Beyond Google: How SMBs & Coaches Can Rank on ChatGPT, Reddit, and AI Overviews in 2025

Introduction

Rank on ChatGPT — it’s not just a trend, it’s the future.

If you’re a small business owner, coach, or CMO, you’ve likely optimized for Google. But in 2025, your customers are searching on ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini, Reddit, TikTok — everywhere but Google’s page one.

This guide is your new SEO roadmap — where visibility meets trust in the age of AI.

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Why Traditional SEO Is No Longer Enough

Your keywords might still rank on Google — but your leads are flat. Why?

Because 73% of search now happens outside traditional engines. According to recent data:

• Buyers ask ChatGPT for product advice.

• Founders check Perplexity for service comparisons.

• Teens search TikTok before Google.

If your business isn’t visible on AI platforms, you’re not truly visible.

This is what we call: The Google Trap.
You’re ranking but not converting — because you’re not present where decisions are made.

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What Are AI Overviews and ChatGPT Rankings?

• AI Overviews (formerly “SGE”) show AI-generated summaries at the top of Google.

• ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude now act as research assistants for users.

• These tools pull answers from websites, content clusters, and sources with strong Google EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trust).

If you’re not structured, credible, and up-to-date — you’re ignored.

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The New Era: Where Your Customers Are Actually Searching

Your customers are looking for trust signals — not just keyword matches.

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7-Step SEO Checklist to Rank in AI Overviews (2025 Edition)

1. Start With Entities, Not Just Keywords
   Use real-world names (e.g., “Ranu Patel Webexpert,” “Austin Coach SEO”) and establish author profiles.

2. Structure Content With Schema & FAQs
   Add FAQ schema, About schema, How-to markup, and Review stars to your blogs and service pages.

3. Create EEAT-Rich Clusters
   Build topic authority with blog clusters that answer follow-up AI queries.

4. Write for Humans, Optimize for LLMs
   Use clear, simple, motivational writing. Tools like ChatGPT use readability scoring to select answers.

5. Add Fresh Internal Links and Update Frequently
   LLMs love recent, internally connected content. Update old blogs with fresh dates and links.

6. Build on Reddit, Substack, LinkedIn, and YouTube
   LLMs often cite these sources. Repurpose your content smartly.

7. Get Featured and Cited
   Pitch your brand to appear in press releases, AI SEO podcasts, or industry interviews.

 

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Case Study: How a Coach in Austin Ranked in Google AI Overview

Meet Rachel, a fractional CMO in Austin.

She used:

• 1 blog with schema,

• 1 motivational SEO song on YouTube,

• 1 carousel on LinkedIn,

• A Substack checklist for decision-makers.

Within 30 days, she ranked in Google’s AI Overview when people searched for “best fractional CMO Austin.”

She generated 14 discovery leads — without spending on ads.

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Bonus: AI SEO Tools You Shouldn’t Ignore in 2025

• Ziptie.dev – Track if you’re in AI Overviews or not.

• NeuronWriter – Optimize for NLP, not just keywords.

• RankRanger AIO Tracker – Monitors Gemini, Perplexity, SGE rankings.

• MarketMuse – Build topical authority for EEAT.

• Surfer SEO – For live content audits and AI scoring.