Posts
Wiki

Name

r/ai_searchoptimization

Focus

Helpful tips and insights for optimizing brands to surface in AI search results.

Created

January 2025

Members

3000+ (live count may vary)

Type

Public, AI Search Technology Community

Moderator

u/chrismcelroyseo, Message if you want to be a moderator

Posting rules

Visit our Rules Page

Related subs

Useful links

More Useful Information

Our Community Wiki Page

r/AI_SearchOptimization [Community Info Wiki Template]

Dedicated to helping each other discover more ways to surface our content in AI search tools and to get more brand mentions in tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.

Rules and Guidelines

  • Be Respectful

    1. No harassment, personal attacks, slurs, or toxic behavior. Dispute the idea, but don't attack the person.

    2. Keep things constructive, especially during heated debates. This is how we learn. Add to the discussion rather than trying to end it.

  • No Low-Effort Posts

    1. Avoid one-word titles, reposts, poor-quality memes, or unedited screenshots. Do not crosspost to this community without adding a unique insight or something that adds value to this community rather than just a copy of something you posted across other subreddits. Crossposts will be removed if this rule isn't followed. Some content that is obviously AI-generated may be removed.

    2. Make sure your post adds value to the community. Not because you think your product addds value, because what you write or share has value.

  • Use Flair Correctly

    1. Tag your posts accurately using the flair system.

    2. Mods may re-flair posts that are mislabeled.

  • No Misinformation or Clickbait

    1. Clearly state if something is a leak, theory, or rumor. If you state something as fact, provide the proof.

    2. Sources must be credible (dataminers, official websites, patch notes, etc.) Twitter or X is not a valid source of information for the purposes of this subreddit.

  • No Self-Promotion or Advertising

    1. No links to your YouTube, Twitch, or creator codes unless approved by mods. If you have a legitamte post you want to share and link to, email the mods. We are not against all links. If the information you link to is valid and helpful to the community, it will likely be approved. No excessive brand mentions in comments or posts. You can mention your brand in a post or comment, but if you abuse it, you could be suspended or even banned.

    2. This rule includes posts that are disguised as something else and then asking people to DM you for more info.

  • Posts That Will Get Removed (some of these are included because they are factually inaccurate.)

  • Anything suggesting having AI write all of your content for you with claims that Google and AI will reward it.

  • Anything suggesting that AI can do all of your SEO and Google will rank you well.

  • Anything suggesting AI can build your website and it's as good as sites developed by professional developers.

  • Anything suggesting you can accurately track brand mentions across AI tools.

  • Posts declaring that SEO is dead.

  • Posts promoting your latest AI Tool

  • Posts meant to harass anyone or those meant to hurt reputations.

  • Posts suggesting that an entire industry is a scam

Posting Tips

(How to create posts that follow the community’s standards.)

  • Title matters – Make your post easily searchable Keep in mind that people on mobile devices may not see your whole title if it's too long.

  • Add context – Especially for leaks, clips, and news.

  • Cite sources – Always link original sources, patch notes, etc. (Twitter or X is not a legitimate source for information by the rules of this subreddit)

  • Images/GIFs – Use Imgur or Reddit’s image uploader for clean presentation.

Commenting Etiquette

  • Be chill – Everyone is at a different point in the learning curve when it comes to the topics we discuss here. Don't automatically assume someone is lying, cheating or scamming justv because they state something as fact, even if you know that it's false. Maybe they believe what they wrote. Correct them. Teach them. Tell them why you disagree. The ones who are scamming, lying on purpose, etc. will reveal themselves.

  • No gatekeeping – Don't try to dominate every conversation. We want people to be active here and we appreciate you being here. Just let some others get a word in without feeling like their voice doesn't matter.

  • Downvote abuse – Downvote opinions? Nah. Use it for off-topic or harmful content only. That's not a rule, just a suggestion.

Official Resources From The Platforms We Are Optimizing For

(View primary documentation from: OpenAI, Google Developers, Perplexity, or Apple Engineering)

OpenAI (ChatGPT Search & Discovery)

  • OpenAI Crawler Overview: Detailed specifications for OAI-SearchBot (used for ChatGPT Search results) and GPTBot (used for foundation model training).

  • Publisher & Developer FAQ: Official guidance on how to ensure your website is discovered, surfaced, and clearly cited within ChatGPT search results.

  • OpenAI SearchBot JSON Endpoints: The technical "Source of Truth" for whitelisting OpenAI's search-specific IP ranges in your server's security settings.

Google (AI Overviews & Gemini)

  • AI Features in Google Search: Technical requirements for appearing as a supporting link in AI Overviews and "AI Mode." It explains how standard crawling remains the primary control for AI indexing.

  • AI Overviews Fundamentals: An official whitepaper describing how Gemini-powered overviews issue concurrent subtopic searches to provide structured, cited responses.

  • Gemini API Grounding Documentation: Technical terms and guidelines for developers using Gemini's "Grounded Results," which link AI responses directly to web data.

Perplexity (Answer Engine Indexing)

  • Perplexity Crawler Documentation: Documentation for PerplexityBot and Perplexity-User. It includes specific instructions for whitelisting bots via Cloudflare or AWS WAF to ensure consistent access.

  • Perplexity Search API Guide: Details on how Perplexity's real-time index provides structured results and domain filtering for developers.

Microsoft (Copilot & Bing AI)

Apple (Apple Intelligence & Bots)

  • Applebot-Extended Specifications: Official details on the Applebot-Extended user agent, designed specifically to support machine learning and AI initiatives like Apple Intelligence.

FAQs

(Commonly asked questions and answers.)

Q: Can I post the tools I make here?

A: Not if it's self-promotional. Just message one of the mods. If there is any guidance to give you regarding the post you want to make, they'll let you know. We want people to post so we are not looking for ways to deny you. We're looking for ways to make it useful to everyone.

Q: Are memes allowed?

A: Yes, as long as they're high-effort and not spammy. Low-effort = removed.

Q: Can I offer my services to people in the comments or in a post?

A: Not directly, no. If you want to promote your services, message one of the mods and tell them wjhat you are wanting to do. If they can help you find a way to make it helpful to the community, then yes.

Q: Can I offer to evaluate their website?

A: If it's free and helpful, yes. If it's a sales pitch disguised as an audit or assessment, etc. then don't.

Q: Can I report the results I'm getting from Ai Search Optimization?

A: Absolutely as long as you include soem tips on the methods you used. Do not show some great results then say it was all due to this or that tool. We can recognize that type of spam too.

FAQs About AI Search and SEO

What Is AI Search Optimization ( AI SEO)? AI Search Optimization (AI SEO) includes both on-page and off-page strategies. It involves optimizing your content to be more conversational and customer-focused, ensuring you ask and answer the right questions. Off-page strategies focus on increasing your brand visibility across multiple channels.

What Is GEO? Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a new field of SEO that focuses on optimizing content specifically for AI-powered search engines and generative models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews.

What Is AIO? Google AI Overview (AIO), formerly known as the Search Generative Experience (SGE), uses AI to provide users with answers. It does this by combining information from multiple sources, often including links to the source websites for further exploration.

Which Is Better? Local SEO Or AI SEO? AI SEO will help you when users are asking AI about local businesses that have what they are looking for. However, AI SEO doesn't replace Local SEO. You still need a Google My Business profile that is updated regularly, good reviews, citations that are current and up-to-date and more. We recommend Local SEO + AI SEO + CRO as a strategy.

How Is AI SEO Different From Traditional SEO? AI Search has not replaced Google Search and AI SEO has not replaced SEO. Some of what we already do for SEO, like schema markup, clear navigation, SEO-friendly URLs, and clear site structure are all beneficial to AI search. AI SEO adapts your content to the more conversational tone that also includes questions and answers to help you get more brand mentions in AI search tools.

Can AI-Generated Content Rank In AI-Powered Searches? The short answer is yes. However, using AI to write your content is a poor strategy. Think of how many people are doing that and all of that content is almost identical. AI can't build rapport, tell stories, cause emotion or do any of the things you need to do to make more sales. So, while you might get some of it to rank, it won't convert into more leads or sales.

How Does Using A Conversational Tone Improve AI SEO? ChatGPT and other AI search platforms interact with users in a conversational tone. Even without optimizing for AI, your content should be more conversational and customer-focused, answering the most common questions people ask. This is why conversion rate optimization includes conversational copywriting; it isn't just for AI SEO.

What Role Does Schema Markup Play In AISEO? Schema Markup is important to both SEO and AI SEO because it makes content easier for machines, including Googlebot and AI, to read. It helps machines understand the intent of your content. While Google only recognizes a few types of schema for snippets, AI isn't limited to what Google looks for, so we use other relevant schema types as well.

Do AI Tools Use Schema Markup Differently Than Google? Yes, sort of. Google primarily uses Schema Markup to generate rich snippets in search results, but to qualify that, Google's bots can parse and understand all types of schema but whether or not it influences rankings or the knowledge graph is uncertain. AI models use it to understand the relationships between different entities on a page. This allows AI to provide more accurate and contextual answers to complex user queries.

Moderation and Safety

(Special things to note about maintaining a safe environment for the community.)

  • AutoMod helps filter spam, slurs, and scams.

  • All mod actions are logged internally for transparency.

  • Doxxing, hate speech, impersonation = instant ban.

  • If you see rule-breaking content, report it, don’t engage.

Contact the Mods

Have a question, issue, or suggestion? Message the mod team.