How to Rank Your Business on ChatGPT in 2026 (Complete Guide)
Author: Brad Smith
Business: AutomationLinks
AI Summary:
It's the wild, wild west. Things have changed.
Google just made a huge change to make sure that they dominate the market and to actually restrict these AI crawlers from finding your business.
My podcast is going to break down exactly what you should do to be the top search result in AI searches.
I think right now is the wild, wild west. It's the gold mine where you can actually go be that top search result.
Now, AI knows if you're a spam bot and you're going out there and you're trying to get these links into all these businesses to try to get better results and scam the system, they're going to shut you down.
And it's the legitimate, trustworthy business owners that do the right thing, but also create the best content that's helpful and educational.
That that's what's going to be the ones that stand out.
Your AI SEO Questions Answered
How does AI SEO work differently than traditional SEO?
AI SEO focuses on authentic content and trustworthiness rather than backlink schemes. While traditional SEO relied on buying sketchy backlinks and gaming the system, AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok prioritize legitimate, helpful content that answers real questions. They can detect spam bots and fake link-building tactics.
What platforms do AI search engines pull data from?
ChatGPT pulls data from Reddit, Google, and YouTube to show the best results in their chat responses. Perplexity and other AI softwares pull from Bing and similar search networks. Whatever you do on Google, you need to replicate on Bing and other search networks for maximum AI visibility.
How can I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Create helpful how-to videos on YouTube, then distribute that same content across multiple platforms including podcasts, blog posts, LinkedIn articles, Medium, X (Twitter), and Reddit. Use the exact same title across all platforms to help AI search engines connect your content together as authoritative sources.
Why is this the best time to dominate AI search?
This is the wild west moment for AI SEO. While competitors are still using outdated 2020 tactics like buying backlinks from sketchy websites, you can dominate the search results that actually matter. AI knows if you're trying to scam the system and will shut down spammy tactics.
What type of content performs best in AI search results?
Educational how-to content and "what is" style content performs best. AI search engines prioritize content that's helpful, educational, and comes from real human voices rather than AI-generated text. Your unique words and voice create content that no one can replicate.
Here's what you'll discover in this complete AI SEO guide:
- Why traditional SEO is dead and what replaced it
- How to dominate AI search results with authentic content
- The exact 9-step system to get recommended by ChatGPT
- How to leverage the "Wild West" opportunity most businesses miss
- Specific tools and platforms that actually work in 2025
- The content distribution strategy that creates maximum AI visibility
My Authority in AI SEO
I'm Brad Smith, owner of Automation Links. I've been doing marketing for the last 10 years and have worked with over 2,500 brands. Over the past decade, I've gotten 12 videos ranking number one on Google using the how-to style approach. I've seen one of my YouTube videos show up on the top page of Google in just six days using the indexing strategies I'll share with you.
The AI Search Revolution is Here
Things have never been different online with showing your business to more customers. If you're a business owner, project manager, or you just need more visitors, leads, and customers into your business, then this is your moment.
Your SEO expert just became as useful as a Blockbuster store manager. While they're still buying sketchy backlinks from websites that look like they were built in 1997, your customers are asking ChatGPT "What's the best [your business] near me?" and your business isn't showing up.
This is the gold mine where you can actually be that top search result. Up until now, you competed with people spending millions of dollars on SEO and big huge companies that were spamming the internet.
The 9-Step AI SEO System That Works
Step 1: Create YouTube Videos That AI Loves
This video strategy is the building block of what you should be doing. Google made a huge change recently and since they own YouTube, they want to start showing YouTube videos at the top of search results.
Since they own YouTube, if you want to be at the top of Google searches (which is what ChatGPT pulls data from), you need to create videos. Here's what works:
- How-to style videos that answer common questions
- "What is" videos around your business topics
- Content that helps when someone searches "how to do something" in your industry
- Videos you can create with your phone and upload privately if you're camera-shy
Key Insight: Create helpful educational content in your own voice
No one can take your unique words and voice from you. AI can write blogs and social media posts, but it can't replicate what you say in your videos. This authenticity is what AI search engines prioritize.
Step 2: Transform Videos into Podcasts
Download the audio from your YouTube video and upload it as a podcast episode. Use the same "how to" or "what is" title structure.
Here's why this works:
- AI is now showing podcast episodes in search results
- When someone searches "how to do AI SEO," you'll show up as both a YouTube video AND a podcast
- People can learn from you while on the treadmill or commuting
- Creates multiple touchpoints: follower → subscriber → customer → referral source
Use Spotify's podcast software to upload and distribute across all channels. This saves time and gets your content everywhere people might discover you.
Step 3: Create Authentic Blog Posts
Create a legitimate blog post that includes:
- Four common questions with simple answers at the top
- Your YouTube video embedded
- Full transcription of your video as the blog content
- The exact words you said (not AI-generated content)
The key is using your actual transcription. There will be misspellings and it won't be perfect, but it's unique, real, educational, and helpful. That's what AI search engines want to see.
Pro Tip: Answer the questions AI users would ask
Include 3-4 common questions people would type into Google, ChatGPT, or Perplexity. These search engines want to answer questions directly, but they'll still index and recommend you for more complex queries.
For blog creation, I use Ojoy from Frank Kern, which creates content based on sales copy principles rather than sounding like AI. It learns from your voice and creates blog posts that sound like a real person.
Step 4: Publish LinkedIn Articles
Create a LinkedIn article using your transcription content. LinkedIn is showing up as a trusted source in AI search results.
Format your LinkedIn article to be:
- Short and to the point
- Super helpful content for LinkedIn users
- Include your four simple tips or common questions
- Add links to your YouTube video and blog post
This creates another trusted referral source telling AI search engines that your content is valuable.
Step 5: Leverage Medium's Authority
Medium is a blogging network with super high domain authority, and I'm seeing really good AI search results coming from that platform.
Create a different version of your content for Medium:
- Make it 750 to 1,000 words
- Format it like a lesson plan (think college professor style)
- Use AI tools to help structure the step-by-step lesson
- Add links back to your blog, LinkedIn post, and YouTube video
- Embed your YouTube video in the Medium post
Critical Rule: Keep the same title across all platforms
Use the exact same title on YouTube, podcast, blog, LinkedIn, and Medium. If you change titles, these won't link together in AI search engines. You can split test different endings, but keep the first 3-5 words identical.
Step 6: Dominate X (Twitter) and Prepare for Grok
X (formerly Twitter) now features an article section, and its AI platform, Grok, was voted the number one AI platform. Grok pulls information from X because X owns it.
Here's your X strategy:
- Create an X article with your content
- Consider turning your business into an organization (30% more reach)
- Prepare for Grokipedia - X's version of Wikipedia that will be easier to get listed on
When Grokipedia launches, you want to start posting content there immediately. AI search engines get a lot of information from Wikipedia, so being on the "new Wikipedia" will be incredibly valuable.
Learn more about X advertising strategies to maximize your reach on this platform.
Step 7: Use Reddit Strategically
Reddit just went through changes where Google removed tons of their links, but ChatGPT and Perplexity still love Reddit. While Reddit is getting more spam and bots, it's still a good source for AI to recognize helpful content.
Your Reddit approach:
- Post helpful Reddit posts using your same title
- Give the full answer to common questions
- Use AI or write manually - whatever works for you
- Focus on being helpful rather than promotional
Through my Automation Links system, we've created a Reddit thread where members can post content and get upvotes from other members. This creates a pool of friends helping each other get better indexing.
Step 8: Build Email List Authority
Create a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly newsletter that drives traffic back to your YouTube videos. This increases your domain authority and signals to YouTube that people are actively seeking your content.
Newsletter format that works:
- Keep it short and sweet
- Mention your latest video and what question it answers
- List 3-4 key points covered in the video
- Include the link to watch when they have time
This strategy helps people remember to watch your content later, increasing your video views and subscriber count over time.
For email marketing automation, I recommend MailerLite for its simplicity and effectiveness.
Step 9: Leverage Social Media Reels
Google is starting to pick up Instagram reels and Facebook reels as major sources. My last YouTube video got the most views from a Facebook link, which really surprised me.
Your social media strategy:
- Create 20-30 second clips from your long YouTube video
- Post as reels on Instagram and Facebook business pages
- Direct viewers to the full YouTube video
- Upload the same clips as YouTube Shorts
The script for these short videos is simple: "Hey, I just created this really great YouTube video that helped so many people get ranked on AI SEO. Check out the link in the description if you want more information."
Create 50-100 versions of these short clips answering different how-to questions, then direct people to your full content.
Check out our social media automation guide to streamline this process.
Your AI SEO Success Summary
Here's how this system creates AI search dominance:
- YouTube Video: Your foundational content that Google prioritizes
- Podcast: Audio version for different consumption preferences
- Blog Post: SEO-optimized with your authentic voice and embedded video
- LinkedIn Article: Builds professional authority and trust signals
- Medium Post: Leverages high domain authority for AI indexing
- X Article: Prepares you for Grok and Grokipedia opportunities
- Reddit Post: Maintains presence where AI still pulls helpful information
- Email Newsletter: Drives consistent traffic and engagement signals
- Social Media Reels: Captures the growing video search trend
This comprehensive approach ensures that when someone asks an AI search engine about your business topic, you appear across multiple trusted sources.
Your Next Steps to AI Search Success
Ready to implement this system? Here's exactly what to do:
- Start with video creation: Record a helpful how-to video about your business topic using your phone or camera
- Extract the audio: Download the audio file and upload it as a podcast episode to Spotify's distribution platform
- Create your blog post: Use the video transcription to write an authentic blog post with embedded video and 4 common questions
- Distribute across platforms: Publish versions on LinkedIn, Medium, X, and Reddit using the same core title
- Set up email automation: Create a simple newsletter using MailerLite to drive traffic back to your videos
- Create social media clips: Break your long video into 20-30 second reels for Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts
- Track your results: Use tracking software to monitor which platforms drive the most traffic and leads
If you want to automate this entire process, check out our complete marketing system that handles content distribution across all these platforms.
Getting Started with AI SEO
How long does it take to see results from AI SEO?
Results can start appearing within 6 days to 4 weeks depending on how quickly you implement the full system. I've had YouTube videos show up on the top page of Google in six days by indexing them immediately rather than waiting for search engines to find them naturally. Consistency across all 9 steps accelerates your timeline significantly.
What if I'm not comfortable being on camera yet?
Start with audio-only content by creating podcast episodes first. You can talk to yourself while on the treadmill or during commutes. Upload the audio and begin building your presence across platforms. Once you're comfortable with your voice content, transition to video when you're ready.
Which AI search engines should I focus on first?
Prioritize ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok as they're pulling the most data from the platforms in this system. ChatGPT gets information from Reddit, Google, and YouTube. Perplexity pulls from Bing and similar networks. Grok focuses heavily on X (Twitter) content, making it essential for future AI search visibility.
How do I track which content performs best?
Use the tracking tools in our AI SEO system to monitor performance across platforms. Track which videos get the most views, which blog posts rank highest, and which platforms drive the most traffic. Focus your efforts on the content types and platforms showing the best results for your specific business.
Watch the Full Tutorial: See this entire AI SEO system in action with live examples and step-by-step implementation. Subscribe to my channel for the latest AI search strategies.
The Bottom Line: This is the gold rush moment for AI SEO. While your competitors are still playing by 2020 rules with sketchy backlinks and spam tactics, you can dominate the search results that actually matter by creating authentic, helpful content across multiple platforms using your unique voice.
