Julians Hints, Tips and Hacks

A practical guide to Answer Engine Optimisation, Generative Search, and being discovered by AI

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people find businesses online, no longer is Google Search the go to place for information – we now have AI Search. Consultants such as Julian Mills, who work daily with marketing automation, CRM systems, and real-world client websites, are already seeing the shift in behaviour and the power of AI Search Optimisation. Instead of scrolling through pages of traditional search results, many users now ask tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, or Perplexity for direct answers.

This shift is often described using different names such as:

• AI search
• Generative search
• AI-powered search
• Answer engine optimisation (AEO)
• Generative engine optimisation (GEO)

For simplicity, and because it is the most widely understood phrase, this guide will use the term AI search to describe the whole category.

If you want your website to remain visible as this change accelerates, you need to optimise not just for search engines, but for AI systems that summarise, recommend, and reference trusted sources.

Here is how to think about AI Search Optimisation it properly.

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1. Create genuinely original, experience-based content

Simply publishing raw AI-generated text (AI Slop) is one of the fastest ways to be ignored by AI search systems. If the information already exists everywhere, there is no reason for an AI to reference your page.

• Use AI as a starting point, not the finished product
• Add personal insight, real experience, and case studies
• Share outcomes, lessons learned, and practical results

AI models prioritise new value and authentic expertise. That is what earns citations. Isn’t it funny that as humans we want to use AI to generate content – yet what the AI wants is real content and insights from humans.

2. Answer real customer questions and use them to shape your content

The foundation of AI visibility is simple. Answer the exact questions your customers are already asking.

These questions appear every day in:

• Sales calls
• Support emails
• Discovery meetings
• Common objections during the buying process

If a prospect or customer asks it, many others are probably already asking AI the same thing.

Turn recurring questions into clear, helpful articles written in plain English. Keep explanations direct and useful. Focus on solving the problem before trying to sell anything.

This philosophy closely mirrors the approach taught in They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan, which remains one of the most practical mindsets for modern content creation. I would definitely recommend that your read this book – here is a non affiliate link to Amazon for They Ask, You Answer.

By consistently publishing content based on real customer conversations, you create material that is naturally aligned with how people search in AI tools.

3. Build topical authority, not isolated articles

AI systems look for trusted sources, not random blog posts.

• Create a strong pillar article on a core topic
• Publish supporting articles that explore sub-topics in depth
• Link everything together logically
• Think about you personal brand – become the expert in your field that AI Searches can reference. Rather than rely on a bog standard (boring) corporate website.

Over time, this signals that your website is a reliable authority, increasing the likelihood of AI referencing your content.

4. Use structure that AI can easily extract

AI tools favour content that is simple to interpret and summarise.

• One clear H1 stating the topic
• Logical H2 and H3 subheadings based on real questions
• Bullet points, numbered steps, and short summaries

Well-structured content is far more likely to appear in AI-generated answers.

5. Optimise for meaning, not just keywords

Traditional SEO focused heavily on exact phrases. AI search focuses on context and understanding.

• Write naturally using related terminology and synonyms
• Explain who the content is for
• Clarify the problems and situations the reader faces

Clarity beats keyword density every time.

6. Add concise FAQ sections

FAQ blocks are extremely valuable for AI visibility because they present:

• Clear questions
• Complete, self-contained answers
• Easy-to-quote information

Keep answers short, accurate, and helpful. This increases the chance of being included in AI summaries.

7. Demonstrate real expertise and authorship

AI systems try to identify who created the knowledge they reference.

• Naturally mention your name in the introduction
• Include a short author bio at the end
• Link to an About page showing credentials and experience
• Share proof such as case studies or measurable results

Clear authorship improves trust and attribution.

8. Keep content fresh and evolving

AI systems prefer information that is maintained, updated, and expanded with new thinking.

1. Revisit older articles regularly
2. Use AI to identify gaps or updates
3. Inject your latest experience and results
4. Republish with meaningful improvements

Fresh insight signals ongoing authority.

9. Strengthen technical accessibility

Even the best content fails if AI systems cannot easily read it.

• Fast loading speeds
• Mobile-friendly design
• Clean HTML structure
• Proper indexing and crawlability
• Structured data such as FAQ or Article schema

10. Study and Learn the “They Ask, You Answer” mindset

Focus on transparency, usefulness, and honest answers to real customer concerns. This mindset aligns perfectly with how AI systems evaluate trustworthy content. I would definitely recommend that your read this book – here is a non affiliate link to Amazon for They Ask, You Answer.

11. Always optimise for humans first

This is the simplest and most important rule.

• If readers trust the advice, AI will too
• If someone bookmarks or shares the page, it signals real value
• Helpful content earns citations, summaries, and visibility

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The future of website visibility is AI-driven

Search is no longer just about blue links on Google. It is about being the trusted source behind the answer.

Businesses that publish original insight, demonstrate genuine expertise, answer real customer questions, and maintain high-quality structured content will become the sources AI systems rely on.

Those that rely on recycled, generic content will slowly disappear from visibility.

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Written by Julian Mills – HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist.
About Julian Mills

Sometimes you just need a quick image resize — maybe for a profile picture, a website thumbnail, or a social media post — but you don’t want to mess around with clunky design software or lose quality by stretching things out of proportion. That’s where ChatGPT comes in with a surprisingly helpful trick.

🧠 Did you know ChatGPT can intelligently resize and crop your images?

I recently discovered that ChatGPT can resize an image to an exact size (like 300×300 pixels) and keep the important part in focus — like your face — without stretching or distorting the photo.

I tested it with a headshot I had of me and Nigel Botterill. I just uploaded the image and gave ChatGPT a simple instruction:

“Resize this image to 300×300 pixels. Don’t stretch it — crop it intelligently to keep the aspect ratio. Focus on the area around my face.”

Here’s the original image:

And here’s the smartly cropped version with my face centered in a perfect square format:

It took just a few seconds, and it was spot on — no Photoshop needed.

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💡 How to Do It Yourself

Want to try it? Here’s the prompt template I used:

Resize this image to 300×300 pixels. Don’t stretch it — crop it intelligently to keep the aspect ratio. Focus on the area around my face (or whatever subject you want to highlight).

Then just upload your photo, and ChatGPT will take care of the rest. You can change the dimensions to anything you like (e.g., 600×400, 150×150, etc.).

Sometimes the initial result may not exactly meet your requirements, in that case just feedback to ChatGPT and have it rework the image.

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🧰 Bonus Tip: Save a Prompt Template

If you know you’ll want to do this kind of thing regularly, you can even ask ChatGPT to remember your favorite resizing prompt — like I did. Now it’s super fast to reuse.

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✅ Final Thoughts

This is one of those surprisingly practical AI tricks that saves time and avoids fiddling with image editors. Whether you’re prepping for a presentation, updating your profile pic, or just want a quick image crop — it’s a great tool to have up your sleeve.

Give it a try, and thank me later 😉

Looking for me tips and GPT ideas. Check out this post 25 Powerful ChatGPT Tips and Hacks Every Marketer Should Know