How to Guide AI Search Engines According to AI Optimisation King Dan Jones

Have you noticed how people are finding businesses differently these days? Instead of scrolling through pages of Google results, they're having conversations with AI. They open ChatGPT and ask "I need a better website with a budget of five thousand pounds. Do you know a local company who are the best in this industry?" or they ask Perplexity "My ecommerce site is losing customers at checkout. Can you recommend a UX specialist who can fix this?"

The AI doesn't give them ten options to compare. It gives them one name. Maybe two. Sometimes three at most.

Here's the problem: if that's not your business, you've just lost a potential customer who was ready to buy.

Dan Jones, known as the AI Optimisation King, has spent years working out how these AI systems decide which businesses to recommend. His strategies help companies show up when it matters most. This guide breaks down his framework so you can start appearing in AI recommendations.

Understanding How AI Assistants Make Recommendations

AI assistants verify before they recommend.

When someone asks "I need to improve my website's conversion rate. It's getting traffic but no sales. Can you recommend someone in the UK who specialises in this?", the AI searches for proof that a company actually provides that service, operates in that location and has the credibility worth mentioning.

Here's the verification process:

The AI searches indexes. ChatGPT relies on Bing. Google's AI Overviews use Google's index. Perplexity pulls from multiple sources including Reddit, YouTube and news sites.

It needs structured information. When your website clearly states what you do, AI can verify quickly. Vague marketing copy makes verification difficult.

It looks for external validation. The AI checks industry directories, third party reviews, trade publication features and listicle appearances. These sources confirm you exist and operate legitimately.

It prefers clear identity signals. Consistent name, address and description across platforms, mentions on authoritative sites and sufficient digital footprint all matter.

Think of it this way: AI wants accuracy. It won't recommend businesses it can't verify. More evidence equals more recommendations.

Why AI Search Matters for Your Business

Traditional Google search shows you alongside nine competitors. Even ranking first means customers see multiple options.

AI recommendations work differently.

When ChatGPT mentions your company in response to a query, there's often no competitor list. The person gets a direct answer. They might contact you immediately.

This changes customer acquisition entirely.

AI users have high purchase intent. They're not researching what conversion rate optimisation means. They're asking who can solve their specific problem. They want solutions now.

No competitor screen drives higher conversion rates. On Google, potential customers see your ad, three competitor ads, a local pack with more competitors and organic results with even more options. On ChatGPT, they might only see you.

Early adopters gain advantage. Most businesses focus entirely on Google rankings. They haven't adapted to AI search yet. Businesses optimising for AI visibility now establish themselves as default recommendations before competitors catch on.

Research analysing millions of AI citations reveals interesting patterns. Reddit appears in nearly half of ChatGPT citations. YouTube dominates Google's AI Overviews. Wikipedia features prominently across all platforms.

Businesses mentioned on these platforms have significant advantage.

Dan Jones's Framework for AI Search Optimisation

The AI Optimisation King has developed a systematic framework for influencing AI recommendations. Here's his approach.

Technical Signals AI Tools Need

AI crawlers require permission to access your website. Verify you're allowing OAI-SearchBot, bingbot and Google-Extended in your robots.txt file. Blocked crawlers can't index your content. Nothing else works if AI can't read your site.

Submit your sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools. ChatGPT relies heavily on Bing's index. Most businesses focus on Google Search Console and completely forget Bing.

Implement structured data markup. This machine readable code tells AI exactly what your business does.

Essential schema types include:

• Organisation schema with business name, logo and contact details

• LocalBusiness schema for geographic service areas

• Service schema describing each service

• FAQPage schema for frequently asked questions

• Review schema for testimonials

Structured data eliminates ambiguity. When AI asks "Does this company specialise in improving website conversion rates for ecommerce businesses?", schema provides clear answers rather than forcing AI to interpret marketing copy.

Build logical internal linking. Link services pages to relevant case studies. Connect location pages to services in those areas. This helps AI understand what you offer where.

Content Matching Natural AI Queries

People ask ChatGPT questions. They don't type keywords.

Your content should reflect this.

Create pages answering actual questions. "My website bounce rate is too high. How do I fix this?" "I need someone to redesign my outdated website. Who's the best in Manchester?" "My site loads slowly and I'm losing customers. Can you recommend a specialist?"

Question based pages give AI tools exactly what they need.

Structure content for easy extraction. Use short paragraphs. Place definitions near the start. Write clear statements that work standalone. Use bullet points for lists.

AI tools prefer content resembling their own output. If your answer reads like something ChatGPT would write, it recognises it as quality material.

Include FAQs on key service pages. Real customer questions with concise answers become prime material for AI tools.

Demonstrate expertise in your content. Don't just list services. Explain the thinking behind them. Share considerations for choosing between options. This positions you as the knowledgeable source AI can trust.

External Validation AI Requires

AI tools exercise caution. They seek third party validation before recommending you.

Here's what works:

• Get listed on industry directories Trade association member directories, industry specific listings and local chamber of commerce sites confirm legitimacy.
• Publish case studies on client websites or industry publications When your company name appears on authoritative third party sites, it signals credibility.
• Feature in trade publications Industry magazines, sector specific news sites and professional association newsletters carry more weight than social media posts.
• Appear in listicles "Top 10 web design agencies in the UK for conversion optimisation" style articles are exactly what AI tools reference. Appearing in these rankings on authoritative sites gives AI easy sources to cite.
• Issue press releases New service launches, company milestones and industry awards create additional reference points.
• Build presence on heavily cited platforms Reddit discussions in relevant subreddits, YouTube content demonstrating expertise and Quora answers to industry questions all matter.

Research shows these community driven platforms account for massive percentages of AI citations. Reddit ranks in the top three for every major AI platform.

Every external mention on credible platforms provides another piece of evidence AI can use to verify your business.

Working with On Top Marketing

Most marketing agencies focus exclusively on traditional SEO. Rankings, click through rates and keyword positions.

These still matter. They're not the complete picture anymore.

On Top Marketing specialises in AI search visibility. We help businesses appear more often in ChatGPT and Perplexity answers.

Dan Jones has developed a framework specifically for influencing AI recommendations. This involves auditing current AI visibility, identifying gaps in technical setup, content structure and external presence, then systematically addressing each element.

The goal isn't tricking AI tools. It's making your business so clearly verifiable that when someone asks an AI about your type of service, it has no reason not to mention you.