*Thisarticle is based on a YouTube video by Sophie Hundertmark, an expert in the use of artificial intelligence with a focus on chatbots and strategic AI applications in companies and public institutions. Sophie is a researcher and lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and is doing her doctorate in Conversational AI at the University of Fribourg. The blog text was created using a custom GPT model that was trained on Sophie’s video content, language style and expertise. The result is well-founded, up-to-date articles based on Sophie Hundertmark‘s own expertise.
You can find the link to the video at the end of this article.
Classic search engine optimization is currently undergoing fundamental change. While companies have primarily optimized for Google in the past, it is becoming increasingly important to be visible in AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini. This is because these tools answer questions directly – and recommend specific brands, companies or providers.
So the key question is: what content will enable you to be recognized and recommended by AI systems in the first place?
Why semantic proximity is becoming increasingly important
Large language models such as ChatGPT do not work like traditional search engines. They analyze thematic spaces, connections and semantic proximity. This means that AI systems try to understand what your brand actually stands for.
This is precisely why it is no longer enough to simply produce content at random. Instead, you have to consciously think about it:
- What topics should be associated with your company?
- For which specialist areas do you want to be visible?
- Which terms and topics should always appear together with your brand?
A good example is a university. Does she want to be associated primarily with training, learning and career development? Or would it like to position itself specifically as an expert in relocation services for students? Both directions generate completely different topic clusters.
The role of themed spaces and positioning
AI systems recognize patterns. If your content repeatedly appears in a certain thematic context, a clear positioning is created.
Several factors play a role here:
- Specialty
- Region
- Target group
- Thematic focus
- Recurring terms and entities
Let’s take the example of a university in northern Germany. If you position yourself in exactly this way, your brand will also be strongly associated with this region. This can make sense – but at the same time limits the perception in other regions.
Alternatively, you can position yourself as a Germany-wide university with a focus on northern Germany. This changes the entire subject area and therefore also the recommendations of AI systems.
So the question is not only what content you create, but also how you want to position yourself strategically.
Recognize content gaps
Before you create new content, you should first analyze where your actual content gaps are.
Because not every lack of visibility has the same cause.
Typical questions are:
- Does ChatGPT even know your brand?
- Is your brand associated with the right topics?
- Do you lack visibility in certain specialist areas?
- Are your strengths perceived correctly?
- Or are you even being misclassified?
The last point in particular is often underestimated.
When AI misunderstands your brand
Luxury brands are a particularly exciting example. If a luxury brand is suddenly described as “cheap” or “inexpensive”, this creates a massive problem in brand perception.
Imagine someone asks:
“Which brand offers the cheapest bags?”
And ChatGPT suddenly names a luxury brand like Louis Vuitton.
Then the brand was semantically misclassified. For premium and luxury brands, this would be a clear sign that their content and digital positioning are not consistent enough.
That’s why content optimization is not just about visibility, but also about the right perception.
Topic clusters instead of individual content
Today, successful AI content is rarely created through individual blog articles. Instead, you should think in topic clusters.
This means:
- Define a core topic
- Build up several main themes
- Develop suitable subtopics
- Strategically linking content with each other
This creates a consistent topic space that AI systems can better understand and categorize.
One example:
Core topic:
AI in the education sector
Main topics:
- Further training with AI
- AI-supported learning
- Digital universities
- Automated learning processes
Sub-topics:
- ChatGPT during studies
- AI for exam organization
- Personalized learning paths
- Data protection for AI tools
The clearer this structure is, the easier it is for AI systems to recognize your expertise.
Why strategic content is becoming increasingly important
Many companies already produce content – but often without a clear strategic direction.
This will no longer be sufficient for visibility in ChatGPT & Co. in the future.
Instead, you need:
- Clear topic clusters
- Consistent positioning
- semantic contexts
- Recurring technical terms
- Clear expertise
This is because AI systems not only evaluate individual pieces of content, but the entire topic area of your brand.
Conclusion
If you want to be recommended in ChatGPT and other AI systems in the future, you have to think more strategically about content than before.
It’s no longer just about publishing content. The decisive factor is which topics are permanently associated with your brand and how consistently you communicate your expertise.
The central task is to recognize content gaps, build up topic clusters and consciously control your own positioning.
This is precisely what creates long-term visibility in AI-driven search.
Any further questions?
Do you have any questions? I am happy to support you, act as a sparring partner and answer your questions. I am always happy to receive your messages, preferably by WhatsApp message or e-mail.
