As new “shiny” technologies promise unprecedented automation and simplicity, AI is no longer just for early adopters. The role it now plays in how people search the web (and discover your business) is undeniable.  

As the arms race for brand positioning in the rapidly changing digital marketing landscape has begun, here are some key takeaways to help you prepare for what’s ahead at the intersection of search engine optimization and artificial intelligence.  

1. How to track mentions and rankings in AI searches

With traditional rank tracking, you choose what you want to measure. This might be your website’s domain, a specific folder or an exact page, along with the keywords you want to follow. Over time, you can see how your site moves up or down in search results for certain locations.

These changes might happen because your content gets better or because search engines update their algorithms.

Some SEO tools now offer a similar feature for AI searches, like the questions people type into Gemini or ChatGPT. Instead of tracking standard keywords, these tools track custom questions such as: “SEO expertise near me” or “Give me a list of the top 5 most experienced digital marketing agencies near me.”

These tools can track how often and how well you show up in these AI-generated answers.

Along with tracking AI queries, WRL can also help you:

• Detect when Google’s AI Overviews (AIO/SGE) show up for your keywords
• Show whether your website is cited, linked or mentioned in the AI answers
• Record past visibility so you can see how your AI presence changes over time
• Analyze which competitors are being cited and which pages the AI prefers

 2. Does llms.txt help you show up in AI searches? 

The llms.txt standard was proposed in late 2024 as a sort of “robots.txt for AI,” which means it let sites tell AI tools how their content can be used for training or generating answers. This has since picked up some steam among the SEO community. 

So, what’s the big picture view? 

• Not many websites are using it yet. One study using NerdyData found that as of mid-2025, only about 951 websites had an llms.txt file, a miniscule fraction of the web. (1) 
• Early adopters tend to be Tech-heavy, AI-adjacent brands and rarely mainstream B2B or B2C sites. 

The more important question: Does it help you rank or be cited in AI answers? 

Right now, most evidence says no: 

• Big AI companies like Google, OpenAI, and Meta do not officially support or use llms.txt. Google has even said they don’t look at it for AI Overviews, and that normal SEO best practices still matter the most. (2) 
• Experts say llms.txt is still just a proposed idea, not something that actually affects AI search visibility today.

Some AI-SEO practitioners argue that llms.txt might be helpful in future use cases, positioning it similarly to “cheap optional insurance.” 

But overall, most experts agree that llms.txt is more about transparency and rules than rankings. Creating a long llms.txt file that explains everything about your business is unlikely to make your brand show up more in AI Overviews or chat answers right now.

If your team is short on time or resources, focus on the digital strategies that are proven to improve your results in AI platforms.

3. How to help your business to show up in AI searches

AI Overviews and AI answer tools still lean heavily on the same things that regular Google search uses. Studies show that Google’s AI Overviews mostly quote or link to pages that already rank in the top 10 search results—especially pages that are trustworthy and give clear, well-structured answers. (3)

So, the best way to “optimize for AI” is to focus on what has always mattered: Be the most credible, clear and helpful source in your in your area of business – the same as you would traditionally. Here’s how:

a) Showcase longevity and real-world credibility 

AI systems are believed to favor E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) the same way traditional search engines do. 

Make it obvious that you’re a stable, trustworthy business: 

• Prominently feature “years in business,” milestones and major clients on your About and key service pages. 
• Create team bios that highlight certifications, industry tenure, speaking gigs and publications. 
• Ensure your legal and trust pages (privacy policy, terms, safety standards (certifications) are up to date and easily crawlable. 

These cues help both classic ranking and AI systems decide you’re a credible source. 

b) Promote awards, reviews and customer success 

AI answer engines lean heavily on sources that reflect user trust and independent validation: 

• Actively grow and manage reviews on platforms that often appear in AI Overviews for your space (e.g., Google Business Profile, industry directories, Houzz etc. depending on your business type). 
• Turn your case studies into well-structured pages: clear problem, solution, measurable results and quotes. 
• Use schema markup (Article, Local Business, Review, FAQ, Product, etc.) so AI systems can easily parse ratings, locations and service specifics. 

 When AI engines look for “who actually delivers results here,” you want your brand to be surrounded by proof. 

c) Publish real thought leadership, not keyword fluff 

AI models are trained to recognize depth and topical authority, not just repeated keywords: 

• Build pillar pages for your core topics (comprehensive pages covering your products and services in significant detail).
• Lead with clear, direct answers to questions pertinent to your business at the top of secondary FAQ pages, then expand. This “inverted pyramid” structure makes it easier for AI systems to grab concise, accurate snippets. 

d) Make your content AI-friendly from a technical standpoint 

Technical positioning for AI runs parallel with traditional best practices: 

• Fast, mobile-friendly pages with clear headings and semantic HTML 
• Descriptive title tags and meta descriptions that match search intent 
• Structured data where relevant (FAQ, How-To, Product, Local Business) 
• Clear Q&A-style sections that map to how people actually phrase AI queries (“How do I…” + “Where can I find…”) 

Get started understanding AI searches for your business

If you combine authority signals with customer validation and technically structured content, you will be effectively optimized for both classic SEO and the AI layer that is now on top of it.

Finding the prospect of adjusting positioning your business for the future of AI search to be intimidating? The digital experts at WRL Advertising can give you an honest assessment of where you sit in the eyes of the most used AI platforms.

Talk to us today.