For years marketers have been trying to ask the same question: “How do we get to the top of the Google search?” And for no good reason. Search rankings built a lot of businesses.

But the way people look for answers are changing. Instead of just typing, “Who is the best accountant near me?”

That changes the game. The opportunity is no longer getting found. It’s becoming one business that gets mentioned, cited, recommended, or remembered when AI assembles the answer. You don’t want to just rank. You want to become recommendable.

Start by thinking about your business the way a customer would describe it when they’re ready to buy. Not the polished sentence on your homepage. The real problem they’re trying to solve. A roofing company might say, “Who can replace my roof quickly after a hailstorm and actually show up when they say they will?” That difference is where your opportunity lives.

Next, look at your marketing through that lens. If someone or an AI search tried to figure out whether you deserve to be recommended, what would they find? Does your website clearly explain what you specialize in? Do your reviews mention the results you create? Do you have content that answers real customer questions? Are there credible third party mentions that back up what you say about yourself?

Then tighten your positioning. You don’t need to the best company for everyone. You need to become the obvious answer for something specific. The landscaping company for luxury outdoor kitchens. The marketing agency for independent dental practices. The software consults who help manufactures automate outdated processes. Specify what makes you easier to understand, easier to remember, and easier to recommend.

Finally, ask yourself one simple question: What evidence exists online that proves your claim? If the answer is “not much,” that’s your next move. Build the proof through stronger reviews, better case studies, useful content, and credible mentions. You don’t need to overhaul your entire marketing strategy. You just need to make it easier for both people to understand why you’re worth recommending.

Instead of guessing what customers might ask, use AI to reverse engineer the recommendation journey. Give it information about the business, customer market, and differentiators. Then have it generate the questions a high intent prospect would ask before making a buying decision.

Now compare those questions against your existing marketing. Do you have content answering them? Do you have proof supporting the answers? Do your reviews reinforce your positioning? Do credible third party sources validate what you claim?

Try this copy + paste prompt:

1️⃣Podcast: Search Engine Journal Show.

This is a great one to keep in your rotation if you want to stay ahead of how search, AI, and digital discovery are changing. A recent episode, Why AI Recommends Your Competitor & What To Do About It, is especially on-point for this week’s Playbook.

2️⃣Article: The Complete AI Visibility Guide — Ahrefs.

This is a practical breakdown of what “AI visibility” actually means, how brands show up across tools like ChatGPT, Google AI, Claude, and Perplexity, and what marketers can do to improve their chances of being referenced. If you want to understand where search is headed without getting buried in jargon, start here

3️⃣Book: They Ask, You Answer — Marcus Sheridan.

The technology has changed, but the strategy is more relevant than ever: figure out what your customers are asking and become the business that gives them the clearest, most useful answers. That mindset works for human buyers, traditional search, and the new world of AI recommendations.

Done-For-You: Want me to run this play for you? My Buzz Packages are designed for business owners who want expert results without the guesswork. We handle the strategy, the content, and the execution. The Promotion Sprint .

Done-With-You: Need a custom playbook for your specific situation? Book a 1-on-1 Strategy Call with me. We’ll spend an hour building a roadmap tailored to your exact goals. .

Do-It-Yourself: Want the tools to run these plays yourself? The Outlaw AI Toolkit gives you 9 expert-trained AI assistants to handle your marketing in minutes a day.