Hi Reader-

If you're following what's happening in AI, you probably saw OpenAI's announcement yesterday about Instant Checkout in ChatGPT.

On its face, it seems like just another feature for Etsy and Shopify sellers.

But here's what caught my attention: This is OpenAI's clearest signal yet that AI search is becoming a primary discovery channel.

And most tech companies have no idea if they're even visible in it.

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Here's what I mean

I'm already bringing in $12k monthly just from being recommended by LLMs. Not from paid ads. Not from SEO grinding. From being the answer when someone asks ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity for solutions in my space.

The numbers tell an interesting story:

• Search intent in ChatGPT leans more towards commercial than navigational (see the SEMRush findings below)
• But traffic volumes are still a fraction of Google (see this study below)

My site gets less than 10% of its traffic from LLMs right now. But that <10% comes with something Google Search never gave me: borrowed trust.

When an AI recommends you, users assume you've been vetted through comprehensive, unbiased research. (Yes, LLMs hallucinate. But we all do our due diligence, right?)

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How AI search actually works (and why it matters for tech founders)

Unlike traditional SEO, you can't just optimize for keywords and hope for rankings. LLMs work differently:

1. They're trained on text that demonstrates authority

Your GitHub repos, technical documentation, blog posts, and implementation guides are being crawled and indexed. But here's the thing: LLMs look for content that clearly articulates what problems you solve, not just how your API works.

That means your technical docs matter more than ever. Not just for the developers that are reading them, but for LLMs understanding your solution space.

2. They synthesize information across multiple sources

When someone asks "What's the best tool for [your category]?", the LLM isn't checking page rank or backlinks.

It's looking for:

• Consensus across authoritative sources
• Technical accuracy in implementation details
• Real-world usage patterns and case studies
• Clear problem-solution mapping

3. They prioritize recency and specificity

A detailed write-up from 2024 about solving a specific problem will outweigh a generic marketing page from 2022. Every time.

This is why I'm seeing results. My content is structured to help LLMs understand:

• What problems I solve
• Who I solve them for
• How my approach differs from alternatives
• What results look like in practice

Three things you can test right now

Quick test #1: Open ChatGPT and ask: "What are the best [your product category] for [your ideal customer]?"

→ Do you show up? Do your competitors? What's being said?

Quick test #2: Search for "how to solve [problem your product solves]" in Claude or Perplexity.

→ Are you mentioned in the solutions? If not, what sources ARE being cited?

Quick test #3: Ask an LLM to compare your product to your top 3 competitors.

→ What does it know about you? Is the information accurate? What's missing?

These simple tests will show you if you even exist in AI search results.

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The gap I'm seeing

Most tech founders I talk to have no systematic way to know:

• If LLMs are recommending them (or ignoring them entirely)
• What's being said when they ARE mentioned
• Why competitors are being recommended instead
• What specific changes would improve their visibility

You're basically flying blind.

I'm thinking about building something to solve this problem.

BREAKING NEWS There are a handful of super-secret, fast methods for getting recommended by AI search ​ I’m working on something exciting to help get you and your company discovered in AI search results, without a huge marketing spend or endless trial and error. It’s a fast, one-day, self-service system that shows exactly where your brand is invisible and how to fix it, to make sure buyers, investors, and press actually find you when they’re searching. This product would be built to benefit established and early-stage startups alike! I’ll be launching it soon for under $100, and I’d love to know: Would you be interested? Or is this solving a problem you don't have yet? Please select one of the two options below to share your thoughts! ​ YES, I WANT TO GET AI VISIBLE ​...I'M NOT SURE YET​

To me, this is the ground floor. In 3 years, AI search optimization will be as standard as SEO is today. OpenAI's commerce moves are just setting up the infrastructure.

Mark my words, the founders who figure this out early will have a serious advantage. Will you be one?

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Thanks for reading,

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Lillian Pierson

Growth Partner & Fractional CMO

Please help me make this newsletter more relevant for you by selecting the option below that best describes you:

• ​I’m a tech professional and I'm not interested in starting a business​
• ​I’m a tech professional and I’m thinking about building a business​
• ​I’m a founder (or co-founder) running my own business​

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