Not long ago, I worked as an SEO
That typically meant writing blogs with the right keywords (and the right amount of keywords) about who knows what–taken mainly from stuff I read on the net.
I’d spend hours researching topics I had no background in, trying to sound like an expert while juggling search intent, keyword density, and Google’s ever-changing algorithm.
Now that AI has gone full throttle, SEO’s have been quick to acknowledge that the same strategy doesn’t quite cut it anymore (if it ever did.) AI Visibility Optimization (AIVO), one of many similar acronyms, is the new frontier—helping content show up in AI-driven search.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take an SEO guru to help you master the basics—Perplexity can give you the lowdown. But in case you want the TL;DR, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know it’s probably a lot like traditional SEO, with a twist.
Just like search engines, AI values content that’s clear, relevant, and genuinely helpful; it just wants it packaged in a way that’s easy for parsing and interpretation.
Q&A, I’ve read, works well as a content format, because it directly addresses common questions in a clear, scannable way that both users and AI can digest. Pair it with some headings, semantic markup, structured data, and yes, internal and external links, and you’ve got a solid foundation.
The real question is, where to get the answers?
If you’re still relying on writers to guess answers from Google, you’re missing out on the real expertise that only your clients can provide.
What to do instead? Rather than hire writers to create content about subjects they know little about, why not have them speak with credible experts directly? Then you can create content from their answers, add a brief summary for each one, and format it as an AMA-style post.
Simple. Straightforward. Effective.
Try as you might, nothing beats authentic insights straight from the source—real expertise is the only thing that AI can’t replace. And it’s just the thing humans connect with, trust, and keep coming back for.