The Marketing Companion The 7 Things Marketers Need to Know About AI Search
Jan 28, 2026
Andy Crestodina, co-founder and content strategy expert with 25 years in SEO, talks Generative Engine Optimization and AI-driven search. He contrasts GEO with traditional SEO. He explains why AI recommendations convert better, where AI sources answers, practical proof-point tactics, a prompt reverse-engineering hack, and a simple weekly action to start training AI toward your brand.
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Episode notes
AI Delivers Recommendations, Not Just Options
- AI search is shifting from offering options to giving explicit recommendations for users.
- That changes discoverability because recommendation outranks mere visibility.
AI-Referred Traffic Converts Better
- ChatGPT-originated traffic often converts at higher rates because users ask for curated top choices with explicit criteria.
- AI surfaces fewer, stronger vendor recommendations, so being recommended matters more than mere ranking.
Wikipedia And Reddit Hack
- Sandy Carter created a Wikipedia page and engaged on Reddit to influence AI sources after AI cited competitors from those sites.
- Those two quick actions noticeably improved her brand's appearance in AI outputs.
