Ensuring AI Search Recommends Your Radio Station

We did an episode last month on Future Proofing Your Website for AI Search, but this topic is so relevant and vital to your station website that it deserves a follow-up. In that episode, we laid the groundwork for understanding how AI is reshaping search behavior. Today, we’re building on that, zeroing in on how your station’s website content can become the go-to answer when someone in your market turns to an AI assistant.

So, imagine a small business owner in your town pulls out their phone and asks ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot: “Where’s the best place to advertise in [Your City]?” What happens next?  Does the bot pull up a list of social media agencies, the local newspaper, or maybe a digital billboard company? Or does it mention your radio station—and maybe even link directly to your advertising page?

This kind of question is becoming more common as more people turn to AI-powered answer engines instead of traditional search. These tools pull their responses from trusted, structured, and locally relevant content. If your website isn’t optimized for how these tools retrieve information, you’re going to miss out.  That’s where AI Search Optimization comes in.

What is AI Search Optimization?

AI Search Optimization (also referred to as Generative Engine Optimization or GEO) is the practice of structuring your content so that AI search tools can easily find, understand, and surface it in their responses. It’s like SEO, but instead of focusing only on Google search rankings, AI Search Optimization ensures your content is cited and summarized by tools like ChatGPT when someone asks a question. SEO matches keywords to user queries to drive traffic. GEO uses advanced AI to interpret and anticipate user intent more accurately, delivering more nuanced and precise responses.

Check out this great article about the differences between SEO and GEO: https://searchengineland.com/what-is-generative-engine-optimization-geo-444418.

This isn’t a future problem for your radio station—it’s right now. Whether it’s events, local businesses, or school sports, your station is likely already producing the kind of content AI tools are hungry for. And this content should be on your website.  If your station doesn’t yet have a content-heavy website, now’s the time to start. Without consistent, localized pages and posts, there’s nothing for AI to find, learn from, or recommend. If you do have that content, let’s ensure you structure it the right way so your website can properly teach AI.

5 Common Content Types and How to Optimize Them for AI Search

1. Advertising Pages

Use case: “Where can I advertise in [Town]?”

Optimization Tips:

• Don’t just post a form—write a full, scannable pitch about why advertising with your station makes the most sense.
• Include a Q&A section about rates, audience size, and ad options.  Add a HowTo or FAQPage schema to explain the process clearly.
• Use the phrase “Advertise in [City]” in your title and body copy.  Duplicate this for each surrounding city with key specifics about that market. Do not copy and paste the same page info.
• Include client testimonials. Social proof will become more important as this kind of search grows.

2. Evergreen Local Content

Use case: “What’s the best picnic spot in [City]?” or “Tell me about high school football in [Town]”

Optimization Tips:

• Write articles that read like helpful guides, not just short blurbs.
• Use headlines and subheadings that mimic real-world questions (e.g., “Where are the best picnic spots in [City]?”).
• Use FAQPage schema if you’re including common questions.
• Include location-specific phrases naturally throughout.

3. Event Listings and Recaps

Use case: Someone asks, “What’s happening this weekend in [Town]?”

Optimization Tips:

• Use Event structured data to mark up dates, times, and locations.
• Include a short, keyword-rich summary at the top of the event page.
• Maintain an always-fresh events calendar URL (e.g., /events).
• Ensure content includes phrases people might say like: “Looking for something to do this weekend in [City]?”

4. Local Business Features

Use case: A listener asks, “Who are the best HVAC companies in [Town]?”

Optimization Tips:

• Include the business name in your URL and H1 title (e.g., /local-business/hometown-hvac-feature).
• Add structured data using Schema.org’s LocalBusiness.
• Include specific services, location, and quotes/testimonials.
• Use clear meta descriptions like: “Meet Hometown HVAC—serving [City] with quality heating and air since 1995. Trusted by locals for affordable and reliable service.”.

5. Podcasts and Interviews

Use case: “What’s the latest on [Local Issue]?” or “Who’s running for mayor in [Town]?”

Optimization Tips:

• Post transcripts or summaries beneath each episode.
• Use descriptive titles and meta descriptions like: “Interview with Mayor Johnson: Plans for [City] in 2025”.
• Tag content with names, issues, and categories.
• Use PodcastEpisode schema and timestamp sections for highlights.

Are you Optimized for AI Search?

Optimizing for AI search doesn’t mean completely changing what you publish—it means being intentional about how you publish it. If your radio station is already creating strong local content, you’re halfway there. If you’re not posting consistent content, hopefully, this is a wake-up call.  For those who are, now it’s about making that content easy for AI to understand and trust. Because when someone asks, “Where’s the best place to advertise in [Your Town]?”, the answer should be obvious.