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Case study · AI search optimization + SEO · Client for 10 years
How a Fortune 500 technology consultancy is getting recommended by AI, not just ranked by Google
For a decade we've been the SEO partner for one of the world's largest technology consulting firms. As buyers started asking AI assistants which firm to hire, we expanded that work into AI search: mapping the questions AI asks behind the scenes, strengthening the sources it trusts, and measuring visibility that never shows up as a click.
The challenge
When AI decides who makes the shortlist
A huge, complex footprint
A very large site spanning services, industries, insights, research and multiple subdomains, all competing to be understood as one authoritative brand.
Buyers ask AI first
Executives now ask AI assistants to compare firms and recommend partners. If the brand isn't in those answers, it isn't on the shortlist.
Visibility without clicks
An AI citation can influence a buyer without ever sending a visit, and some AI traffic shows up in analytics as "direct." Traditional reports miss it.
The experiment
HYPOTHESIS
If we optimize for the questions AI asks before it recommends a firm, not just the keywords people type, the brand will show up where enterprise buyers now make decisions.
AI search
Win the answer
- Fan-out analysis of priority buyer prompts, tracking which sources AI surfaces, whether the brand appears, and which competitors do.
- LLM visibility audits against competitors, with page-by-page recommendations.
- Wikipedia, done carefully: non-promotional updates, an awards section and new citations to the firm's own insights.
- AI-readiness fixes for flagged pages, and a content refresh program, since AI favors recently updated pages.
SEO foundations
Make the site make sense
- Schema across the site, including services, organization and leadership pages.
- On-page optimization for AI, business process and consulting service pages.
- A glossary program with 100+ potential new pages for the terms buyers search.
- Technical audits and redirects that reclaimed broken backlinks and fixed errors.
Measurement
Count what AI does
- Search Console verified across the whole domain, unlocking Google News data for the first time.
- A tag to capture visits from Google AI Overviews that would otherwise look like direct traffic.
- Monthly reports split by thought leadership and the firm's AI research lab, with AI Overview rankings tracked over time.
- Navigation and labels tested against real query data before launch.
How we map what AI asks before it recommends a firm
One buyer question becomes many hidden searches. We track each one.
- Providersenterprise AI companies
- Best / listbest enterprise AI firms
- Industrybest enterprise AI firms for healthcare
- Comparison[client] vs. [competitor] AI
- Problemhow can I integrate AI into my enterprise systems
- Outcomesenterprise AI ROI
- Proofenterprise AI case studies
- Authorityleaders in enterprise AI
The results
More visible to Google, and to AI
Thought leadership is where AI looks for expertise, and it's where the gains are clearest.
A small example of big thinking
SERVICE LABEL · BEFORE LAUNCH
"AI-powered operations" → "managed services"
Buyers and AI models search for managed services, with 21K searches for a single related term. Nobody searches for the internal strategy word "operations."
SERVICE LABEL · BEFORE LAUNCH
"AI infrastructure & workplace" → "data center"
In real search data, "workplace" means HR and culture, with 303K searches for workplace diversity alone. Leading with it would have confused both people and AI about what the page covers.
The Simple Search Marketing team provides us with exceptional service, collaboration, on-demand insights and strategic support. We are very pleased with our partnership and the value it affords us.
AI search optimization
Is AI recommending you, or your competitors?
We'll map the questions your buyers ask AI, show where you appear and where competitors do, and build a plan to close the gaps.
we'll show you the fan-out for your brand ↓