How to Make AI Work for You: The Author's Guide For Visibility
No machines were harmed in the making of this newsletter.
This is not a post about how to use AI for writing. Not even a little bit. This is about visibility, and there’s no way to deny that AI has overtaken traditional searches on Google and other search engines.
Additionally, every social media platform now utilizes AI to enhance visibility (Facebook’s Meta AI, X’s Grok, etc.), which helps determine whether your content gets seen.
Okay. Apologies in advance for the double-negative, but sometimes it just fits…
Not using AI in your writing process won’t keep you out of AI-generated search results.
Read that again if you need to.
💥 Shout-out to my exclusive advertising sponsor, the always-free Booklinker (universal book links—so helpful!), and the paid tool, GeniusLink. I love both💥 (affiliate link).
Visibility, Visibility, Visibility
Before you groan and think, “Oh no, not another AI article, ugh,” I urge you to take a few minutes to learn how AI optimization can help your visibility. That’s what I’m always looking at - visibility. How do readers find us?
The key is not only optimizing for ‘regular’ SEO, but also building a strong, accessible digital presence that tools like ChatGPT, Google AI, Meta AI, Perplexity, and many others can pull from.
Here’s how you can position yourself for AI discoverability by using search-friendly practices, such as structured metadata (data about well, data), FAQs, long-form content, and trusted backlinks.
I promise, it’s not too techie, scary, and no Skynet machines were injured in the creation of this post.
These strategies help us appear in AI summaries and search engine results, without compromising our voices, creative processes, or our ethics.
Chat and other AI models are replacing traditional Google searches. AI search engines are evolving from link-based results to contextual, conversational responses.
📖 1. Why Traditional SEO Isn’t Enough Anymore
Showing up on page one of Google doesn't guarantee that AI tools will mention you. Many AI systems summarize answers from multiple sources without linking to standard search results.
A 2025 guide from MonsterInsights outlines how AI-driven search is changing the rules of visibility.
Joanna Penn's Creative Penn podcast explains that AI-generated content now relies more on context and structure than traditional ranking alone.
SEO remains essential, but we now need to consider Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to stay visible in what’s rapidly becoming an AI-first world.
🧩 2. What AEO and GEO Mean for Authors
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is about helping AI bots easily pull accurate answers from your content. Think FAQs, book club discussions, definitions, and direct language - nix the purple prose.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses on improving how AI summarizes or cites your work. This includes using book metadata, conversational tone, and verified backlinks.
You don’t need to change your writing style. You just need to structure your online presence so AI can understand and trust it. Or don’t. Up to you.
🚀 3. Practical Steps to Boost AI Visibility for Your Name and Books
Use Structured Metadata Consistently
On every site where your book appears, e.g., your author site, Amazon, BookBub, and Goodreads. Be sure to include:
Your full author name, spelled consistently throughout.
Book titles exactly as they appear on the cover.
ISBNs/ASINs, categories, and genre labels.
Find metadata using free Schema.org for books and authors. Many website builders or WordPress plugins can add this.
Don’t forget social media bios, alt-text, and more. Learn more about alt-text here:
Why Alt-Text Is a Writer's Secret Weapon for Better SEO and Accessibility
If you're sharing images online, whether you're an author, blogger, content creator, or marketer, you NEED TO START using alt-text. More on that here.
More help: The Creative Penn on GEO
Create a FAQ or Q&A Section
AI tools often quote directly from website, social, or media kit FAQs. Include questions like:
Who is Rachel, author of Broken Pieces?
What is Broken People about?
Where can I buy Rachel Thompson’s books?
Write in simple, conversational language. Even a few well-structured answers can help AI cite your site.
Publish Long-Form, Authoritative Content
Share blog posts, interviews, and articles where your name and book titles appear naturally.
Link to reputable reviews or guest posts to build trust.
This enhances your credibility and increases the likelihood that your content will appear in AI-generated responses.
Example: Xponent21's guide
Get Backlinks from Trusted Sites
AI engines favor sources already trusted by the web. Focus on:
Getting listed on sites like Goodreads, BookBub, and podcast directories.
Writing guest posts or appearing on high-traffic blogs and Substacks.
Google and AI models value backlinks from credible domains. Start small and build over time. Remember to use ‘good’ backlinks, not spammy stuff.
✅ Good Backlinks (AI and Google love these)
Come from reputable, relevant sites (e.g., book blogs, podcasts, literary magazines/journals, recognizable sites)
Are placed organically in editorial content (like guest posts, interviews, reviews)
They are topically related (if you write on book marketing topics as I do, then referring to marketing, publishing, and writing blogs makes sense for me to use as a resource, whereas if I’m writing about cookies, why would I source a writing blog?). Common sense stuff, folks.
Use natural anchor text like “Rachel Thompson’s memoir” or “book marketing expert.” If you’re not sure what anchor text means, learn about it from Linkyjuice. Super helpful!
Add real value to the reader (e.g., a podcast linking to your site after featuring you)
Keep Your Website Technically Healthy
Make sure your website is:
Fast to load
Mobile responsive
Easy for bots to crawl (use robots.txt and sitemaps)
Clear in layout with descriptive headers
Go to the free Website Grader here for a report on your site’s health.
See Search Engine Land’s 2025 guide for deeper details.
🌐 4. Real-World Author Strategies
Joanna Penn and Thomas Umstattd Jr. discuss how authors can future-proof their platforms in this 2025 podcast.
Jane Friedman breaks down what publishers and authors can do to ensure discoverability in AI-powered systems. See Jane’s article on AI in publishing.
✅ 5-Point Checklist: How to Stay Visible Without Using AI to Write
Consistent author and title info: Use your exact name and title wording everywhere. I’m BadRedheadMedia literally everywhere.
Add metadata and schema, especially on your site and book pages.
Use FAQs/Q&A format: For your name, book title, and themes.
Build credible backlinks: Through reviews, interviews, podcasts, guest posts, etc.
Keep your website optimized: Fast load times, structured content, mobile access
What’s Metadata (and Why We Should Care)
🧠 Metadata = info about your books. Not scary.
Includes:
Author name
Book title
ISBN/ASIN
Genre
Keywords, key phrases, and categories (e.g., fiction, romance, nonfiction, memoir, etc.)
You’ve likely already added metadata with:
Amazon KDP
Goodreads
BookBub
Your website
Why it matters:
AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI use metadata to identify and recommend books and authors.
📚 Further Reading and Resources
What’s It All Mean?
You don't need to become a tech wizard or lean into AI tools to remain visible. Again, not what this post is about.
I find them helpful for creating outlines, brainstorming, or other administrative tasks. For writing, though? Not for me.
For marketing? I don’t know that we’ll have another option, as this is the direction SEO and AI are headed, er, here.
Focus on what you can do right now, such as building a clean, informative, and well-linked online presence. Think of it like building a welcoming house for any algorithmic bots to visit: they’ll only quote you if they can find you and trust what you say.
I get how the thought of AI is distasteful to many. I hope this article helps you consider how to potentially utilize it for your own marketing purposes. Cause it’s here.
Keep writing in your own voice. Let your presence do the digital heavy lifting. Tech will always move forward - it’s up to us to decide how/if to use it.
Happy Judgment Day! 🥚
Not sure anyone caught it but Skynet became self-aware on August 29 (1997), so I published this post on that day as a secret little easter egg to myself.
Writers are nerds. I own that.
I was just at an author conference where discussions about AI invariably defaulted to the issue of authors using AI to write fiction. Thank you for sharing AI's real utility! These are actionable tips that don't replace authors, just give us more tools.