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Avoid These 2 Tempting Content Mistakes When Optimizing For AI Search

Stop wasting money on content that AI has made obsolete

Most marketers are making two massive content mistakes that are killing their AI search visibility.

They're creating tons of content that AI models will never recommend, while completely ignoring the content types that actually drive sales.

Let me break this down for you.

The Death of Top-of-Funnel Content Marketing

Here's a reality that's going to shake up everything you think you know about content marketing:

Top-of-funnel content is dying, and AI search is the reason why.

For years, marketers have been obsessed with creating:

• Educational blog posts

• How-to guides

• General industry information

The strategy was simple: create helpful content, get people to your website, and then nurture them through the buying process.

But AI has completely flipped this model upside down.

When someone has a general question like "What is email marketing?" or "How does social media advertising work?" they're not going to your website anymore.

They're asking ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity.

And these AI models can answer those basic questions better than most blog posts because they can synthesize information from thousands of sources instantly.

AI has commoditized informational content.

Why would someone read your 2,000-word guide on "The Basics of Content Marketing" when they can get a personalized, conversational explanation from an AI in 30 seconds?

This means that the two most common types of content that marketers create are becoming increasingly worthless for driving business results:

• Informational content

• Navigational content

Most marketing teams are still pouring 80% of their content budget into exactly these types of content that AI has made obsolete.

Mistake #1: Creating Informational Content That AI Has Made Obsolete

Let's break down the first major mistake: creating informational content when AI has already become the go-to source for general information.

What is informational content?

It's designed to answer questions like:

• "What is..."

• "How to..."

• "Why does..."

• "When should..."

These are educational pieces meant to help people understand concepts, processes, or industries.

Examples of informational content that used to work but are now mostly useless:

• "What is Customer Relationship Management?"

• "How to Create a Marketing Strategy"

• "The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing"

• "10 Types of Digital Marketing Explained"

• "Why Email Marketing is Important for Small Businesses"

What's the problem here?

AI models can answer all of these questions instantly, often with more comprehensive and personalized information than any single blog post could provide.

When someone asks ChatGPT "What is customer relationship management?" they get a clear, concise explanation tailored to their level of understanding.

They don't need to:

• Visit your website

• Scroll through your lengthy introduction

• Hunt for the actual answer buried in paragraph four

But here's where it gets even worse:

AI doesn't just answer the question…it can personalize the answer based on the user's specific situation.

Example:

• Restaurant owner asks "What is CRM?" → AI explains it in terms of managing reservations, tracking customer preferences, and building loyalty programs

• B2B software company asks the same question → AI explains CRM in terms of lead management, sales pipelines, and account management

Your generic blog post can't compete with that level of personalization.

What happens to your informational content?

• It gets buried

• People find answers through AI

• They never visit your website

• You lose the opportunity to introduce them to your brand

The traffic that used to come from informational searches is simply disappearing.

If you're still investing heavily in creating this type of content, you're essentially throwing marketing dollars into a black hole.

Mistake #2: Focusing on Navigational Content When AI Does the Finding

The second major mistake is continuing to create navigational content when AI has become the ultimate navigation assistant.

What is navigational content?

It's designed to help people find what they're looking for, including:

• Comparison posts

• Roundup articles

• Directory-style content

• "Best of" lists

Examples of navigational content that are losing effectiveness:

• "Best Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses"

• "Top 10 Project Management Tools Compared"

• "CRM Software Reviews and Comparisons"

• "Social Media Management Tools: A Complete Guide"

• "Best Accounting Software for Freelancers"

Here's the problem:

When someone wants to find the best tool for their needs, they're not Googling "best email marketing software" anymore.

They're asking their AI assistant something like:

The AI then provides:

• Personalized recommendations based on specific requirements

• Budget considerations

• Technical skill level matching

• 2-3 options with specific reasons why each fits

Your generic "10 Best Email Marketing Tools" article can't compete with this level of personalized guidance.

Even if your article is comprehensive and well-researched, it requires the reader to do their own filtering and comparison work.

AI eliminates that friction entirely.

And here's what's really concerning for brands: in many cases, the AI might never mention your comparison article or even visit your website.

It's pulling information from multiple sources, synthesizing it, and providing recommendations without sending any traffic your way.

The result?

You could spend weeks creating the most comprehensive comparison guide in your industry, and it might generate:

• Zero visitors

• Zero leads

• Zero business impact

Why Commercial Intent Content is Your New Best Friend

Now that we've covered what doesn't work, let's talk about what does work in the age of AI search: commercial intent content.

What is commercial intent content?

It's designed for people who are actively shopping and comparing options. These are users who have moved past the "what is" and "how to" questions and are now asking "which should I choose" and "what's the best for my situation."

The key difference:

Commercial intent content serves people who are ready to make a decision, not people who are just learning about a topic.

Examples of commercial intent content that works well with AI search:

• "Project management software for creative agencies with remote teams"

• "Email marketing platforms that integrate with Shopify and handle seasonal campaigns"

• "CRM systems for real estate agents managing luxury property sales"

• "Accounting software for construction companies with multiple job sites"

• "Social media tools for B2B SaaS companies with long sales cycles"

Notice how specific these are?

They're not generic "best of" lists. They're targeted at:

• Specific types of businesses

• Specific use cases

• Specific requirements

Why this works:

When someone asks an AI "What's the best project management tool for my creative agency with remote team members?" they want specific recommendations that fit their exact situation.

If you've created detailed content explaining why your tool is perfect for creative agencies with remote teams, the AI is likely to reference your content and potentially recommend your solution.

Commercial intent content works because:

• It helps AI models make better recommendations

• Instead of just listing features, you're explaining use cases and benefits

• You're describing specific scenarios where your product excels

• The AI can match your content to user queries and provide relevant recommendations

This is much more valuable than generic informational content that doesn't help with decision-making.

Transactional Intent: The Ultimate AI Search Gold Mine

If commercial intent content is your new best friend, then transactional intent content is your secret weapon for dominating AI search.

What is transactional intent content?

It's designed for people who are ready to buy right now. These users have already decided what type of solution they need and are looking for:

• Specific products

• Pricing information

• Ways to make a purchase

Examples of transactional intent content that performs exceptionally well:

• "Pricing comparison: HubSpot vs Salesforce for 50-person sales teams"

• "How to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit without losing subscribers"

• "QuickBooks Online pricing plans: which tier is right for restaurants"

• "Slack vs Microsoft Teams: implementation guide for remote companies"

• "Shopify vs WooCommerce: setup costs and monthly fees breakdown"

Why this type of content is incredibly valuable:

It serves people at the exact moment they're making buying decisions.

When someone asks an AI "How much does HubSpot cost for a 50-person sales team?" they're not just curious – they're:

• Evaluating options

• Probably have budget approval

• Ready to make a purchase

The beautiful part:

People who find your brand through transactional intent queries are much more likely to convert into customers because they're already in buying mode.

Instead of having to nurture them through a long sales cycle, you're catching them at the perfect moment when they're ready to make a decision.

The Funnel Revolution: Why Everything Has Changed

Let me explain why this shift from top-of-funnel to mid and bottom-funnel content is so significant.

In traditional marketing, the funnel looked like this:

🔝 Top of Funnel (Informational/Navigational):

• People learn about problems and solutions

• Content examples: "What is email marketing?" "How to choose marketing software"

🔄 Middle of Funnel (Commercial):

• People compare options and evaluate solutions

• Content examples: "Email marketing software for e-commerce" "CRM comparison for small businesses"

🎯 Bottom of Funnel (Transactional):

• People are ready to buy and looking for specific products

• Content examples: "Mailchimp pricing plans" "How to sign up for HubSpot"

The old strategy was to:

• Create lots of top-of-funnel content to attract visitors

• Nurture them down the funnel through email sequences

• Use retargeting ads and more content to convert them

But AI has eliminated the need for most top-of-funnel content because it can answer those basic questions directly.

People don't visit websites to learn "what is email marketing" anymore.

This means the new funnel starts in the middle.

People are coming to AI with commercial and transactional intent questions, and that's where you need to intercept them.

The brands that understand this shift are:

• Focusing their content efforts on mid and bottom-funnel content

• Serving people who are actively shopping

• Creating fewer pieces of content

• Making each piece more likely to drive actual business results

How to Identify High-Value Commercial and Transactional Intent

Now that you understand why commercial and transactional content is so important, let me show you how to identify the highest-value opportunities in your industry.

For Commercial Intent, Look for These Patterns:

• "[Your product type] for [specific industry/business type]"

• "[Your product] vs [competitor] for [specific use case]"

• "[Your product type] that [specific functionality/integration]"

• "Best [your product type] for [specific business size/situation]"

For Transactional Intent, Look for These Patterns:

• "[Brand name] pricing for [specific business size]"

• "How to switch from [competitor] to [your product]"

• "[Your product] setup guide for [specific use case]"

• "[Your product] vs [competitor] costs and features"

To find these opportunities:

Step 1: Start by thinking about your ideal customers

• What specific industries do they work in?

• What size businesses are they?

• What specific challenges are they trying to solve?

Step 2: Think about the questions they ask when actively shopping

• What comparisons are they making?

• What concerns do they have about switching?

• What specific features or integrations are deal-breakers?

Step 3: Use research tools to find real questions

• Answer The Public

• Reddit search

• Quora

Focus specifically on questions that indicate buying intent, not general curiosity.

Pro tip:

Look at your sales team's most common questions and objections.

If prospects are asking "How does your pricing compare to [competitor] for a team our size?" that's a perfect transactional intent content opportunity.

Creating AI-Optimized Commercial and Transactional Content

Creating content that performs well in AI search requires a different approach than traditional SEO content.

For Commercial Intent Content:

Start with detailed use case descriptions

• Don't just list features

• Explain specific scenarios where your product excels

• Include company size, industry, technical requirements, budget considerations

Use comparison frameworks

• Help AI models understand differences between options

• Create side-by-side comparisons

• Highlight specific advantages for specific situations

Include real customer examples

• AI models favor concrete examples over generic marketing claims

• Use case studies and testimonials

• Show actual results and outcomes

Address specific requirements

• Integration requirements

• Technical specifications

• Implementation considerations

• AI models need this detailed information to make appropriate recommendations

For Transactional Intent Content:

Provide detailed pricing information with context

• Don't just list prices

• Explain what different pricing tiers include

• Show who they're best for

Create step-by-step implementation guides

• Show exactly how someone would get started

• Include screenshots and specific instructions

• Address common setup challenges

Address concerns and objections

• Common reasons people might hesitate to purchase

• How to overcome technical or budget obstacles

• Migration and switching considerations

Include support information

• Training resources

• Onboarding process

• Customer success offerings

Provide clear next steps

• Specific calls-to-action

• How to move from consideration to purchase

• Contact information and demo scheduling

Measuring Success in the New Content Landscape

Since you're focusing on different types of content, you also need to measure success differently.

Traditional content metrics become less important:

• Page views

• Time on site

• Organic traffic

Much of your content consumption happens through AI models, so these metrics don't tell the full story.

Instead, focus on these metrics:

📊 Brand mentions in AI responses

• Track how often your brand appears in AI-generated recommendations

• Indicates that your content is being recognized and referenced by AI models

📞 Direct inquiries and demo requests

• People might not visit your website before contacting you

• Track increases in direct sales inquiries, demo requests, and qualified leads

⚡ Sales cycle acceleration

• Commercial and transactional content should help prospects move faster

• Track whether your sales cycles are getting shorter

🏆 Competitive win rates

• If your content effectively differentiates your solution

• You should see improvements in competitive deals

💰 Customer acquisition cost

• Better-qualified leads from commercial and transactional content

• Should reduce your overall customer acquisition costs

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making This Transition

As you shift your content strategy, here are some common mistakes to avoid:

❌ Don't abandon all educational content overnight

• Some educational content still has value

• Especially if it's extremely detailed and authoritative

• Be selective and focus on topics where you can provide unique insights

• AI models can't synthesize from existing sources

❌ Don't make your commercial content overly promotional

• AI models can detect and deprioritize obviously biased content

• Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses

• Focus on helping people make informed decisions

❌ Don't forget about content freshness

• Commercial and transactional content often includes:

  • Pricing information

  • Feature comparisons

  • Competitive information

• This changes frequently

• Keep content updated to maintain credibility with AI models

❌ Don't ignore user-generated content

• Reviews, testimonials, and case studies from real customers

• Carry more weight with AI models than brand-created content

• Include these in your commercial and transactional content

❌ Don't create content in isolation

• Make sure your sales and customer success teams are involved

• They have the best insights into what prospects actually want to know

• Use their expertise to create more effective content

Key Takeaways

The bottom line:

• Stop creating "What is" and "How to" content that AI has made obsolete

• Start focusing on commercial and transactional intent content

• Target people who are actively shopping, not just learning

• Create hyper-specific content that serves real buying scenarios

• Measure success through business metrics, not just traffic

The content game has completely changed. The winners will be those who adapt fastest.

Jason Patel
Co-founder & CEO, Open Forge AI
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