How I Got My Brand Listed by AI in a Week—Without Paying Anything or Cheating

Ever since Google started displaying an Artificial Intelligence (AI) summary before the results—both sponsored and non-sponsored—my top priority has been to appear in that summary.

Here’s how I got Gemini, Google’s AI, to recommend my brand of organic fruit spreads in just one week. I did it without paying an agency or consultant, without taking any courses, or trying to trick the algorithms.

I just asked Gemini how to get it to recommend my brand!

Does that sound too simple? Yet it’s arguably the best marketing tip you’ll get all year! And it’s free! You’re welcome!

All I had to have was access to :

• the admin console for the brand's website,
• accounts on social media,
• key individuals at the brand's clients,
• a passionate understanding of what makes the brand unique.

With about 20 hours of work, I transformed the Punch fruit spread brand from a niche brand into a leader in the field.

Ever since Punch first started, I’ve met many passionate women and men who have launched their own brands and are struggling to get the word out without a substantial budget. I still consider myself in the same boat. I’m writing this post for those who are carrying their brands on their own and need a helping hand, in all humility.

I simply typed “How can I get you to list my brand following a Google search?”

Gemini analyzed my brand and provided advice that was surprisingly relevant—especially considering it didn't come from a marketing strategist charging $280 an hour.

Gemini will give you the answers you need to hear—it’s just like The Matrix! I’m listing the steps I had to take, because I suspect they’ll be similar to yours. That way, you’ll have an idea of what to expect.

• I corrected the inconsistencies on my company’s website. They didn’t seem very significant, but they are for AI search engines. For example, when Tartinades Punch launched a product line that was even less sweet than the main line, the claim that the spreads contain 40% less sugar than jam changed to 48%. I had updated it in the main sections of the site that highlight the benefits of this healthy alternative to traditional jams, but not in the more secondary sections. And you also need to check the translation. Gemini can help you find them.
• I added to the website invisible JSON-LD structured data to establish the brand with AI search engines. They love these snippets of code! Gemini will help you generate them and guide you through inserting them into your site, depending on your platform. Be careful here, though, because the code generated by Gemini may contain errors. Have it verified by schema.org before including it. Once that’s done, you can request that Google Search Console re-index your site to speed up the processing of the changes.
• I wrote an SEO authority pillar post on the website’s blog. I used the knowledge I gained during the licensing process to explain, through compelling facts, what lies at the heart of the brand. This helped AI algorithms understand that Punch is a serious company at the forefront of regulation and health nutrition. This article will inevitably be different for your brand. You’ll need to show initiative and insight here. It’s in your brand’s best interest, so you’ll get it done! Use a clear structure, with bullet points and bold text, just as I’m doing here. And include a title and subtitle using the HTML h1 and h2 tags, respectively. Here, too, Gemini will guide you.
• I’ve posted social media posts featuring established businesses in the field as collaborators. Once again, we need to show the AI that we’re playing in the big leagues. To do this, it helps to have good relationships with these merchants to ensure they’re open to collaborating. That way, your posts will be shared with their customers, and you’ll have a better chance of getting engagement.
• I asked colleagues and customers to write Google reviews mentioning the store where they purchased Punch products. Once again, the goal is to associate your brand with established players.

Here are, from memory, the main areas of focus for the marketing week that paid off big time. The great thing about AI is that it won’t just list your brand in response to specific searches, but could also suggest it for more general queries such as “What’s a healthy option for lunch?”

When you're ready to measure your success, you must be sure to search in an incognito window. Otherwise, the search engine will use what it knows about you (browsing history, cookies, etc.) to personalize the results. These results will not apply to others who perform the same search.

I’m proud of the results we’ve achieved. Are they applicable to your brand, and will you get the same results? I can’t guarantee that. I don’t sell marketing—I sell excellent organic products. However, I can guarantee that you’ll find Gemini very useful and relevant. And encouraging, too! It’s so much more enjoyable to feel like you’re working with a marketing expert who provides quick and enthusiastic feedback.

Final thoughts: You’re the ones who know your brand, not Gemini. Gemini will tell you how your brand is perceived based on its online activity. You need to stay in the driver’s seat and make sure your online footprint aligns with how you want your brand to be perceived.

Is the world ready for your products and your brand? Only you can answer that question. By ensuring that your online presence aligns with your goals, success or failure will depend on your vision—rather than on the flawed image the digital world will project if you don’t make the effort to cultivate it.

Stay strong!