Since November 30, 2022 (the public arrival of ChatGPT), the way people discover, compare, and decide has shifted. AI assistants entered the mix, user behavior sped up, and whole purchase journeys now happen in fewer clicks. Google still owns the lion’s share of search, but AI discovery and social search are shaping what buyers see first.
To help marketers adapt, we published JDM’s Manual for AI Search Success. It collects what we have learned from real client work and distills it into a five-phase framework you can run as sprints or end to end.
If you do not have time for the full guide and want the highlights to skim and bookmark, start here:
The five phases at a glance
1. Optimize for LLM and AI SEO
Structure your content so large language models can easily understand it. Use consistent phrasing, schema markup, and clear page layouts. Create FAQs, comparison tables, and long-form content that answers high-intent queries. This helps AI engines retrieve your content with confidence.
2. Build authority where models look
Increase your brand’s visibility by showing up in sources that AI models recognize as credible. This includes analyst reports, high-traffic blogs, and thought leadership on platforms like LinkedIn. Focus on original research, co-branded content, and expert features that confirm your status in the industry.
3. Earn inclusion in AI answers
Ensure your brand appears alongside competitors when users ask AI tools for recommendations. List your products on review sites and databases that models scan. Publish comparison pages, contribute to Wikidata, and pursue analyst insights that mention your offering in side-by-side formats.
4. Earn brand mentions in communities
Strengthen your presence in places that AI tools monitor. Get involved in Q&A sites like Reddit and Quora. Equip your subject matter experts with profiles and talking points. Share case studies and insights in discussions that lead to credible brand mentions in the public domain.
5. Publish citable assets that compound
Invest in content that compounds over time. This includes benchmarks, surveys, and research-backed insights that others cite regularly. Submit to journals and create industry reports that are structured for reuse by models and real people alike. The goal is to build authority that lasts.
Start with the phase that blocks growth today. Run the checklist. Stack the next phase. For proof this works in the wild, see our Babyletto case study for the exact changes and results.
You can also let us know if you want help applying these ideas to your brand.