but it’s too focused on owned sites.
Start small:
- Choose two or three platforms where your audience is active – Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram.
- Test simple actions like improving transcripts or joining relevant threads.
At the same time, shift how your SEO team works:
- Join earlier conversations.
- Partner with other teams.
- Influence visibility wherever it can be won.
The goal isn’t to overhaul everything – it’s to evolve.
