Podcast Summary: Mortgage Marketing Radio

Episode: How to Get AI to Recommend You as a Top Lender
Host: Geoff Zimpfer
Guest: Katie Shive, Brand Strategist & AI Marketing Expert
Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into a modern marketing challenge: with the rise of AI-driven search, how can mortgage loan originators and real estate professionals ensure they aren’t invisible online? Host Geoff Zimpfer interviews Katie Shive, an expert in personal branding and AI-driven content, about getting AI technologies—like ChatGPT—to recognize and recommend you as a top local lender. The conversation unpacks strategies for optimizing your digital footprint so that both consumers and search bots see you as a true authority.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why AI Visibility Matters Now

• The Shift: Consumers are increasingly using AI tools for recommendations, not just search engines or social media.
• The Risk: Having great reviews or local reputation doesn’t guarantee AI will surface your name.

  “As AI driven search becomes more of the norm, many mortgage professionals are finding themselves invisible.” – Geoff Zimpfer (00:15)

• Opportunity: Training AI to recognize your expertise can put you in front of more prospects and get you recommended—even by name.

2. Understanding the “Core Entity Statement”

• Definition: A concise, consistent, one-line biography that clearly states your name, location, specialty, and target audience.

  “It’s like your one sentence bio… what’s your name, what’s your location, what’s your experience, who’s your audience?” – Katie Shive (07:57)

• Why It Matters: AI crawlers use this statement to “cluster” your digital presence; inconsistencies can make you less recognizable.
• Where to Use It:
  • Every controllable online bio: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, company website, Zillow/Experience.com profiles, Google Business Profile, etc.
  • End of long-form content, similar to a boilerplate in PR.

Memorable Quote:

“We’re not just creating content for humans, we’re now having to create content for robots.”
– Katie Shive (06:44)

Timestamp: Core entity statement deep dive starts at 07:53

3. Consistency Across Platforms is Essential

• Name and Photo: Must be consistent everywhere (don’t vary from “Jeff Zimpfer” to “Jeffrey Zimpfer,” for example).
• Profile Descriptions: Should repeat your core strengths, market, and value proposition.
• SEO vs. AEO:
  • Traditional Search Engine Optimization is evolving.
  • AEO (Answer Engine/AI Engine Optimization): Getting found in AI recommendations, which are based on facts and consistency, not just keywords.

  “Search Everywhere Optimization… [means] everywhere that they can pull, you want it optimized.” – Katie Shive (13:01)

4. Content Creation: Two Audiences—Humans & Robots

• Human Angle: Content must be readable, relatable, and personable—avoid generic, AI-spewed templates.

• AI Angle: Needs to be structured and optimized around core facts about you—the more accurate, authoritative, and interconnected, the easier for AI to verify and preference your work.

  “LLMs love authority. They’re going off of just straight context… so they’re looking at actual facts, not just theory.” – Katie Shive (19:37)

• Advice: Use AI to help draft bios—but always personalize the outputs; robots and humans alike will reward authenticity.

5. Getting AI to Recommend You: Practical Tactics

• Push Reviews: Reviews (especially several, recent, and Google-verified) are crucial; AI weighs these highly.
• Create Authority Content: Answer real client questions; share stories from your experience.
  • Keep a notes tab for real client questions—turn these into blog posts, videos, LinkedIn articles, etc.
• Surface on Niche Queries: Having content about specialty topics (e.g., VA loan assumptions) helps you show up in relevant AI recommendations for those specifics.

Real-World Stories:

• ChatGPT Recommendation Success:
  • One LO got a deal closed after ChatGPT recommended him by name (28:00).
  • Another client was discovered for a down payment assistance program via ChatGPT, then verified on LinkedIn before the client called.
• Pro Tip:

  “If you ask any of the AI platforms, who is so-and-so, and you don’t pop up as #1, reverse-engineer and ask, why did you recommend this person?”
  – Katie Shive (24:08)

6. The Influence of LinkedIn & Reddit

• LinkedIn:
  • Highly ranked by AI models; even without a huge personal website, frequent and current LinkedIn activity delivers big search value.
  • “There’s more credibility as hosting it on LinkedIn than my own website.” – Katie Shive (35:04)
• Reddit:
  • Top US-based site for AI training data:

    “Reddit is number one… a great place” – Katie Shive (33:39)

  • Great for discovering what real buyers and sellers care about. Search “moving to [city] Reddit” to find relevant conversations.

7. Framework: Repurposing Content Efficiently

• Katie’s Workflow:
  1. Use AI voice tools to brainstorm topic while walking or multitasking.
  2. Have AI help outline content for a podcast, write show notes/titles, draft promotional emails, and even suggest Instagram scripts—all from one core conversation thread.
  3. Each content piece is refined for the platform it appears on.
  4. Start with long-form content, break it down for articles, posts, emails, etc.

  “In a 30 minute walk… I had the idea for a podcast, show notes, title, email, and social post.”
  – Katie Shive (40:08)

• Habit Mindset: Treat every conversation, question, or objection as potential content to be captured and re-used.

8. Building Your “Brand Brain” for AI

• Brand Builder Book:
  • Katie helps clients document origins, values, unique approach, and target audience into a “brand book”—a single source that can be uploaded to AI tools for deeper, more consistent personalization.

  “Now you have this really awesome document that you can load into any AI platform so it knows who you are. You’re feeding it proactively the information.” – Katie Shive (49:15)

• Insurance Policy:
  • If an AI tool “forgets” your chat history, you can reload your brand brain and pick up immediately.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Why Content for AI Is Different:

  “You really have two audiences now… keep people’s attention, but AI couldn’t care less about that.” – Katie Shive (07:03)

• On Reviews:

  “Anytime you guys can push reviews, that’s really important. Google is really a great source.” – Katie Shive (19:37)

• On Reverse Engineering AI Results:

  “Try to get curious. Go deeper.” – Geoff Zimpfer (26:20)

• On Leveraging AI for Content Repurposing:

  “By the time I had gotten back to my house… I had podcast notes, a title, framework for my email, and a social media post.” – Katie Shive (40:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [07:53] – Core Entity Statement: What it is, how to craft it, and where to use it
• [12:21] – “Search Everywhere Optimization” explained
• [16:45] – Are you using AI like a vending machine? Why prompts alone aren’t enough
• [19:37] – Core principles for getting recommended by AI and reviews’ importance
• [24:08] – Real-world story: When AI recommends someone with fewer reviews
• [28:00] – Stories: ChatGPT directly driving a mortgage deal
• [33:39] – LinkedIn and Reddit as top AI-crawled platforms; how to use them
• [40:08] – Framework for repurposing a single content idea into a digital footprint
• [49:15] – The Brand Builder solution and protecting your digital brand in AI

Actionable Takeaways

• Audit and unify your online bios: Ensure they feature a consistent core entity statement with exact name, market, specialty, and audience.
• Ask for and maximize reviews: Especially on Google and other licensed third-party platforms.
• Create and repurpose authority content: Take real client questions and turn them into FAQs, articles, social posts, and videos.
• Leverage LinkedIn for authority: If you don’t have a robust website, focus your long-form content and updates here.
• Mine Reddit for content ideas: Search for real consumer stories and concerns to address in your own marketing.
• Document your “brand brain”: Build a brand book you can upload to new AI tools for instant consistency.

Connect with Katie Shive

• LinkedIn: Katie Shive
• AI After Hours Podcast: [Link in show notes]
• Brand Builder Book / Consulting: [Link in show notes]

Final Thought:

“Rather than trying to start really big and going all in, what’s one habit you can develop with AI today?” – Katie Shive (46:40)

This summary skips mid-episode ads and platform promotions. For tools, links, and resources mentioned in this episode—including Katie’s AI After Hours podcast and Brand Builder solution—see the original show notes.