AI Explored Podcast

Episode Title: AI Search: How to Get Recommended By AI
Host: Michael Stelzner
Guest: Dr. Samantha North, AI Strategist & Data Scientist
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the rapidly evolving world of AI-driven search and its implications for marketers, creators, and business owners. Michael Stelzner and guest Dr. Samantha North discuss misconceptions around AI search, the overlap with traditional SEO, what it takes to be recommended by large language models, and actionable strategies for boosting your brand’s visibility in AI-powered recommendations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Samantha North’s Journey: From SEO to AI

• Background: Samantha started in SEO in 2020, building successful informational sites.
• AI Entry Point: The launch of ChatGPT and then Claude streamlined her content processes:

  “When ChatGPT was launched in late 2022, it was a total game changer… when Claude hit the scene, it was even better for us…” – Dr. Samantha North [02:57]

• Shift in Focus: Clients began seeking help for showing up in AI search, seeing it as a next-level SEO.

Misconceptions About AI Search

• Traditional SEO Isn’t Dead:

  “Traditional SEO is dead. That is not the case. LLM AI search really shares a lot of overlaps with our traditional search in Google.” – Dr. Samantha North [06:03]

• Quality Over Quantity:

  “It’s still really vital to have a human in the loop when it comes to creating SEO content with AI... The humans still need to be involved there.” – Dr. Samantha North [07:29]

• No Guarantees:

  “You cannot guarantee this… it’s the models and it's Google that decide who's going to show up…still a little bit mysterious.” – Dr. Samantha North [07:52]

The Upsides of Being Recommended by AI

• Higher Quality Leads:

  “Leads that come to their site from AI sources tend to have much higher conversion rates and they're also a lot more engaged with the content.” – Dr. Samantha North [08:58]

• Brand Narrative Control:

  “It gives you the opportunity to control your brand narrative and your reputation.” – Dr. Samantha North [10:09]

How AI Search Differs and Why It Matters

• Deep Research: AI models now simulate consultative conversations that build trust and streamline decision-making.
• Influence on Purchase Behavior:

  “I didn’t even question that this [AI recommendation] could not be the best choice for me… People tend to trust more of what the AI tools recommend.” – Dr. Samantha North [11:54]

Step-By-Step: How to Audit & Optimize for AI Search

1. Understand How AI Knows You—Self-Audit

• Start by asking AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) what they know about you/your brand.
• Use prompt questions such as:
  • “What do you know about [Brand]?”
  • “What are their key products?”
  • “Who are their main competitors?”
  • “Why did you not include [Brand] in your recommendations?”
    – Samantha North [14:47]
• For individuals, personal brand visibility (website, LinkedIn) heavily influences AI knowledge. [16:23]

2. Use AI Search Monitoring Tools

• Tools: Peak.ai, Trakkr.ai, and Mentions.
• Capabilities: Monitor where your brand pops up, which models recommend you, and track URLs cited.

  "They track your mention rate...they let you dive into different pages from your website." – Dr. Samantha North [17:22]

• Tools are imperfect and may only track some model variants (e.g., Claude Haiku, ChatGPT-4o) [19:03]

3. Checking in Analytics

• Use Google Analytics to see if ChatGPT/Perplexity/etc. are referring traffic to your site [27:00].

Content Optimization for AI Search

Audit & Modify Existing Content

• Find pages already getting AI-sourced visits.
• Update Headings:

  “Change the headings to put them into the form of questions that mimic how people might talk to their AI.” – Dr. Samantha North [25:47]

• Add Summary Boxes:

  “I usually put a summary box at the top of each article now because that gives models something very quick to grab from.” – Dr. Samantha North [29:57]

• Clear Language & Schema Markup:

  “Make sure that the article is using pretty simple language…learn about schema markup… it's becoming more and more important to give it that clarity.” – Dr. Samantha North [27:57]

Understand How AI Updates Content

• If the AI model accesses real-time data, content updates get picked up faster than by traditional search. [31:13]
• Register your website on both Google and Bing Search Consoles:

  “…don't ignore Bing.…get its sitemap and get it all set up in Bing Search Console as well as Google and you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.” – Dr. Samantha North [34:01]

Creating New, AI-Friendly Content

• Comparisons Work: Create content like “Best X tools for Y,” "Competitor vs. Our Brand," and "Alternatives to [Competitor]."
• Balance & Transparency:

  “AI models are trained to be balanced…you should be presenting things in a balanced way. You can’t claim that your brand is the best at everything…” – Dr. Samantha North [38:33]

• Avoid fluff: “Precise and to the point is better than fluffy and long winded just for the sake of it.” [40:00]

Expanding Beyond Your Website

Build Authority Across the Web

• Reddit & Quora:

  “Reddit and Quora… are gold mines for so called unbiased perspectives... try and get your brand into conversations... you've got to tread very, very carefully…” – Dr. Samantha North [41:39]

• LinkedIn:

  “LinkedIn is amazing for brand visibility… posting almost every day… building authority and engaging with people in my space.” – Dr. Samantha North [43:03]

  • LinkedIn remains highly visible to AIs (unlike Meta, X, or YouTube, which are increasingly “walled gardens”).
• Earned Media:
  • Use services like SOS (formerly HARO) to get press mentions—valuable for LLM training data. [44:27]
• Medium: Republish your content for more reach and domain authority [47:14].

Social Platform Lockdown:

• Meta and X are closed to AI scraping; LinkedIn and Medium remain open.

  “LinkedIn is one of the few platforms that allows third party AI models to come in and scrape it.” – Michael Stelzner [45:43]

Why Social Is Still Important

• Broad social presence builds familiarity and trust, even if AI can’t access every platform directly. [46:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI Search vs SEO:

  “Getting AI to recommend you is actually more valuable than ranking in search.” – Michael Stelzner [01:37]

• On the Changing Landscape:

  “The majority of people… are probably searching on the free versions…power users…are searching in all kinds of different paid models.” – Dr. Samantha North [20:36]

• On Content Creation:

  “It’s all very well having a ton of leads coming in from your SEO efforts, but if you don’t have processes…small teams don’t get overwhelmed.” – Dr. Samantha North [04:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:33 – Samantha North’s background and entry into AI
• 06:03 – Key misconceptions about AI search
• 08:58 – The value of being recommended by AI
• 13:30 – How to begin auditing your brand in AI search
• 14:47 – Practical prompt ideas for self-auditing
• 17:01 – Explanation of search monitoring tools
• 25:47 – Steps to increase likelihood of AI recommendation
• 27:57 – Best practices for optimizing on-site content for AI
• 29:57 – The rationale for summary boxes and schema markup
• 31:13 – How quickly AI picks up content changes
• 34:01 – Importance of Bing Search Console for ChatGPT
• 37:00 – Creating new content for comparisons
• 38:33 – Balancing objectivity vs. brand promotion
• 41:39 – Leveraging Reddit, Quora, and LinkedIn
• 45:43 – Social platform “lockdowns” and the importance of LinkedIn
• 47:14 – Using Medium for additional exposure

Actionable Takeaways

• Regularly audit what AI models know about you and your brand.
• Adapt your content: Use question-based headings, summary boxes, schema markup, and clear language.
• Monitor visibility: Use dedicated AI monitoring tools and analytics for traffic insights.
• Register your site: Ensure it’s in both Google and Bing Search Console.
• Create balanced, comparison-focused content tied to actual user queries.
• Build authority: Be present and referenced on Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn, Medium, and in the press.
• Stay informed about platform accessibility as AI models’ access to social platforms shifts.

Where to Connect with the Guest

• LinkedIn: Samantha North
• Website & Blog: samanthanorth.com
• Agency: emigre AI (with checklist freebie for AI search optimization)

This summary was crafted to provide an in-depth, actionable guide for marketers, creators, and business owners seeking to succeed in the age of AI-powered search. All timestamps and quotes are referenced from the original episode for maximum clarity and utility.