📥 Hello, and greetings from the Central Office!
Each week, we're opening the curtain a little more so you can see what the team has been working on. During the first week of July, we made great progress on stability and compatibility improvements across our plugins:
Reviewed and responded to dozens of support tickets, including #9342, #9262, #9479, and #9467
Strengthened REST API protection for PPWP when Sitewide Password is enabled
Created and tested new builds for PPWP Free and Pro
Fixed compatibility issues with Beaver Builder and WPBakery
Initiated development of the new PPWP Partial Protection shortcode
Removed outdated hooks from PPWP Pro and tested new ones
Continued work on REST API authentication logic and shared builds with the security team
Investigated Ajax Search Pro conflict with protected content loading
Here's what most creators refuse to accept: ChatGPT has fundamentally changed how purchase decisions happen. New research reveals that ChatGPT now processes 2.5 billion prompts daily, rapidly approaching Google's 14 billion daily searches. More critically, buyers aren't researching products themselves anymore—they're asking AI what to buy, who to trust, and how to decide.
This creates a brutal reality for businesses still optimizing for traditional search: if your product isn't mentioned in AI answers, it doesn't exist in the buyer's mind. Meanwhile, companies that crack AI recommendation algorithms are experiencing what one CRO calls "a truly shocking amount of business."
WHY YOUR SEO STRATEGY IS TARGETING YESTERDAY'S BUYERS
The fundamental shift is from information-seeking to decision-outsourcing. Google users search for "best project management tools" and scroll through results. ChatGPT users ask "what project management tool should my 50-person startup use?" and expect a direct recommendation. One approach requires research; the other delivers decisions.
Traditional SEO optimizes for clicks to your website. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) optimizes for mentions that influence buyers before they ever visit your site. The goal isn't driving traffic—it's becoming the answer when prospects ask AI for buying advice.
THE 9-PART SYSTEM FOR AI RECOMMENDATION DOMINANCE
Smart companies are already implementing Answer Engine Optimization strategies that work completely differently from traditional SEO. The most successful approach involves identifying which prompts you want to own, then systematically building content and social proof that makes AI engines recommend your solution.
The strategy starts with prompt ownership. Instead of targeting broad keywords, you identify specific questions buyers ask AI about your category. A shoe company might target "what running shoes prevent knee injuries" rather than generic "running shoes" searches. The specificity matters because AI engines prefer definitive, granular answers over generic information.
Content strategy shifts toward hyper-specific expertise. While SEO content aims for broad keyword coverage, AEO content becomes the most definitive resource on narrow topics. If you sell accounting software, you create the definitive guide to "automated reconciliation for manufacturing companies" rather than general accounting advice.
Social proof generation becomes critical because AI engines heavily weight user-generated content from platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Companies are systematically getting their products mentioned in relevant Reddit threads, industry discussions, and creator content—not through spam, but through genuine value and strategic community participation.
Structured data presentation matters more than visual design. AI engines can't process images effectively, so successful companies convert infographics into tables, add detailed alt-text to visuals, and structure content in easily-parsable formats that AI can reference and cite.
The measurement approach changes completely. Traditional SEO tracks clicks and traffic. AEO tracks "share of voice"—how often your product gets mentioned relative to competitors when buyers ask AI for recommendations. Many creators see zero immediate referral traffic from AI but massive pipeline growth from being consistently recommended.
The most sophisticated companies implement citation monitoring systems. AI recommendation algorithms shift rapidly, with nearly 50% of cited domains changing within a single month. This requires weekly monitoring and constant content refreshing to maintain recommendation status.
45% of Substack Creators Use AI for Productivity, Not Content Generation
Substack surveyed 2,000 publishers revealing that AI adoption splits along gender and age lines, with men and creators 45+ more likely to use AI tools. Most use AI for research, editing, and translation rather than full content creation. Publishers estimate spending $140/month on AI access, signaling serious value creation beyond just writing assistance.LinkedIn Emerges as Creator Economy's Hottest Platform for B2B Influencers
LinkedIn creator content is exploding as B2B brands shift budgets toward professional influencers. The platform's algorithm heavily favors creators while traditional esports and general lifestyle content loses advertiser interest. LinkedIn creators focus on performance metrics like lead generation rather than vanity engagement metrics.Print Subscriptions Create $480B Creator Economy Opportunity
Physical subscription products offer creators recurring revenue streams that aren't dependent on algorithms or platform changes. Print-on-demand enables quarterly magazines, planners, and exclusive content that builds community while generating predictable income. This approach helps creators own their audience relationship completely.Brands Shift $13.7B from Influencer Marketing to Affiliate Performance Models
Traditional influencer marketing budgets are moving toward affiliate commission structures as brands demand measurable ROI. Smart creators combine both approaches—using influencer content for awareness while embedding affiliate links for direct attribution. The hybrid model provides upfront payments plus performance-based earnings.
This means you can dominate recommendations on one AI platform while being completely invisible on another. Most companies waste resources trying to optimize for all AI engines simultaneously instead of focusing on the platform their buyers use most. Smart businesses start with ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews, then expand systematically.
The 90-Second AI Recommendation Test
Ask ChatGPT: "What [your product category] should I choose for [your ideal customer scenario]?" See if your solution gets mentioned. Then ask 3 variations of that question with different wording.
Most creators discover they're invisible in the conversations where their prospects are making buying decisions. This test reveals whether your optimization efforts should focus on traditional SEO or AI recommendation strategies.
The companies getting recommended by AI aren't just capturing more leads—they're influencing purchase decisions at the exact moment buyers are ready to choose. That's not traffic optimization. That's decision-point dominance.
Until next week,
Michael
Operator @ WP Folio