Follow a Strategic, Systematic Approach
Moving from understanding to action requires a systematic approach that addresses both immediate opportunities and long-term positioning. Input from expert sources helps to suggest several steps marketers can take as they work to ensure their website content is optimized for both SEO and AI-driven search.
Laying the foundation
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)
Begin with a content audit and solid technical foundation. George Bates, SEO manager at Fluid Ideas, recommends: “Audit current content for AI compatibility and optimization opportunities. Structure content clearly with headings, FAQs, and schema for easy extraction by AI and search engines.”
Content should be optimized to be easily understood and summarized by AI, Bates says. He also advises marketers to “prioritize EAT—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust—which AI uses to find trustworthy sources.”
Content Audit Questions:
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- Does each page answer a specific question AI users might ask?
- Are key points able to be summarized in 40 words or less?
- Do headings reflect natural language queries?
- Is expertise clearly attributed and credentials visible?
- Are there FAQ sections addressing common questions?
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Technical Foundation Setup:
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- Implement basic schema markup.
- Add author bios with clear expertise indicators.
- Create site-wide FAQ sections for common industry questions.
- Optimize existing meta descriptions for AI summarization.
- Add TL;DR summaries to long-form content.
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Phase 2: Content Transformation (Months 2-3)
Transform existing content for dual optimization. Danielle Birriel, founder of D&D SEO Services, outlines the approach: “Build entity authority, not just backlinks. Pursue mentions in high-signal sources LLMs crawl—local news, niche forums, Wikipedia, industry glossaries. Reinforce consistency across GBP, social profiles, and citation directories.”
Content Restructuring Process:
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- Reframe headings as conversational questions.
- Add concise answers before detailed explanations.
- Include original data and expert insights.
- Create content series that demonstrate deep expertise.
- Update older content with fresh information and current dates.
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Authority Signal Development:
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- Identify industry publications that accept expert contributions.
- Develop relationships with relevant podcast hosts.
- Engage in professional community discussions.
- Share insights on platforms where your audience is active.
- Create original research worth citing.
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Phase 3: Advanced Optimization (Months 4-6)
Focus on sophisticated strategies for long-term positioning. Raju Dandigam, engineering manager with Navan, emphasizes the importance of a systematic approach: “Content teams need to inspect their most popular material on a regular basis to update statistics along with examples and language usage. The combination of a genuine update timestamp with a date display has become more important for both AI tools and human readers to trust the content.”
Advanced Content Strategies:
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- Develop industry-specific frameworks and methodologies.
- Create comprehensive resource hubs on key topics.
- Build content series that establish thought leadership.
- Publish quarterly industry reports or trend analyses.
- Collaborate with other experts on authoritative content.
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Multi-Platform Presence:
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- Guest author for industry publications.
- Participate in expert roundtables and panels
- Contribute to industry research and white papers.
- Engage with journalist queries through platforms like Qwoted.
- Build relationships with industry influencers and thought leaders.
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The Strategic Implication: Success requires systematic execution across content, technical, and authority-building initiatives, with regular assessment and iteration based on performance across both traditional and AI search channels.
Interested in learning more? Download our free whitepaper “What You Need to Know (and Do) About AI-Driven Search” with strategies and tips from Strategic Communications and other digital marketing experts.
(Strategic Communications is a Qwoted affiliate. Right now, it’s the only app/product we’re an affiliate of. Why? Because in our work, we find it to be the most reliable for finding and vetting sources that are relevant to the work we’re doing, and for reaching out to journalists and reporters to get PR for ourselves and our clients. Highly recommend! Use code LINDA for $50 off your first month.)