AI optimization is everywhere right now. Whether you call it AI SEO, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AIO, or any other acronym, one thing is clear: no one is truly an expert yet. This industry is brand new and changing so rapidly that anyone claiming to have all the answers is probably trying to sell you something.
I’ve spoken with three people just this week who received expensive pitches from “AI optimization companies” promising secret systems and guaranteed results. Here’s what you actually need to know about the current state of AI optimization and how to separate legitimate strategies from expensive snake oil.
The Reality: There Are No Secrets in AI Optimization
Let me be completely transparent: I call my company an AI optimization agency because that’s our primary focus. I’m not against people using that term. But we need to be honest about what we actually know.
The truth is, there are no secrets in 2025. Yes, people are constantly finding new ways to rank in large language models like ChatGPT, but anyone paying attention will know about these methods within a week. The landscape changes too quickly for anyone to maintain a competitive advantage through secrecy.
AI Optimization (AIO) refers to refining your content and website so that AI-driven tools can easily find, understand, and highlight it. But the strategies that work today might not work next month.
The 4 Categories of AI Optimization Tactics
Everything people are calling AI optimization right now can be broken down into four distinct categories:
Category 1: Traditional SEO
These are fundamental SEO practices like keyword optimization and backlink building. Yes, traditional SEO practices (like quality link building, on-page optimization, etc.) are still crucial in the age of AI. The reason is that AI models often learn from or utilize content that search engines consider authoritative.
Anything that helps you with SEO will also help you rank in large language models because they’re using search engines under the hood. However, many SEOs are saying it’s exactly the same thing – and that’s not true.
Category 2: AI-Focused SEO
These are tactics that are generally helpful for traditional SEO but provide even more benefit for ranking in ChatGPT and other large language models.
Examples include:
- Adding comprehensive FAQ sections with schema markup: This provides AI models with ready-made Q&A pairs – concise, factual answers that they can easily pick up and use in responses
- Securing brand mentions across the web: Not every mention has to be a backlink to be valuable. Unlinked brand mentions on reputable sites still contribute to your authority in the eyes of AI models
- Using structured data and clean formatting: This helps AI models extract facts and context more accurately
Category 3: AI Hacks (Avoid These)
These are spammy tactics that might work temporarily but will likely get you penalized. Just as with SEO, there are shady AIO tactics that might seem to give an edge but ultimately should be avoided.
Hidden prompt injections: This involves hiding text on your website containing instructions aimed at manipulating AI output. Search engines explicitly warn against embedding hidden prompts to influence AI, which can get your site demoted or delisted.
Press release spam: Some have attempted to pump out loads of low-quality press releases purely to get mentions across the web. This is a short-lived, risky strategy that SEO experts warn against as it can hurt your site’s reputation.
Category 4: Pure Speculation
This might be the biggest category – ideas that sound logical but lack sufficient data to prove effectiveness. At the current stage, these kinds of technical tweaks are mostly unproven or marginal in impact.
Examples include:
- LLMs.txt files: As of mid-2025, only one major AI (Anthropic’s model) actively supports reading LLMs.txt, while others like OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Google’s Bard do not really utilize it
- Excessive structured data: Adding tons of extra schema tags beyond relevance won’t magically boost AI rankings and can even lead to penalties
I’d estimate this speculation category makes up about 60% of the tactics I see being promoted. People have no problem passing off speculation as proven knowledge, even with practically no data to support it.
The Most Important Category: Unknown Solutions
There’s actually a fifth category that might be the most important: all the ideas that actually work that no one’s even thought of yet.
We haven’t discovered these solutions because we don’t understand the technology well enough yet, or because the technology that will enable them doesn’t exist yet. The tactics that work well six months or a year from now will probably be very different from what we’re doing right now.
How to Choose the Right AI Optimization Partner
If you’re looking to hire someone for AI optimization, you should not be looking for someone with all the answers. In fact, you should run away from those people.
When selecting an AIO agency or consultant, be wary of any agency that claims to have a proprietary, secret sauce for AI rankings or guarantees instant results. The truth is that no one has a perfect formula for AIO yet.
Instead, look for someone who:
- Emphasizes continuous learning: The AI search space changes rapidly, so you want a team that stays up-to-date and invests in ongoing learning
- Uses transparent, data-driven strategies: They should be able to explain their approach in clear terms and provide regular reporting
- Focuses on fundamentals: They should understand that solid SEO practices remain the foundation
- Admits what they don’t know: Honest practitioners acknowledge the limitations of current knowledge
The Bottom Line
We need more data, more time, and the technology will continue evolving. Things are changing faster than ever, so we have to adapt just as quickly.
At TJ Digital, we approach AI optimization with the same transparency we bring to all our services. We focus on proven fundamentals while carefully testing new strategies. We’re honest about what works, what doesn’t, and what we’re still learning.
Ready to work with an AI optimization agency that’s honest about the current state of the industry? Contact TJ Digital today for a free digital marketing audit. We’ll show you exactly what we know, what we’re testing, and how we can help your business show up where your customers are searching – without the hype or false promises.