How To Become THE Person ChatGPT Recommends
For nearly three decades, businesses obsessed over one thing: ranking on Google. SEO became an industry worth billions. Companies hired agencies, built backlink strategies, optimized keywords, and fought for the coveted first page of search results. But something fundamental has changed. Today, millions of professionals aren't typing their questions into Google anymore. They're asking ChatGPT. They're asking Claude. They're asking Perplexity. They're asking Gemini. Instead of scrolling through ten blue links, they're expecting AI to provide the answer. And here's the question every entrepreneur, executive, consultant, investor, and personal brand should be asking: "How do I become the person AI recommends?"
THOUGHT LEADERSHIPBUSINESS GROWTHTECHNOLOGY & AI
Serena Holmes
8/7/20265 min read
For nearly three decades, businesses obsessed over one thing: ranking on Google.
SEO became an industry worth billions. Companies hired agencies, built backlink strategies, optimized keywords, and fought for the coveted first page of search results.
But something fundamental has changed.
Today, millions of professionals aren't typing their questions into Google anymore.
They're asking ChatGPT.
They're asking Claude.
They're asking Perplexity.
They're asking Gemini.
Instead of scrolling through ten blue links, they're expecting AI to provide the answer.
And here's the question every entrepreneur, executive, consultant, investor, and personal brand should be asking:
"How do I become the person AI recommends?"
The answer isn't traditional SEO.
It's AISO—Artificial Intelligence Search Optimization.
And over the next few years, becoming AI-recommended could become even more valuable than ranking #1 on Google.
The Shift From Search Engines to Answer Engines
Think about your own behaviour.
Instead of searching:
"Best CRM for real estate investors."
You probably ask:
"What's the best CRM for someone raising private capital?"
Instead of searching:
"How do I grow on LinkedIn?"
You ask:
"Create a 90-day LinkedIn strategy for a commercial real estate CEO."
The difference is massive.
Google gives you options.
AI gives you recommendations.
That's a completely different game.
Instead of competing for clicks, you're competing to become the trusted source AI has learned to reference.
If AI doesn't know who you are—or can't confidently associate you with a particular expertise—you simply won't appear in its answers.
Authority Is Becoming Machine Readable
For years, people talked about becoming a thought leader.
Now you need to become something slightly different:
Machine-recognizable authority.
Large language models don't "recommend" people because they're famous.
They recommend people because signals across the internet consistently indicate expertise.
These signals include:
Articles
Podcasts
Interviews
Books
Videos
News mentions
Citations
Guest appearances
Speaking engagements
Professional profiles
Consistent publishing
High-quality websites
Knowledge Graph data
The more these sources consistently associate your name with a particular subject, the more confidently AI can connect you to that expertise.
Consistency matters far more than virality.
Stop Creating Content for Algorithms
For years, creators optimized for social media algorithms.
Hooks.
Watch time.
Engagement bait.
Trending audio.
While those tactics can still increase reach, AI cares about something completely different.
It cares about understanding.
AI wants to know:
What do you actually specialize in?
What topics do you repeatedly explain?
What problems do you solve?
What evidence supports your expertise?
Every piece of content you create should answer one question:
"If AI analyzed everything I've published, what would it conclude I'm known for?"
If the answer isn't obvious, neither are you.
Build a Digital Knowledge Library
One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is creating content that disappears.
A LinkedIn post lives for a few days.
An Instagram Reel might trend for a week.
A TikTok video might disappear tomorrow.
AI prefers durable knowledge.
Instead of constantly chasing new content, build assets that continue teaching long after they're published.
Examples include:
Long-form blog articles
White papers
Research reports
Podcast transcripts
Educational videos
YouTube content
Frequently asked questions
Case studies
Books
Downloadable guides
Think of every article as adding another chapter to your public knowledge base.
You're training both humans and AI to understand what you know.
Topical Authority Beats General Popularity
Many entrepreneurs try to become known for everything.
Business.
Leadership.
Motivation.
AI.
Marketing.
Sales.
Investing.
Productivity.
The problem?
AI struggles to categorize generalists.
It excels at identifying specialists.
Instead of becoming mildly known for twenty subjects, dominate three.
For example:
A commercial real estate investor might consistently publish around:
Capital raising
Multifamily acquisitions
Investor relations
A CEO might own:
Leadership
Company culture
Strategic growth
A realtor could become synonymous with:
Durham Region housing
Luxury listings
Investment properties
The tighter your niche, the stronger the association becomes.
Every Podcast Is SEO
This surprises many people.
Podcast appearances are no longer just about audience exposure.
They're data.
Every episode creates:
Show notes
Episode summaries
Transcripts
Guest bios
Links
Citations
Mentions
Social posts
Each one strengthens the digital relationship between your name and your expertise.
That's one reason podcasts remain one of the highest-ROI branding strategies available.
You're not just building relationships.
You're expanding your AI footprint.
Write Like You're Teaching the Internet
Many companies publish articles filled with buzzwords.
They sound impressive.
But they don't actually teach anything.
AI rewards clarity.
Explain concepts.
Define terms.
Compare ideas.
Answer questions.
Use examples.
Provide frameworks.
Break complex topics into understandable language.
The more useful your content becomes, the more valuable it becomes to both readers and AI systems.
The Rise of Entity SEO
Traditional SEO focused on keywords.
Modern AI focuses on entities.
An entity is a recognizable person, company, product, place, or concept.
Instead of simply mentioning "private equity," AI looks for relationships.
For example:
Serena Holmes
→ Real estate investing
→ Capital raising
→ Durham Region real estate
→ Inspired To Invest Podcast
→ Executive Lens
→ Commercial real estate education
The stronger these relationships become across multiple trusted sources, the easier it becomes for AI to identify your expertise.
You're no longer optimizing pages.
You're optimizing your identity.
Earn Trust Across Multiple Platforms
AI rarely relies on one source.
It looks for consistency.
That means your expertise should appear across:
Your website
LinkedIn
YouTube
Podcast platforms
Industry publications
News articles
Conference websites
Guest blogs
Professional associations
The more independent sources confirm the same expertise, the stronger your authority becomes.
Think of it as digital reputation compounding.
Publish Original Ideas
AI has already seen millions of generic articles.
The people most likely to be recommended in the future will contribute original thinking.
Instead of repeating existing advice:
Offer new frameworks.
Coin memorable phrases.
Share proprietary processes.
Introduce original models.
Publish research.
Create methodologies.
For example:
Instead of writing:
"How to grow your business."
Create:
"The Investor Trust Flywheel."
Or:
"The Visibility-to-Velocity Framework."
Original intellectual property creates stronger associations than recycled advice.
Become Quotable
One underrated strategy?
Write sentences people want to repeat.
Think about ideas like:
"Your network is your net worth."
"Culture eats strategy for breakfast."
These become memorable because they're concise, useful, and easy to reference.
AI frequently surfaces ideas that have been widely quoted across the web.
If people consistently reference your frameworks, you're increasing the likelihood they'll become part of AI's knowledge ecosystem.
Don't Ignore Structured Content
Humans love stories.
AI loves structure.
Include:
Lists
FAQs
Tables
Definitions
Comparisons
Step-by-step guides
Glossaries
Structured information is easier for both readers and AI systems to interpret.
The best content combines storytelling with organization.
Your Website Matters More Than Ever
Ironically, while many businesses focused exclusively on social media over the past decade, AI is increasing the importance of owning your own platform.
Your website should become your digital headquarters.
It should clearly answer:
Who are you?
What do you do?
Who do you help?
What problems do you solve?
What evidence supports your expertise?
Every important topic should have a dedicated, in-depth page.
Think less like a brochure.
Think more like Wikipedia for your expertise.
The Future Belongs to Recognizable Experts
We're entering an era where visibility alone won't be enough.
Recognition will matter more.
Not just recognition by people—but recognition by AI.
The winners won't necessarily be the loudest voices.
They'll be the clearest.
The most consistent.
The most helpful.
The most referenced.
The most trusted.
In many ways, AI is rewarding what should have mattered all along: genuine expertise, clear communication, and consistent value.
Final Thoughts
The next decade of digital marketing won't simply be about ranking on search engines. It will be about becoming the answer when someone asks AI a question.
That means shifting your mindset from chasing clicks to building credibility. Every article you publish, every podcast you appear on, every interview you give, and every framework you create becomes another signal that reinforces your expertise.
The goal isn't to game AI. It's to make it unmistakably clear what you stand for and why you're qualified to speak on it.
Those who build deep topical authority, publish original insights, and create a durable body of work won't just earn the trust of human audiences—they'll become the experts AI recommends.
In the age of answer engines, that's the new competitive advantage. And the best time to start building it is now.