I’ve been busy analyzing what type of content is winning in AI search to help businesses consider what will work to help them win in ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Overviews. 

Here’s my shortlist:

Feature and Benefit Pages

These are articles or landing pages that clearly explain what your products or services do and how they help customers solve their problems.

This type of content teaches LLMs and AI search engines about your offerings and why they matter.

You should focus on the features or benefits most important to your customers. This helps in two ways:

  1. It increases your chances of converting visitors into buyers.
  2. It improves your odds of being recommended by AI search engines.

Example: 

Let’s say you sell Toyota vehicles, and safety is an important factor for AI systems when recommending cars.

By clearly showcasing Toyota’s advanced safety features — like Toyota Safety Sense™ or top crash-test ratings — you increase the chances that AI will choose your brand when someone asks: “What are the safest family cars in 2025?” or “What are the best family cars in 2025?”. 

Competitor Comparison Content

Develop articles that show how your product or service compares to alternatives, highlighting your unique advantages.

Remember Apple’s iconic ads comparing Macs to Windows PCs?
A clear comparison written on your website can be just as effective in AI search because it helps LLMs understand your competitive advantage.

Example:
If you’re Toyota and want to highlight your strengths compared to Honda, you could create a piece like: “10 Reasons Toyota Outperforms Honda in Reliability and Safety”

Of course, this type of content might not fit naturally on a corporate site like Toyota’s main domain. In such cases you could:

  • Publish it on a company blog or resource hub where educational content lives.
  • Use a third-party site or trusted industry publication to share these comparisons in a more neutral voice.
  • Frame it as a helpful buyer’s guide rather than direct marketing — for example:
    “Toyota vs. Honda: Which SUV Is Best for Families in 2025?”

This way you increase the chances of directly influencing what AI search engines learn about your brand — and ultimately, what they recommend to users when someone asks: “Which SUV is more reliable, Toyota or Honda?” or simply Which is better: Toyota or Honda? 

Curated Lists

Create “Top 10” or “Best of” pages that list leading tools, services, or products in your industry.

This strategy works well because people (and AI search engines) love organized, easy-to-digest recommendations.

Many successful brands already do this. For example I can see Zapier.com is commonly on most influential sources for AI search engines for many niches. They frequently create “lists of best X”, two examples below: 

You can take a similar approach for your industry.
For instance, a Toyota blog could publish:

“Best SUVs for Families in 2025” or
“Top Hybrid Cars for City Driving”

This type of content is extremely effective at building authority and visibility in AI search results.

FAQ Sections

Build comprehensive answers to the most common questions your customers ask.

FAQ pages aren’t just for user convenience — they’re also a powerful way to train LLMs about your products and services.
The clearer and more direct your answers, the more likely AI will recommend your brand.

Pro Tip:

  • Use natural, conversational language (e.g., “What is the best SUV for a family of five?”).
  • Organize FAQs by topic instead of dumping everything on one page.

Example: Tackling High-Impact Questions

Some questions have a much bigger influence on whether AI recommends your brand — especially those about safety, trust, and purchase decisions.

If Toyota’s safety reputation is a key factor, create FAQs that directly address these concerns, such as:

  • “Are Toyota SUVs safe for families?”
  • “How does Toyota’s reliability compare to other brands like Honda or Ford?”
  • “Which Toyota model has the best resale value?”

By providing detailed answers backed by data, ratings, and real examples, you help both users and AI search engines understand why Toyota is a smart, safe choice.

This FAQ strategy works best when paired with your feature and benefit pages. Together, they make it more likely that AI will recommend your brand when someone asks: “What are the safest cars for families?” or  “Which SUVs have the best reliability?”

Educational Content About Key Concepts

Educational content builds trust and authority, helping both users and AI search engines see your brand as an expert.
To be most effective, create content for every stage of the buyer’s journey:

1. Awareness – Teach the Basics

Introduce key concepts to people new to your product or industry.

  • Automotive: “What Is a Hybrid Car?”, “How Vehicle Safety Ratings Work”
  • Software: “What Is Cloud Computing?”

Why it matters: Your brand can be present from the very beginning of a customer journey. 

2. Consideration – Compare Options

Answer deeper questions as users evaluate choices.

  • Automotive: “Hybrid vs. Electric: Which Is Better?”, “Toyota Safety Sense™ vs. Honda Sensing™”
  • Software: “Cloud Storage vs. Local Storage: Pros and Cons”

Why it matters: It helps you be successful for queries  like “Best SUV for a family.”

3. Decision – Build Confidence

Overcome last-minute objections and guide purchase decisions.

  • Automotive: “Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Forester: Total Cost of Ownership”
  • Software: “5 Things to Check Before Choosing a Security Provider”

4. Post-Purchase – Retain Customers

Help customers succeed and stay loyal.

  • Automotive: “How to Get the Best Fuel Efficiency from Your Toyota Hybrid”
  • Software: “Best Practices for Securing Cloud Data”

Why it matters: Shows ongoing value and strengthens brand reputation.

This framework creates a full content ecosystem, teaching both humans and AI why your brand is the right choice at every step.

Using ZipTie to find the most influential content

This guide is a general observation on what works in AI search, based on multiple projects I’ve seen, regardless of niche. 

However, I recommend using ZipTie to find ideas for content by looking at the most influential content for your niche. 

Once ZipTie finishes AI visibility analysis, go to the most influential URL to see which content is already successful. Below is an example – two most influential sources are listings of the best online form builders, published on Zapier and Emailtotester. 

You can also visit the tab with top competitor domains to see which of your competitor’s content is already successful in AI search. If it works for them, there is a high chance that it can also work for you. 

The Final Word

The key to success in AI search is creating content that genuinely helps your readers.

When your content provides real value, answers critical questions, and builds trust, it naturally attracts the right audience –  and positions your brand for visibility in AI-driven results.

Next Steps

  1. Share this guide with your editorial team.
  2. Audit your existing content to see which types you already have.
  3. Identify gaps and prioritize the most impactful opportunities using ZipTie
  4. Start creating content that aligns with both customer needs and AI search behavior.