3 steps you can take now to help get your brand into AI overviews

September 17, 2025 at 01:01 AM EDT

(BPT) - From the most experienced marketing and PR pros to the do-it-all-yourself small-business owners, the goal is often the same: get people to a website to learn more and ultimately become a customer.

Until recently, search engine optimization (SEO) was a winning strategy to get on the first page of a potential customer's online search. But the game has changed now that AI is rewriting the rules, leaving many businesses feeling invisible, according to a recent webinar, "Branded Content in the Era of AI & GEO: Myths, Truths & Trends."

Entering a visibility economy

People are discovering and trusting content using new tools and features like Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity. For example, type in a search and milliseconds later receive a handy AI summary with answers.

"This leads to a visibility economy," said Lisa Jilek, CEO at Brandpoint, a branded content company with a long history of paid media solutions. "In the current AI-driven landscape, being seen is more important, yet challenging, than ever. Now a key goal for businesses of all sizes is to get cited by AI."

AI Search is on track to surpass traditional SEO traffic by 2028, according to Semrush. And the average AI search visitor is 4.4 times as valuable, based on conversion rate, as the average visit from traditional organic search.

AI-enhanced search and AI overviews often contain link symbols and website citations. These are what the AI crawlers have deemed credible and pulled from to write the answer for the search query.

"People are no longer scrolling," said Jilek. "It's all about the AI summary and positioning your brand's information to be selected as credible and cited by the bots. This is what people are now seeing and interacting with online."

How to get into AI overviews

There is no one strategy that guarantees you show up in AI overviews. But you can do things to position your brand for success and make your content more appealing.

"AI is looking for credible content on high-quality websites to crawl in order to create its summaries," said Adam McBroom, Chief Technology Officer at Brandpoint. "You need to regularly put out content that is clear, topical, credible and readable by people and AI."

Woman online retail business owner creating content to direct traffic to her site.

How can you get started? Here are three steps to help you get into AI overviews:

Step 1: Create great content

No matter the type of digital content - press release, blog, sponsored content article, social media post - Jilek and McBroom said that in order to craft AI-friendly content, you should use:

Structured formats: Q&As, listicles and bylines with credible sources have the potential to get cited by AI engines more reliably.
Intent-rich angles: Create content that answers the questions people may ask online and solves the pain points of your customers.
Strong visuals: Infographics, listicles and videos engage audiences and send signals to AI algorithms.
Authentic voices: AI tools are getting better at identifying sources that are authentic and authoritative, plus people trust brands that are genuine.
Parsable snippets: Short, clear and well-formatted content is more likely to be surfaced and cited, especially when placed on multiple high-quality media sites.

Step 2: Publish on quality websites

Credibility is the quality of content as well as where that content appears. High-quality websites matter.

"For instance, an article on USA Today is more credible to AI crawlers because it's a long-standing news publication that many people use," McBroom explained. "Another example could be an established blog that has authority in a specific industry space."

"Credibility and consistency are important for AI search," added Jilek. "You can't go wrong with good content on credible websites. Do this regularly and you're not only appealing to AI, but you're building brand visibility and reputation for your target audiences as well."

Step 3: Use consistent messaging

Getting a reporter to cover a story that features your brand is challenging. Many communicators are now using a converged media strategy that balances earned placements (when a reporter covers your brand as part of a story) and paid placements (coverage with a cost) to help ensure a consistent stream of messaging.

Paid placements are unique because you can completely control the message, plus you get guarantees on where it will appear. Branded content refers to paid placements that are distributed on media sites, such as a sponsored article on a newspaper website or an infographic on a media page.

Does AI use branded content?

McBroom has observed that AI citations are referencing branded content, offering an opportunity for businesses.

"Brandpoint distributes branded content for clients on our network of high-quality publishing partners," McBroom said. "We're seeing client content appearing in AI summaries. AI crawlers are looking for credible content on credible websites. The value of those placements and frequency will reinforce a brand's message and goals."

Group of IT people writing computer code

Plus, many publishers now have partnerships and licensing agreements with AI companies, such as Perplexity AI with Gannett, which owns USA Today and more than 200 local publications.

AI overviews offer opportunity

While AI presents new challenges to businesses big and small, it also provides new opportunities.

"AI enhanced search and AI overviews provide a gigantic opportunity for brands, as consumers are learning online," said McBroom. "Later, when they do visit your website, they are further down the conversion funnel than traditional organic search. They come in more qualified and are closer to taking action."

To learn more about branded content and how it can be a part of your media planning strategy, visit Brandpoint.com.

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3 steps you can take now to help get your brand into AI overviews

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