Can We Get AI to Say Nice Things About Us?

People are increasingly turning to AI for answers. This shift in information-seeking behavior raises the question: can our digital strategies influence AI's recommendations, leading it to suggest, for example, RSO Consulting when someone asks about the best SEO firm for tech companies?

It's a fascinating question, and the answer is layered. While we can't directly tell AI what to share (there's no 'recommend RSO' button we can press!), there are ways our online presence and content strategy can influence its responses.

The Influence Game: How AI Makes Recommendations

AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity draw upon the vast amounts of text and data they've been trained on to answer questions. This training data is incredibly diverse, encompassing sources like books, articles, websites, social media posts, code repositories, and even multimedia like images and audio. The AI learns patterns and relationships within this massive dataset to understand and generate human-like text.

Some AI models also have the capability to browse the internet in real-time to gather more up-to-date information. This means that when a user asks a question, the AI model isn't limited to its training data; it can actively search for and incorporate current information into its response. Therefore, our online presence today – the content we publish, the mentions we receive, our overall authority – can influence what these web-browsing AIs might recommend in response to user queries.

So, while we can't directly demand that AIs "always recommend RSO Consulting," our online ecosystem – our website content, our reputation, our thought leadership – becomes part of the data the AI analyzes, especially for those AIs with web-browsing capabilities.

SEO Plays a Crucial Role

This is where strong SEO comes into play. If our website is highly relevant, authoritative, and ranks well for keywords related to our services, it's more likely to be considered a valuable source of information by an AI model.

Here’s an example: If an AI is asked about the best retirement planning tech, it will likely pull information from highly-ranked websites, reputable financial publications, and user reviews. If your retirement planning tech company has a strong online presence and is consistently cited as a leader in the field, the AI is more likely to include it in its recommendations.

Content is King (Especially for AI)

Creating high-quality, informative content that positions us as experts is also crucial. If we consistently publish insightful blog posts, case studies, and resources related to our expertise, we're feeding the AI with valuable information about our authority. Here’s more on how to write great content for the web. 

The Takeaway: Earn the Recommendation

So, can we get AI to say nice things about us when users ask? Not directly. But by focusing on building a strong online presence through effective SEO, high-quality content, and a genuine commitment to our clients, we increase the likelihood that AI will recognize us as a valuable resource. Ultimately, the "nice things" an AI might say are a reflection of the real value we provide. Your unique brand voice and genuine human connection are what truly set you apart, even in the eyes of AI. 

Let RSO Consulting help you build a strong online foundation, so you're well-positioned to be recognized as a leader in your industry, even by our increasingly-intelligent digital assistants.