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Most entrepreneurs we speak with are at a similar point: They’ve realized that customers today no longer just use Google, but are increasingly turning to ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI summary feature. And they sense that it’s not enough to simply wait and see. What’s usually missing isn’t insight, but an answer to the question: What specific steps can I take, besides improving my own website?
That’s exactly what this post is about. Having your own website is important, but AI systems draw their answers from many sources across the internet—news articles, forums, review sites, and trade magazines. If you’re not featured there, you’re less likely to be mentioned in the AI’s response, no matter how good your own site is. Here are five ways to actively work toward that goal, with real-world examples.
Option 1: Get yourself featured where the AI has already mentioned you (Mention Outreach)
Here’s a simple first test: Ask ChatGPT about the top providers in your industry. Does your company come up? Often, the answer is no—not because you’re bad, but because the articles the AI draws on simply don’t mention you.
This is exactly where Mention Outreach comes in: You can find out which websites the AI is already using as sources for your most important search queries, and then reach out to their editorial teams—with a polite request to include your company in the existing article. The book *Generative Engine Optimization* describes exactly this scenario using the example of a tax app: The AI recommended several competing products but not the company’s own app because none of the cited sources mentioned it. After reaching out to one of these sources, the app subsequently appeared at the very top of the answer for the same question.
The advantage of this approach is that you don’t have to create new content; you simply need to supplement existing, already trustworthy content with your own. The effort mainly lies in research and in asking questions patiently and professionally.
Option 2: Join the conversation where your target audience is already discussing things (community marketing)
AI systems rely on forum posts—especially on Reddit—with striking frequency when people ask for experiences or recommendations. If someone doesn’t appear in such discussions at all, the AI is less likely to mention them.
The idea behind this is simple, but it requires a delicate touch: Experts from your company should participate in relevant discussions honestly and by providing genuine value, rather than crudely promoting their own brand. Those who provide genuinely helpful answers and, when the opportunity arises, refer to their own post will be accepted by the community—and, as a result, will appear more frequently in the sources that AI systems draw upon.
The honest truth is this: Community work is hard to just “check off the list” as part of a campaign. It requires continuity and doesn’t yield immediate results, but in the long run, it pays off in terms of both trust and visibility.
Option 3: Reach out to the press with real data (Digital PR)
Do you have data that no one else has? Your own market observations, analyses from day-to-day operations, a small survey of customers? That’s exactly what digital PR is based on: You present this data in an easy-to-understand way—for example, as a graphic or a brief analysis—and share it specifically with journalists who cover your topic.
An online dog magazine did just that to turn an unknown website into a cited source in ChatGPT: by publishing an analysis of dog taxes in nearly 400 German cities, which numerous media outlets picked up on. What matters is the news value: the figures must be interesting enough for others that they’ll want to write about them voluntarily. Not every company has this kind of data readily available, but most have more of it than they realize.
Option 4: Use editorial advertising space in trade publications (advertorials)
An advertorial is an editorially formatted piece in a magazine or industry portal that is clearly identified as an advertisement—for example, a comparison test that features your product. Unlike traditional banner ads, a good advertorial provides genuine informational value, complete with comparison tables, test criteria, and a clear recommendation. It is precisely this structure that AI systems like to take advantage of, because it delivers easily understandable nuggets of information.
This is clearly evident in the insurance sector: A provider that places a sponsored post in a high-reach medium subsequently appears in the AI’s response to questions such as “Which auto insurance is the cheapest?”—while competitors without such a placement come up empty-handed. One downside: Since this is clearly labeled advertising, any link to the provider’s own site must be technically marked as such (using the so-called “nofollow” attribute)—this somewhat diminishes the effect on traditional Google rankings, but for AI visibility, it’s the content itself that matters most.
Method 5: Actively Collect Reviews Instead of Just Hoping for Them (Review Marketing)
AI systems often turn to review sites when dealing with questions about experiences or customer satisfaction. Here’s a telling—albeit unpleasant—example from the energy sector: If you ask an AI which low-cost electricity provider you should be wary of due to poor customer service, it will sometimes directly quote negative reviews from a site like Trustpilot.
The good news: This works just as well the other way around. By actively and regularly asking satisfied customers for an honest review, you not only improve the first impression potential customers have of your brand, but also how AI talks about your brand. The catch: This only works if the service behind it is actually up to par. Collecting reviews without working on the actual customer experience will quickly backfire.
Where’s the best place to start?
You don’t have to take all five approaches at once. It makes more sense to start with one or two strategies that fit your business: A small business with many satisfied customers often benefits most quickly from review marketing. A company with unusual statistics or market insights has a strong case for digital PR. If you’re operating in a niche with an active community, you should engage with that community rather than ignore your target audience.
The key is to just get started and keep at it regularly—experience shows that one-time efforts tend to fizzle out after a few weeks.
How we at “Gestaltung unserer Tage” can help you put this into practice
This is exactly where we take over the work for you, instead of just giving you the theory: Together with you, we’ll figure out which of the five approaches best suits your business, create the necessary content, reach out to editorial teams and platforms, and set up monitoring so you can see in real time whether this is reflected in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. So you don’t have to learn how to use Mention Outreach, digital PR, or GEO tools on your own—we’ll take care of that. Just email us at info@g-u-t.de, and together we’ll figure out the best place for you to start.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI Visibility Outside Your Own Website
Isn’t it enough to just improve my website?
No, that alone isn’t enough. AI systems base their answers on many external sources, such as news articles, forums, and review sites. Even a technically flawless website is mentioned less often if it doesn’t appear anywhere else on the web.
What’s the fastest way to see initial results?
Review marketing and advertorials often yield the fastest initial results because they build directly on existing, already trustworthy platforms. Mention outreach and community marketing usually require a bit more patience, but their effects are often more lasting.
Do I have to pay for all these services?
No. Mention Outreach, community marketing, and digital PR are fundamentally based on time and effective communication, not on an advertising budget. Only advertorials are a paid placement.
How do I measure whether these measures are effective?
Specialized monitoring tools let you track whether and how often your brand is mentioned or cited as a source in response to relevant questions on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and similar platforms. This way, you can see in black and white which strategies are actually having an impact.
Can “Gestaltung unserer Tage” implement these measures for us?
Yes. We’ll find the right mix of the five approaches, create the necessary content, reach out to editorial teams and platforms, and set up ongoing monitoring. Just email us at info@g-u-t.de.
