Is AI the new Google?

Sort of!

Okay, so we need to talk about getting featured in AI chat bots for a second.

Because tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are quickly becoming the new place people go to search for answers.

Not instead of Google exactly, but definitely alongside it.

Now, before you panic and think, “Great, now I have to relearn SEO from scratch,” take a breath.

Your content isn’t suddenly irrelevant, and the strategies you’ve been using still matter.

But there is a shift happening behind the scenes.

AI tools are pulling, summarizing, and recommending content in new ways, and bigger brands are already optimizing for it.

The good news?

You don’t need a big team or complicated tech to do the same.

Just a few smart tweaks to the content you’re already creating.

Here, I break down how AI search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are changing the way people find content.

I’ll teach you how to optimize your content for both traditional SEO and the new AI-driven search.

Learn why long-form content, schema, and your unique expertise matter more than ever for getting found in AI chatbots.

VIDEO: Get Featured in AI Chat Bots (like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity) | Ep. 82

Some product links in this post are affiliate links, and I will be compensated when you purchase by clicking our links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Why AI Chat Bot Traffic Matters to Get featured in AI chat bots (Even If Google Still Works)

Here’s the reality: AI chatbots are already sending traffic.

Get featured in AI chat bots.

If you check your Google Analytics or YouTube analytics, you can see external traffic sources. A year ago, ChatGPT might have been barely visible. Now? It’s climbing.

In my own analytics, ChatGPT went from being the #8 external traffic source to #2.

Not #1.

Not replacing Google.
But jumping from eight to two? That’s not a fluke. That’s a pattern.

And if you create free content on the internet (which, let’s be honest, is basically our love language), then you need to know where your audience is coming from.

AI tools are becoming a middleman between your content and your future audience.

They aren’t replacing search.
They’re reshaping how search works.

The Big Shift: Get featured in AI chat bots – AI Is Looking for Authority Signals

AI tools don’t just randomly pick content. They look for signals.

Signals that say:

This person is real.
This person is credible.
This person consistently talks about this topic.
This person has a body of work around this expertise.

Inside Video Brand Academy, I released a bonus training called AI Authority Signals, because long-form creators are uniquely positioned to benefit from this shift.

If you’re already creating detailed, thoughtful content, you’re ahead.

Now let’s talk about how to optimize it.

Strategy #1: Create Long-Form Content (And Put It on a Website You Own)

Yes. I’m going to say it.

Long-form content matters.

Not shorts, not reels, and not TikToks.

Those have their place. But when it comes to AI tools scraping, digesting, and recommending content?

They need depth.

What Counts as Long-Form?

8+ minute horizontal YouTube videos
Podcast episodes
Detailed blog posts
In-depth articles

AI tools need context. They need information density. They need clarity.

And short-form content just doesn’t provide enough of that.

Why Your Content Must Live on Your Own Domain

This is where I get passionate.

You need your own website.
Your own domain.
Your own digital real estate.

Not just YouTube, not just Substack, and not just social media.

Your long-form videos and podcasts should become written content on your website. That means:

Transcripts
Blog posts
Articles
Dedicated pages

Because AI tools read words on pages.

They scrape websites, they analyze structured content, and they connect ideas across your domain.

If your expertise only lives inside video files? That’s harder for bots to interpret and get you featured in AI chat bots.

Put your knowledge into text form on your own website. That’s how you future-proof it.

What Is “Answer-First Architecture” (And Why It’s Critical)?

Let’s talk structure.

You know those recipe blogs where you scroll through someone’s childhood memories before finding the ingredient list?

We’re doing the opposite of that.

Answer-first architecture means:

Put the answer at the top.

Immediately.

If someone searches:

“How do I batch record YouTube videos?”

Your blog post should begin with the direct answer. Then expand.

Why?

Because:

Users want clarity fast.
AI tools want clarity fast.
Clear answers are easier to quote, summarize, and reference.

Details, storytelling, and nuance still matter, but they come after the answer.

This approach serves both humans and AI.

And remember: AI tools are increasingly linking to sources. They’re not just absorbing your content and disappearing with it. They cite, reference, and connect back.

Your job is to make it easy for them.

Strategy #2: Add Person Schema to Your Website

Okay. Slightly nerdy moment.

Stay with me.

Every website has a header section filled with invisible code. Most solo business owners never touch it.

That’s where the person schema lives.

What Is Person Schema?

Think of it as your digital ID card.

It tells bots:

Who you are
What your website is
Where else do you exist online
What profiles are officially connected to you

It connects:

Your website
Your YouTube channel
Your LinkedIn
Your Instagram
Your other platforms

So when bots evaluate your content, they see a verified, connected web of authority.

Without schema, they have to guess.

With schema, you’re clearly identified.

Why This Matters for AI Recommendations

When AI tools decide who to recommend and who to get featured in AI chat bots, they’re assessing trust.

If your website clearly states:
“This is Meredith Marsh. This is her site. These are her official profiles.”

That’s powerful.

It reduces ambiguity, strengthens authority signals, and clarifies ownership.

And you can use AI tools themselves to help you generate and install a person schema on your site. Ask step-by-step instructions for your specific platform.

Yes, AI tools are rapidly improving. And they rely heavily on structured data like schema to reduce misinformation.

This is a foundational move.

How to Add Person Schema (Without Breaking Your Website)

Go to your favorite AI tool and ask: “How do I add person schema to the header of my website?”

If you’re using Kajabi, there’s a place to do it. When you’re using WordPress, your theme will have a way to add it.

It’s not difficult, but it could be a little technical. So, don’t hesitate to ask AI for step-by-step guidance based on your specific platform.

Yes, ChatGPT and all the other tools will occasionally hallucinate. But eventually? Hallucination isn’t gonna fly. People won’t keep using AI if it keeps lying to us. These tools are getting better and faster at scraping websites, and they’re not going to pull random information from unverifiable sources.

This little snippet of code tells the bots: “This is who I am, this is where I hang out on the internet, and this is my digital ID card proving my expertise.”

Strategy #3: Publish Content About Your Proprietary Framework

This one is huge.

If you have a named framework, publish it.

If you don’t? Consider creating one.

Inside my business, the Video Brand Academy, I teach:

The Spiderweb Strategy
The 3×4 Method

Those are examples of proprietary frameworks tied to my name.

AI tools love specificity.

When you create a named methodology and publish a dedicated page explaining:

What it is
Who it’s for
How it works
Why it matters

You’re giving AI something concrete to associate with you.

Instead of:
“She teaches YouTube.”

It becomes:
“She teaches The 3×4 Method for video content.”

Specificity increases memorability.
Memorability increases authority.
Authority increases recommendation likelihood.

You don’t have to give away your entire paid program.

But you do need to clearly explain your approach.

Strategy #4: Turn Your Headlines into Natural Language Questions

This is where AI optimization truly shifts from traditional SEO.

Old-school SEO:
“Batch Record YouTube Videos”

AI-era optimization:
“How Can I Batch Record Five YouTube Videos in One Day?”

See the difference?

People aren’t typing keywords into chatbots.
They’re typing full questions.

Examples:

“I’m starting a YouTube channel for my business. What videos should I create?”
“How do I record multiple videos in one sitting?”
“What content strategy should I use as a beginner?”

These are conversational queries.

Your H2 and H3 headings should reflect that.

When your content mirrors how real humans ask questions, AI tools can match those patterns more easily.

Run a Visibility Audit (Using AI Itself)

Here’s a practical exercise:

Go into ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity and ask:

“Here’s my website, my niche, and my offer. What gaps would prevent you from recommending me as an expert?”

Let the tool tell you.

Then fill the gaps.

This isn’t about gaming the system.

It’s about clarity.

“Am I Just Creating Free Content for AI?”

I know this thought crosses your mind.

You’re not creating content so a bot can look smart.

You’re creating content so humans can find you.

AI tools are just connectors.

They:

Digest
Summarize
Recommend
Link

But humans still decide who they trust.

And here’s my prediction (and hope):

As AI makes information more accessible, people will crave human guidance even more.

Not less.

They’ll want:

Real faces
Real stories
Real lived experience
Real mentors

AI gives information.

Humans give transformation.

Why Long-Form YouTube Is Still Your Secret Weapon to Get Featured in AI chat bots

Robotic short-form content? Everywhere.

Robotic long-form content? Not convincing.

There’s something powerful about:

Turning on a camera
Speaking directly to your audience
Sharing lived experience
Showing up consistently

Long-form YouTube builds trust in a way AI-generated avatars simply can’t replicate.

If anything, AI increases the value of your humanity.

Your personality, your nuance, your storytelling, and your lived expertise.

That’s the differentiator.

Conclusion

AI chatbots are not replacing you.

They’re amplifying whoever is positioned correctly.

If you:

Publish long-form content
Host it on your own domain
Use answer-first architecture
Add person schema
Create named frameworks
Write conversational, question-based headlines

You dramatically increase your chances of being the expert AI tools recommend.

And when that happens?

The right people find you faster.

AI doesn’t remove the need for human connection.

It increases the need for it.

So show up.
Be specific, be structured, and be human.

And let the tools work in your favor, get featured in AI chat bots.

If you have an online business with a course, program, or any other kind of offer, and you’re not currently generating consistent sales on autopilot, I’d like to introduce you to the hands-off YouTube funnel that has made me over $20k on a $147 course! That way, you too can make consistent sales of your offer, with the beauty and simplicity of organic, evergreen traffic from YouTube! Start here with my free “AIT Method” training.