Strategies for Improving Referrals from AI-Generated Content

How to Get Listed in AI Platform Responses and Master AI Search SEO

AI Everywhere, All at Once

Remember when social media burst onto the scene, and everyone scrambled to figure out their “Facebook strategy”? Now, instead of explaining why your grandma just liked your business post, we’re dealing with AI chatbots, LLMs, GPTs, LOMs, and a slew of acronyms no one can keep straight. Everywhere you turn, there’s hype about how AI is revolutionizing search, marketing, and pretty much everything else—including how we measure traffic.

If you’re tired of the noise, buckle up. We’re going to cut through the confusion and show you tangible, data-informed ways to get traffic from AI chatbots and generative search tools. We’ll tackle the basics, check out real stats (because we love numbers), and explore how to get listed in AI platform responses. Call it “AI Search SEO,” call it “Generative Engine Optimization,” or just call it “staying ahead of the game.” Either way, we’ve got you covered.

Key Concepts: What Is This AI Stuff

AI is reshaping the way we access information—transforming search from a list of links into an interactive, conversational experience. At the heart of this revolution are powerful language models that drive tools and platforms which can refer your content directly to users. For our purposes, here are the key players—if you’re looking to know more about these AI tools, check out our quick guide on everything you need to know about AI tools, where we go into more detail.

GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer)

At its core, GPT is the powerhouse behind many popular AI tools. Trained on vast datasets, GPT models can answer questions, write articles, and even suggest business strategies—all in a natural, conversational tone. The most well-known example is ChatGPT, but other tools like Jasper (a content creation assistant) and Perplexity (a rising star in referrals) also harness GPT’s capabilities. These examples are the real deal, delivering answers that are both helpful and engaging.

LLM (Large Language Model)

LLMs are the advanced AI systems that power these conversational tools. They’re designed to understand language on a massive scale, making them the backbone of modern AI search engine optimization. For our purposes, the key LLMs include:

• GPT-4 (OpenAI)
• Claude (Anthropic)
• PaLM 2 (Google)

These models not only generate human-like responses but also help ensure your content gets picked up by AI tools, driving more organic referrals.

AIO (AI Overview)

Ever notice how sometimes you get an answer right at the top of your search results without clicking through? That’s the magic of AI Overview (AIO). This feature by Google compiles a quick summary from multiple sources, giving users a fast answer—but sometimes at the cost of click-throughs. It’s a double-edged sword: while convenient for users, it can mean less direct traffic for websites if you’re not optimized for AI search SEO.

LOM (Large Optimized Model)

Many modern LLMs have been fine-tuned using advanced training techniques—think instruction tuning and reinforcement learning—to deliver faster, more accurate, and safer responses. While “LOM” isn’t as common a term nowadays (we tend to roll all that into LLM), it’s a handy shorthand for highlighting the cutting-edge improvements in models like GPT-4 and Claude.

AI Traffic: Does It Actually Exist? (Yes, and It’s Growing)

Here are some numbers to illustrate how fast AI is reshaping search and user behaviour:

• This year, 82% of ImageX clients got referral traffic from AI-powered search engines.
• Certain industries (like Relationships, Food & Beverage) already see AI Overviews for more than 20% of related search queries—some as high as 40%.
• ChatGPT soared to 100 million monthly active users in just two months, and alternative AI tools are multiplying like baby rabbits in springtime.
• Zero-click searches have increased by over 30% in the past two years, signalling a major shift in user behaviour as more queries yield instant answers without a website click.

Why Should Marketers Care? 

In a word: traffic. Every marketing strategy ultimately aims to attract the right audience. Historically, Google has been the main gatekeeper, and SEO meant figuring out how to rank high in Google’s search results. Now, AI chat platforms are stepping into that role—providing direct answers and potentially sending users to websites that AI deems the most relevant or trustworthy.

If your brand or content is cited by an AI tool, you gain brand awareness and direct traffic from curious users. If it isn’t recognized, you risk missing out on an audience that bypasses traditional search engines altogether.

Why AI is Disrupting Search—and How to Turn That Disruption into Opportunity

AI is changing the rules of the game. Traditional search results are giving way to AI-generated answers, and that means your content could be featured in a whole new way. However, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities:

AI Overviews in Search: Quick Answers vs. Clicks

Google’s AI Overview (AIO) compresses information and displays it at the top of SERPs.

If your content is purely informational and easily summarized, you may see a drop in clicks.

What to do: Target “visit-website-intent” keywords. Longer, more detailed queries tend to attract serious searchers who are more likely to click and read your site.

AI-Generated Content Flood

Everyone can now produce loads of AI content—some good, much of it questionable.

What to do: Create content that AI can’t easily replicate—think original research, strong personal opinions, unique visuals, interviews, and influencer collaborations. Stand out from the avalanche of generic posts.

New Referral Channels Beyond Google

AI chat platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Bing Chat are drawing audiences away from traditional search engines.

What to do: Influence the AI itself by focusing on brand mentions in credible sources (news sites, reputable directories, guest posts). The more quality signals your brand sends, the more likely AI will recommend you.

The trick is to optimize your content so that when an AI tool is looking for a response, it picks you. And that’s exactly where our strategies come in.

7 Strategies to Get Mentioned in AI Responses

Now, let’s dive into some actionable strategies that can help your brand get noticed and mentioned by AI responses:

1. Optimize for AI Search SEO

Focus on the fundamentals: technical SEO, schema markup, and a clear brand identity. 

• Tip: Make sure your site is easily crawlable by AI. Use structured data and clear content hierarchies to help platforms understand your page’s context.
• Why it works: The easier it is for AI to interpret your content, the higher the chance it will reference your site when answering queries.

2. Publish Everywhere

AI training data is massive; try to find a way to make your brand omnipresent. 

• Tip: Create high-quality guest posts, press releases, and contributions to industry directories.
• Why it works: The more authoritative signals AI platforms see about your brand, the more likely they are to include you in their training data and referrals.

3. Write an AI-Training Press Release

Transform a compelling case study or success story into a press release that highlights your unique value. Distribute it widely so it’s likely to be scooped up into future AI training datasets.

• Tip: Craft a concise press release and distribute it widely.
• Why it works: These releases feed into AI datasets, boosting your chances of being referenced.

4. Produce High-Value, Original Content

Create original research, opinion pieces, or “we interviewed 1,000 customers” style articles that can help elevate your brand as a credible authority.

• Tip: Develop in-depth research pieces or expert opinion articles that add real value.
• Why it works: Original content is hard for AI to replicate, making it more likely to be seen as a trusted source.

5. Focus on People, Not Just Machines

While AI might eventually cite your domain, real conversions come from human relationships. 

• Tip: Incorporate testimonials, personal narratives, and community success stories. Invest in webinars, community building, email marketing, and referral partnerships—these can’t be replaced by a chatbot snippet.
• Why it works: Authentic, relatable content builds emotional resonance that AI tools favor.

6. Target Bottom-Funnel / Commercial Keywords

Prioritize keywords with strong “visit-website” intent.

• Tip: Optimize for commercial or “YMYL” (Your Money or Your Life) keywords that drive actual clicks.
• Why it works: These keywords are less likely to be answered solely by AI Overviews, which gets you higher engagement.

7. Monitor, Refine, Repeat

AI is still the Wild West. Keep a close eye on performance metrics and be ready to tweak your strategy.

• Tip: Use tools like GA4 to track AI referrals and adjust your approach based on real data.
• Why it works: Continuous optimization keeps your content fresh and highly visible to both AI and human users.

Tracking AI Referrals (So You Know What’s Actually Working)

Now that we’ve looked at how to increase your AI-driven traffic, let’s talk measurement. If you can’t see it in the numbers, does it really exist? (Yes, but it’s nice to quantify.) By integrating robust AI search engine optimization strategies into your digital marketing plan, you can effectively track and capitalize on AI-driven traffic through advanced GA4 setups.

Simple GA4 Filter

• Filter your Page Referrer to “chatgpt.com” (for ChatGPT) or use a more robust list of AI domains in regex.
• This approach is quick but may miss AI traffic from apps.
• Great for immediate insights: if you see anything, you’re officially on the AI referral map.

GA4 Exploration

• Build a custom exploration report in GA4 that includes “Page Referrer” with a robust regex to capture multiple AI domains (e.g., openai.com, perplexity.ai, chatgpt.com, etc.).
• This method offers deeper data: sessions, engagement rates, top pages, and more.

GA4 Custom Channel Group

• Create a new channel group in GA4 and reorder channels so that AI traffic is categorized before “Referral.”
• This systematically sorts AI traffic into its own channel, making it easier to monitor in standard reports.

Pro tip: Because many AI chat tools operate as apps, some traffic may show as “Direct” in GA4. Unfortunately, no analytics tool is perfect, so you’ll likely underestimate AI referrals—take any data with a grain of salt.

Quick Peek at How to Rank in Google AI Overview Search Engine

This is a crucial part of AI search engine optimization that not only helps you rank in traditional search but also positions your content to be featured in AI-powered overviews. (Yes, it’s an evolving topic, deserving its own blog post, but here’s the gist.)

Focus on E-E-A-T

What is E-E-A-T? Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. 

Google’s guidelines may keep shifting, but producing trustworthy, thorough content is always a solid approach.

Clarify Your Brand’s Value Proposition

Make sure your site clearly and consistently states what you do and why you’re unique. AI Overviews do best with crisp, plain-language statements.

Verify Your Brand Presence

Make your brand appear in official directories, local listings, and industry “Best of” platforms. The more reputable signals Google sees, the more likely your site will be flagged as a top source in that snazzy AI summary.

The Future: Disruption Isn’t Always Doom

Sure, AI can reduce traffic for certain queries, but it also opens new frontiers. Just like when social media arrived, or when “Featured Snippets” started dominating SERPs, the best approach is to adapt. Rethink your content strategy, measure everything you can (no matter how fuzzy the data is), and keep refining.

Ultimately, if you’re producing content that’s authentically useful, unique, and easy to discover—whether on Google, ChatGPT, or the next big AI tool—your brand can still thrive.

Let’s Embrace the AI Era—Without Sacrificing Our Humanity

At ImageX, we’re obsessed with helping you not just survive but flourish in the AI-augmented landscape. If you’re itching to see how your site measures up, need help refining your AI Search SEO tactics, or just want to geek out about the best ways to set up GA4 reports, we’re here.

Disruption will keep coming. But with the right mix of strategy, creativity, and a dash of wit, you can position your brand as a go-to source—both for AI chatbots and the real humans behind them.

Want to fast-track your path to AI-driven success? Talk to us—we promise it’s more enlightening than a chatbot conversation!