How to Pivot Your Content from Search Engines to AI Engines

Let’s get one thing out of the way: I’m not here to dump on SEO. I’ve been playing that game for years. Keywords, meta descriptions, internal links, the whole dance. And for a long time, it worked. People searched, Google served, and traffic came. I even wrote about it a few weeks ago.

But something’s changed.

These days, when someone has a question—especially a specific, answerable one—they’re not Googling. They’re opening ChatGPT. Or Perplexity. Or Claude. Or whatever new AI tool is dominating their browser tab.

I certainly use AI way more than search. Whether it’s to find a recipe or answer a complex question, it’s just way simpler to ask AI than to dig through pages of Google. Most of the time, the best results on Google don’t even answer your question. They just frustrate you.

The future of online discovery isn’t 10 blue links—it’s an AI-generated summary, often with no source in sight.

That’s great for users. It’s… less great for folks like me who publish content and rely on people actually visiting a website.

So now I’m starting the great pivot. From optimizing for search engines to optimizing for AI engines. Here’s what that means.

What the Hell Is AI Traffic?

AI traffic isn’t the same as SEO traffic. It’s not always trackable. It’s not even always clickable. But it’s real.

It’s when someone asks ChatGPT, “What Should I Grill Next on the Big Green Egg?” and the answer includes a snippet—your snippet—from a blog post you wrote three years ago in a fit of backyard BBQ inspiration. Sometimes you get credited. Sometimes you don’t. But your voice, your expertise, and your content are now part of the machine.

And if you’re not building content in a way that AI can find, understand, and trust, you’re probably being left out of the summary.

Traditional SEO Alone Isn’t Cutting It

Let me put it bluntly: if your entire content strategy still revolves around hitting top 3 rankings on Google… you’re writing for a platform that’s losing its monopoly.

Google is still alive (for now), but AI is chewing up a big chunk of its use cases—especially quick answers, how-tos, product comparisons, and yes, recipes.

Side note: I have to say, it’s very enjoyable to look up a recipe and just get the recipe. Not a long intro story about how much a person’s family enjoyed the dish and their deep inspirations for sharing. No pop ups, no ads, no videos playing. Just the recipe you were hoping to find.

By the way, when Google does show links, it’s increasingly hiding them behind its AI-powered summaries (see: the Search Generative Experience, which feels like ChatGPT got a Google facelift).

So unless you’re publishing something deeply unique or wildly entertaining, your blog post might never get seen. Or clicked. Or remembered. Or in my case, it will have a wild month long run of searches and then fall off a digital cliff.

So Here’s What I’m Doing Instead

This blog has always been a mix of parenting, food, tech, and whatever else I’m nerding out on that week. But now I’m rethinking how I structure my posts—because AI doesn’t just crawl, it extracts. And I want to be extractable (who doesn’t really??)

Here’s the shift:

1. Chunkable Content

No more big, wandering paragraphs (okay, maybe just a few). I’m writing in digestible sections, with clear headers like:

• “What You Need to Know”
• “Step-by-Step”
• “Quick Answer”

AI tools love structure. If you make it easy to pull a quote, you’re more likely to get quoted.

2. Natural Q&A Format

I’m starting to sprinkle in natural language questions within posts. Think:

• What temperature should I cook brisket to?
• Is the Big Green Egg good for beginners?
  That makes it easier for tools like ChatGPT to match user intent to your content

3. Actual Opinions

AI is great at summarizing bland, middle-of-the-road content. But it struggles to replicate your take. So I’m leaning into mine. More stories. More jokes. More “here’s what actually worked for me” instead of just regurgitating tips from a dozen other blogs. I do like to think that people who read my posts can see a little part of my personality in the words.

Where AI Gets Its Answers (and How I’m Getting In There)

Here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: AI tools aren’t just pulling from Google. They’re pulling from everywhere—blogs, Reddit threads, Substack newsletters, open web sources, GitHub, forums, and anything with clean markup and crawl-friendly settings. So for people like me who roll their eyes at Substack, it’s something content creators need to consider.

So I’m doing a few things:

• Making sure my robots.txt doesn’t block AI crawlers like ChatGPT-User or PerplexityBot.
• Publishing more on platforms AI tools love to read (like Substack). I did start one.
• Writing stuff that feels answerable, not just readable. Am I asking a question that someone may actually ask?

One huge area that I am not taking advantage of is being active on Reddit. But to be realistic, I don’t see myself jumping in there even though AI tools love citing Reddit threads. Go figure.

Measuring AI Traffic (Spoiler: You Mostly Can’t)

This is the Wild West. There’s no neat dashboard showing your “ChatGPT referral traffic.” Sometimes you’ll get a mention and a backlink (Perplexity is decent for that). Sometimes a user will say “I found your site through ChatGPT” (bless them). Most of the time? You’re flying blind.

But just because it’s hard to track doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

I’m starting to pay more attention to:

• Spikes in traffic after publishing AI-friendly posts
• Mentions or citations from unexpected sources
• Questions I’m getting from readers that sound suspiciously AI-prompted

The One Thing AI Can’t Fake (Yet)

Let’s talk about what makes you you. Your tone. Your stories. Your “I made this mistake so you don’t have to” lessons. That’s the stuff AI tools can’t replicate. And that’s what people remember.

So I’m leaning in. Whether I’m writing about parenting teenage boys, reverse-searing steak, or trying to understand why my ear clicks when I pee (don’t ask), I’m keeping my human voice front and center.

Because even if AI delivers the answer, people still want to connect with someone behind it. At least for now.

This reminds me, I once used Chat GPT to help me plan my weekly family meals.

What to do next? Don’t Panic—Pivot

SEO isn’t dead. But it’s definitely not the only game in town anymore.

If you’re a blogger, creator, or marketer (hi fellow nerds), it’s time to start thinking beyond the keyword and towards the conversation. Make your content easy for AI to find, quote, and trust—but don’t lose your voice in the process.

This post? It’s part of my experiment. I’ll let you know if ChatGPT ever recommends it.

What about you? Have you noticed a dip in your search traffic? Or spotted one of your own blog posts popping up in an AI summary? Hit me up—I’d love to hear what you’re seeing.

Further Reading on AI Traffic & Content Discovery

If you’re as nerdy about this stuff as I am, here are a few solid reads that go deeper into the AI vs. SEO shift:

• Google’s Search Generative Experience Is Changing the Game
  Google’s own overview of how it’s integrating AI into search results—and what it means for content visibility.
• How AI Tools Like ChatGPT Are Reshaping Search – Moz
  A great primer on how AI is impacting traditional SEO and what to do about it.
• OpenAI: How Our Web Crawler Works
  Want to know how ChatGPT finds and uses web content? This is the source.
• SEO in the Age of AI – Rand Fishkin’s Take
  Rand’s no-BS approach to the death of the click and what it means for creators.
• What Is Perplexity.ai and Why It Might Replace Google for Some Users
  A peek at the AI engine that actually gives citations and might be your next best referral source.