‘How do I optimise content to increase engagement or sales?’ – or variations of this question – is arguably one of the most searched for in the age of AI. For marketers and business owners alike, the quest to rank at the top of search results – and now Large Language Models (LLMs) too — has become a Lord of the Rings-like adventure. We are in uncharted territory, where the terrain and the challenges change as rapidly as the weather in Middle-earth.

Here, Yoghurt Digital founder Matthew Forzan lays out the essential pillars to guide you on your quest for digital marketing strategy and rankings success. 

When it comes to improving Google search visibility in the age of AI, content is as important as ever – but it needs to satisfy users quickly.

While there are currently a lot of studies and research around optimising for these types of searches, at Yoghurt Digital, we’re starting to see more and more referrals for our agency’s services from ChatGPT, Perplexity and other Large Language Models (LLMs) as users shift from traditional searches to more complex queries. 

However, our findings indicate that one of the strongest influences for LLMs is traditional website visibility itself. If you perform well in traditional search, you typically have a good opportunity to do well in LLMs – at least for the moment!

Here are some key pillars to help further optimise your marketing strategy within Google’s AI search engine:

Technical SEO requirements 

While some may argue that SEO is dead, it remains a crucial element for improving a website’s performance. Ensuring that factors such as site speed, navigation and internal links are set up for crawlability is key to boosting search engine rankings. 

As more users turn to mobile devices for their searches, mobile optimisation, such as following Google’s best practices for images and videos to enhance their visibility in search results, has become essential.

Beyond the standard technical optimisations, one key aspect that often goes overlooked is schema. Schema is a backend code that helps search engines understand specific elements on a page without disrupting the user experience. It acts as a language for search engines, guiding them in interpreting content accurately.

For example, while a dollar sign ($) may indicate a price, it may also be interpreted as a typo or something else entirely. By using schema to clearly define it as ‘price’, search engines can quickly identify it as the correct price for a product, avoiding any ambiguity. 

This precise structure ensures that search engines can properly understand and categorise content, ultimately improving visibility and search performance, helping with queries such as ‘what are the best running shoes for under $100 available at Bondi Junction Westfields’.

Google merchant basics

When it comes to Google search, a business’s appearance matters. E-commerce sites have the benefit of being able to include review stars, shipping costs, free returns and even current discounts – yet some of the largest retailers still aren’t taking advantage of this.

When your product is up against thousands of others, having a high-quality image and need-to-know information that stands out and is easily digestible is crucial. That way, when it appears at the top of searches, it will help potential customers make informed decisions, increasing the chance for conversions.

Publisher relationship building

If an everyday person is looking to get into running, they might enter a search term such as ‘Best running shoes for beginners’. This type of consumer may be overwhelmed by the amount of options available and will greatly benefit from information that will assist them in their purchasing decision. Additionally, pages that directly answer these search queries are more likely to show up in Google’s AI overview than products. This is where link building and digital PR come in.

Link building is an essential aspect of SEO that involves a blend of digital PR strategies and relationship-building with strategic publishers. This is one of the best ways to reach new customers, diversify your link profile and build customer trust.

For example, retailers who sell running shoes will want to be included in product roundups and gift guides of the best running shoes, which ideally feature clean links to the product landing page. These informative articles are also more likely to get picked up by Google’s crawlers and be featured in an AI overview while helping potential customers make informed purchase decisions.

Too long; didn’t read summaries

Consumers are increasingly turning to search engines and AI tools such as ChatGPT to get answers to their questions, whether it’s ‘How do I unclog a drain?’, ‘What’s the cheapest way to fix my bike?’, or ‘Can I order a dress online for delivery tomorrow?’. 

Each of these questions presents an opportunity for your business. That’s why having clear, informative sections on your website, like ‘How to’ guides and FAQs, is essential to address customer concerns and common problems.

Instead of focusing solely on the product, leading your strategy with the problem your business is solving allows you to create content that’s both helpful and impactful. This, combined with a solid digital strategy, results in a comprehensive campaign that positions your brand at the forefront of your market.

While long-form content has traditionally been key to ranking in search engines, the rise of AI-driven overviews and LLMs is shifting the focus toward shorter, more succinct answers. However, this doesn’t mean abandoning long-form content altogether. It means offering concise answers up front, such as a ‘TL;DR’ (Too Long; Didn’t Read) summary, with detailed content available for those who want more information.

Incorporating author profiles, timestamps and other E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) signals further strengthens your content, helping you rank higher across various search experiences. By balancing brevity with depth, you can create content that meets the needs of a wide audience while ensuring strong performance in search results.

In summary

Traditional marketing and technical SEO are not dead, but your strategy needs to keep evolving in order to garner your desired results and high rankings within search engines.

Whether you want to show up in Google’s AI overview or have leads generated via Chat GPT, if you keep optimising your website content for users and continue to provide them with the best answers to their queries, you will likely see some wins.

Matthew Forzan is the founder of data-driven Sydney-based agency Yoghurt Digital and has nearly two decades of industry experience. He is a seasoned digital marketing professional with deep expertise in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), paid search, social marketing and user experience.

Forzan’s mission is to help businesses boost their online presence and reach their full potential through targeted, high-impact digital marketing strategies. He has played a pivotal role in driving traffic and conversions for some of Australia’s top e-commerce and B2B brands such as RM Williams, Adairs, P&O Cruises, NRL, ANZ Bank and H&R Block.

He has also spent more than a decade as a guest lecturer at UNSW and, in recent years, at Macquarie University, mentoring the next generation of digital marketers.

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