Approchable Strategies For the Creative Maker Mind
Guide to AI Visibility For Creative Small Businesses
Want AI to Give Visibility to Your Creative Biz? Here’s How to Show Up (Without Tech Overwhelm)
AKA: The chill creative’s guide to AI visibility in 2025 (The non-tech-bro version)
Let’s get something straight: You don’t need a marketing department, a team of tech wizards, or an SEO degree to get noticed by AI search engines.
You just need content that answers real questions, in your voice, for your people.
However, first, you need to understand the mechanisms responsible for how your brand-specific content is even seen.
I get it; if plain old SEO wasn’t intimidating enough, now you need to consider AIO, LLMO, AISEO, AEO, GEO, SGE, and SXO (Wow, that’s a mouthful).
So what does all this jargon mean? This is important for context before we get into the weeds of growing your brand’s AI visibility. If your eyes are already glazing over, don’t worry, I’ll cover why the heck it matters for your creative small business later in this post.
Here’s the simple, no-fluff version so you don’t have to wade through the jargon, and how to make it work for you. If you’re anything like me, you’re a solo creative boss with too many tabs open and zero bandwidth to play the SEO mental gymnastics.
| AI Jargon | Core Concept | Practical Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| AIO (AI Optimization) | Using AI itself to help you do SEO more efficiently. | Instead of manually researching keywords or struggling to write product descriptions, you can use AI tools to speed this up. What matters is editing and shaping the outputs so they sound like your brand—AI is just the helper. |
| AISEO (AI-Driven SEO) | A new way of thinking about SEO in an AI-dominated search world. | Think less about “ranking on Google” and more about “how can AI show my products when people ask questions.” For you, that means making sure your product descriptions, FAQs, and blog posts are clear, detailed, and authoritative. |
| AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) | Writing content so AI (or Google) chooses you as the direct answer to someone’s search. | Write simple, clear answers to customer questions. Example: If you sell gemstone jewelry, a product FAQ like “What does morganite symbolize?” should have a one-sentence clear answer at the top, followed by more detail. |
| GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) | Making your content easy for AI systems to pull into generated summaries. | Format your content with structure, headings, bullet points, and comparison tables so AI can “read” it quickly. This is extra valuable for product guides, “how-to” blogs, or size/care comparison charts. |
| LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization) | Speaking the language of AI systems (LLMs) to improve your chances of inclusion in AI-generated answers. | Think of AI as a super-customer that scans your site. Use natural language (not jargon), write in depth about your products (care, styling, symbolism), and cover related questions. The more your content “teaches” on a topic, the more AI trusts it. |
| SGE (Search Generative Experience) | Google is now showing AI summaries at the top of results. | People may see Google’s summary before clicking to your site. To be included, make your FAQ/product content crystal clear, structured, and precise. Think: “Could this sentence be copy-pasted into a Google summary?” |
| SXO (Search Experience Optimization) | SEO now blends with customer experience. If people stay longer, engage, and trust your brand, AI and search engines reward that. | Make the shopping experience smooth and enjoyable. Use fast-loading pages, simple navigation, high-quality photos, videos, and storytelling alongside optimization. |
Connecting This to Your Creative Brand
At the heart, all of these practices want the same thing: for AI-driven search engines to recognize your site as the most helpful, trustworthy source, so your content shows up where customers are looking.
Sound familiar? It should, because these principles carry over a ton from traditional SEO practices, except for the subtle change from content that is keyword-focused to customer-centric.
For your jewelry or product brand, this could look like:
Writing FAQs in Q&A format that AI can lift directly.
Structuring blog posts with clear headings, bullets, and tables for easy scanning.
Creating guides around your products (symbolism, trends, styling, gift ideas).
Ensuring your website experience is excellent so shoppers and AI see you as professional and credible.
💡Let’s pause here for a moment: I create additional content and deep dives on the tactics, like the ones mentioned above. For more detailed instructions, be sure to subscribe to my Substack.
First, What Is AI Visibility?
AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google SGE (search generative experience) pull content from websites to answer people’s questions.
When you show up in those answers (aka AI “citations”), you can get more eyes, clicks, and customers, especially from folks who weren’t even searching your brand name. Kinda reminds me of Pinterest. 😉
Here’s the secret: AI isn’t just looking for keywords. It’s looking for:
Helpful nuanced content
Fresh updates
Clear structure
Credible sources
Here are examples of what an AI overview looks like: The first is from Perplexity.ai and the second is from ChatGPT
No algorithms to “hack.” No need to be Forbes-famous. Just solid, clear, well-organized content.
Why AI Visibility Matters
The short answer? Being an early adopter means staying ahead of the curve with these trends in mind to future-proof your business.
But it all comes down to this:
The way people search is shifting to include more AI platforms
Consumers visit multiple platforms to meet their needs rather than rely solely on Google
The adoption rate of AI is unprecedented, and if the trend continues, it could eclipse traditional search
For example:
Claudia started out by going to ChatGPT and typing in “best engagement ring design brands,” and found some information mentioning several designer brands.
Since the intent behind engagement ring design is image-based, Claudia then searches on Pinterest for visual inspiration and saves some images from the designer brands that she found in ChatGPT.
Claudia then goes to Instagram to gather feedback about specific brands and learn from others’ experiences.
She checks TikTok to see the custom ring design process to decide whether it’s feasible for her timeline.
Claudia then Googles engagement ring designers near me with high ratings and reviews, contacts one of them, and books an appointment.
AI works differently from traditional search. Google's algorithm functions to rank websites. AI chatbots like ChatGPT (LLMs) gather information and identify authoritative sources.
AI visibility is shifting our perspective from a platform-centric approach (ranking on Google) to an audience-centric approach (getting cited by AI).
Pro Tip: Repurpose your content on multiple platforms to increase your AI visibility.
The bottom line?
The user adoption of AI platforms like ChatGPT is record-setting, far outpacing most previous technology rollouts. ChatGPT became the fastest-growing consumer application in history, reaching 1 million users in 5 days and 100 million users globally within two months, a pace far exceeding even iconic digital products like Spotify and Netflix. [1]
For small creative businesses, this rapid AI adoption presents an opportunity to gain brand visibility due to the newness and largely untapped market, which is largely unknown to many in this space. This can offer unique, tangible benefits that can directly impact your competitive positioning and future growth potential.
Five Low-Tech Steps to Show Up in AI Answers
1. Answer Real Questions (That Customers Actually Ask)
Go snoop in your DMs, email, Etsy reviews, Pinterest comments, or text threads. Find those juicy questions like:
“Will this ring tarnish?”
“Can I wear this every day?”
“How do I clean it?”
“How long does shipping take?”
Then, plot twist, answer them:
Right on your product pages
Inside your FAQs
In a short blog post or Instagram carousel
Pro tip: Those same answers are gold for AI tools. They’re literally looking to pull snippets that answer those exact questions.
Blog Post
How to Create SEO Personas That Don’t Feel Like Corporate BS
In the AI era, search engines aren’t just looking at what people are asking. They’re trying to understand who’s asking it.
2. Keep Your Pages Fresh (Without Starting Over)
AI search favors updated content. That doesn’t mean rewrite everything, just give your top pages a glow-up with a little spa day every 3–6 months.
Here’s how:
Add “Updated for 2025” or tweak headlines
Refresh product examples or photos
Link to new blog posts or related products
Drop in a new FAQ or tip
Put this on your calendar now: “Update top 3 pages from Q2.”
3. Write Like a Human (Not a Keyword Robot)
AI and your readers love content that’s:
Gives answers your customers are looking for
Easy to skim (think: bullets, bolded headers)
Audience-specific
Offers additional branded context
Instead of:
“Featured collection Chroma”
Try:
“Handcrafted silver jewelry with colorful gems or enamels”
No need to dumb it down; just keep it human in a way that makes it easy to understand.
4. Build Authority (No Backlink Hustle Needed)
Good news: You don’t need PR or paid features to build trust with AI. Here’s what works just as well:
Local artist listings or studio directories
Gallery shows or grant features
Magazine editorials
Collaborations on Trunk Shows
Ask this weekly: “What low-hanging local backlink opportunities could I be missing ?”
5. Create Share-Worthy, Cite-Worthy Content
Think of AI tools like Pinterest users. They’re saving posts that are visual, explain, or offer useful functionality to solve problems for your audience.
So instead of chasing trends, create posts that:
Visually powerful and informational
In-depth guides
Tools and resources
Examples:
Create infographics and shareable visuals. For creative businesses, visual content is a powerful tool for earning backlinks. Condense a blog post or complex data into an easy-to-read, aesthetically pleasing infographic. When other websites use your infographic, they will credit you with a backlink.
Build ultimate guides. Authoritative, long-form content attracts links naturally. Create a comprehensive, in-depth guide on a topic within your creative niche. Other sites will link to your guide as a useful resource for their audience.
Develop a free, useful tool or resource. A free template, checklist, or simple calculator relevant to your audience is a highly linkable asset. Promote it in relevant communities, and other sites will start linking to it as a valuable reference.
Ask yourself: Is this content adding something new to the conversation? Then it’s probably AI-worthy.
Bonus: DIY AI Visibility Checklist
Here’s your quick and dirty self-audit:
Do my product pages answer common questions?
Did I update my top 3 pages this quarter?
Are my headlines clear and scannable?
Have I asked to be featured or cited anywhere?
Do I have any blog content that includes my brand's unique perspective?
If you’ve got 3+ boxes checked, you’re on the right path. If not, now’s a great time to start. 😉
Let’s Wrap It Up
At the heart of this post is a simple truth: You don’t need a giant team or advanced tech stack to show up in AI search. You just need clarity, consistency, and a few smart moves that work with you, not against you.
We’ve covered a lot, from organizing your content for AI tools to aligning your topics with how your customers actually search. And remember: this isn’t about doing it all perfectly. It’s about showing up in a way that’s findable, valuable, and aligned with the people you’re here to serve.
👉 Your next move? Start with the content you already have. Run it through your lens of: Does this solve something my audience is actively searching for? Then give it a little AI-friendly TLC—clear headlines, defined structure, and a few solid keywords.
Don’t forget, if you want additional content and in-depth dives into the tactics mentioned in this post, be sure to subscribe to my Substack.