AI models mirror how the human brain works, with brands that have strong reputations seen as more trustworthy (think Michelin and Four Seasons). Wil argues that for brands to win in AI search, the most valuable work is building trust with real people and the thought leaders they listen to.
Wil's perspective: Blogs are at an all-time low for delivering results, with formulaic posts (or what Wil calls "zombie content") becoming the norm. With Google, brands could trick the search engine into visibility via keyword-stuffing and other gimmicky tactics. But AI is built differently, and you can't earn visibility without building real brand perception.
What your brand can do: Spend 10% of your effort on memorable content instead of 100% on ignorable work. Look at whether you have any memorable pieces of content that still get traffic years later from direct and social sources. If you do, figure out what makes it different and work to replicate that in new content. If you don't, it probably means you need to rethink your content strategy and move away from low-quality, lifeless pieces.
Wil's perspective: Wil points out that people tend to hardwire brands in their brains, such as how Michelin remains a global standard for fine dining. AI does the same thing, even going as far as to search for specific brands it already trusts. It's hard work, but worth the long-term benefits.
What your brand can do: Run prompts in AI tools and look at the query fan-out data to see if you or your competitors are appearing in the queries. Start measuring a new KPI that tracks % of fan-outs with your brand in them. If you're not mentioned, revisit takeaway #1 and focus on better marketing.
Wil's perspective: In a world of infinite content, curators are valuable because people trust them. Aim to get trusted thought leaders in your space talking (positively) about your brand.
What your brand can do: Survey employees and clients to see what industry pubs they read and which voices they follow. Look at whether they're talking about your brand. If not, focus on creating original content like data-driven research those people will want to share.
Wil's perspective: Wil highlights how human-driven channels convert better for Seer than organic: direct at 2.5x, social at 6x, and referral at 3x. He also points out that content that wins with humans tends to lead to connections and opportunities.
What your brand can do: Assign different values to human-driven traffic sources (social, direct, referral) versus search and AI. Pull URL-level data across these channels and build a model based on combined values. Also track secondary benefits, like media coverage, social engagement, or speaking opportunities.
Wil's perspective: Wil points to Perplexity trust scores and Google warning labels as signals that AI is moving away from trusting generic content. Instead of relying on gimmicky tactics, focus on strategies with lasting impact.
What your brand can do: Avoid tactics with patterns that are easy for AI to spot, like self-promotional listicles. Estimate how long you expect a tactic to realistically work, and plan to offset the risk if it's short-term (such as under a year). Build a KPI around trust based on curator mentions or thought-leader shares.
Wil has spoken at Content Marketing World on and off since 2019. As the largest conference for content-driven growth, CMW is one of Wil's favorite forums to discuss the shifting goals of content and how to use content to build a business that lasts. The diverse audience provides a great opportunity for him to share Seer's latest AI content experiments and connect on the importance of high-quality content in the age of AI.