In 2026, brand discovery no longer starts and ends with a search query. It often starts with a question asked to AI platforms, voice assistants or AI assistants in apps and browsers. For performance marketers, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. If your brand isn’t visible in AI-generated answers and recommendations, you’re invisible earlier in the funnel than ever before.
That’s where AI Engine Optimization comes in. The goal isn’t to chase a shiny new tactic or abandon what already works. It’s to make sure your brand is consistently referenced by AI platforms while still leaning on the strategies that drive real, measurable growth.
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Traditional SEO As The Foundation For AI Marketing
Despite the rise of AI-driven search experiences, traditional SEO remains critical to brand growth. AI engines don’t operate in a vacuum; they rely heavily on existing search content to generate responses. Website pages that are quick to load, crawlable and well-structured are more likely to be referenced by AI systems. Core SEO principles still matter, such as:
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Clean site architecture and internal linking
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Good mobile performance and page speed
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Strong on-page optimization
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Clear keyword-to-intent alignment
From a performance perspective, this matters because AI visibility is downstream from SEO quality. If your content can’t rank, it’s far less likely to be used by AI models that are trying to generate answers. The key shift is that SEO is no longer just about ranking positions. It’s about becoming the best source for an answer, even if the user never clicks a link.
How To Increase Visibility On AI Platforms
One of the biggest misconceptions right now is the idea of “ranking” inside tools like ChatGPT. There is no keyword leaderboard. There is no page one. AI assistants reference brands based on how often they are mentioned across trusted sources and how consistent and accurate their information is everywhere it appears.
Brands that show up consistently tend to publish authoritative content that clearly defines the problems they solve and the space they operate in. They earn citations from reputable industry publications, maintain clean and accurate brand profiles across the web and invest in thought leadership that reinforces credibility over time. When a brand is repeatedly associated with a specific category or use case, AI systems are far more likely to surface it as a recommendation or example.
Creating Content AI Platforms Will Want to Reference
AI engines are trained to deliver clear, helpful answers. Content that performs well in this environment tends to define concepts or explain products simply, walk readers through processes step by step and support claims with real examples and data. The more directly a brand answers a question, the easier it is for AI systems to reference it with confidence.
For performance marketers, this requires a mindset shift. Not every piece of content should be designed to convert immediately. Some content exists to establish authority and recall, which later can lead to conversions across paid and organic channels.
Getting Discovered In Other Marketing Mediums
AI platforms don’t just pull from articles anymore. They learn from everywhere brands show up.
That means:
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Video, audio and images now influence how brands are understood and surfaced in AI responses
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Platforms like YouTube contribute context that AI systems actively reference
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Educational video with accurate titles and descriptions gives AI clearer signals
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Transcripts and captions make video and audio easier to process and cite
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Descriptive image filenames and alt text help visual assets get crawled and understood
- Linkedin profiles are offering more visibility than ever, shaping how popular AI platforms are assessing your brand image.
This isn’t about chasing formats. It’s about accessibility.
The brands winning in AI-driven discovery are making their best ideas easy to understand, easy to reference and available wherever AI systems are looking.
Partnering With Forward-Thinking Lead Generation Experts
Even with AI increasing visibility, brands in the insurance, home services and education spaces know visibility alone doesn’t create customers. That’s where Digital Media Soluitions plays a key role. By pairing advanced data with vertically aligned owned-and-operated properties, DMS connects advertisers directly to consumers who are already in-market and ready to engage. AI helps surface interest, but DMS helps brands directly reach consumers ready to buy. Advertisers are embracing AI to move faster, yet they still rely on human insights and expert partnerships to turn intent into real outcomes. That combination is how performance actually scales.
Scale Your Customer Acquisition Efforts With DMS!
At Digital Media Solutions (DMS), our forward-thinking experts stay ahead of industry advancements, continuously adapting to emerging technologies, trends and consumer behaviors to help brands grow with confidence. Powered by a strong first-party data asset, proprietary technology and expansive digital media reach, our solutions are designed to drive smarter customer acquisition and long-term client success. Contact us today to explore how we can help scale your business!