Forgotten content formats – and how successful journalists use them for AI search
Forgotten content formats – and how successful journalists use them for AI search
Many marketers know that listicles aren't very effective anymore… There are simply too many mediocre content out there on the web. But what content formats could be interesting for AI search instead? And is it best to use them on-page or off-page? I asked these questions to four successful journalists from my network – and concontentualized their answers based on my experience in GEO. Journalistic classics like the profile, the feature article, and the report can transform your B2B website into an exciting source for AI systems. Let the examples inspire you!Many marketers know that listicles aren't very effective anymore… There are simply too many mediocre content out there on the web. But what content formats could be interesting for AI search instead? And is it best to use them on-page or off-page? I asked these questions to four successful journalists from my network – and concontentualized their answers based on my experience in GEO. Journalistic classics like the profile, the feature article, and the report can transform your B2B website into an exciting source for AI systems. Let the examples inspire you!
What you can expect in this post
The Portrait – Benjamin O'Daniel
"I love journalistic forms of presentation that show real people. Take portraits, for example: What motivates this one person? Their character, their attitude, the specific way they bring their job to life.".
Every company could publish such portraits. This would make it much clearer what actually motivates the people behind them.
Instead of writing: 'Mr. Müller is the CEO,' one could write: 'Mr. Müller always blocks out his Friday mornings for open, one-on-one discussions with employees. He says: "Strategy rarely emerges in the conference room. Rather, it arises where someone honestly shares what isn't working.'
Why the portrait is a good content format for GEO
Such profiles are also exciting for GEO. When users search for products or services, AI systems want to understand: What role do you have in your job? What are your requirements? This then leads to precisely tailored AI recommendations for the users.
Target group-specific content is therefore highly relevant. This means content that highlights specific roles, decision-makers, and their perspectives. For example, someone offering software for tax advisors should also focus on tax advisors on their website.
Companies need credible content and formats here. They could write customer profiles for this. This doesn't require a photo shoot or a studio budget, but rather a good conversation and someone to write it down.
That would be significantly more than the classic success stories. Because the focus is not on the company, but on the customer themselves – their decisions, their way of working, and their perspective.
This kind of content can't be copied. It works for all areas – from HR to sales. And on all channels – from newsletters to social media.
"Companies need credible content and formats here. They could write customer profiles for this. That would be significantly more than the classic success stories."
Benjamin O'Daniel, journalist and GEO expert at Jaeckert & O'Daniel
Where you can use the format
on your website wherever real people should be visible: on the About Us page, on the Team or HR page, or simply as a news post in the blog, e.g., when you have a change in the management team.
Off-page, a profile is true GEO contentgold: for example, when it appears in a trade publication – as an article or advertorial – or when you share it in one of the common content formats on LinkedIn. This way, the AI search receives the same signal from multiple sources simultaneously, creating a consistent narrative across channels.
The report – Dr. Martina Wengenmeir
"There's no better feeling than being there when something unexpected happens, when you have to improvise in the heat of the moment, and then you can capture it perfectly in your narrative. This includes interviews in a gondola or a parking lot, a forkful of Kaiserschmarrn that a protagonist puts in my mouth, the smell of apples on a farm in South Tyrol where they are being cut, dried, and packaged. The reportage lends the audience eyes, ears, and all the other senses. It only happens on location, never at a desk. And that's precisely what's so wonderful about it, because it also takes time.".
The journalist is in the director's chair: How do I tell the story and how do I engage my readers? How do I play with time in my narrative? The reportage doesn't need fictional elements, because reality often writes the most creative stories. The format gives me the space to explore all of this and thrives on the people who are part of it: the protagonists, but also colleagues like the photo and film crew.
And the first-person format also has its appeal, because never before have one's own shortcomings been so beautifully exploited and preserved for eternity, even if one is by no means the only one doing so in the age of social media.”
"The report does not require any fictional elements, because reality often writes the most creative stories."
Dr. Martina Wengenmeir, journalist and journalism professor at the University of Applied Management, Ismaning
Why the reportage is a good content format for GEO
There are things AI can't do on its own: feel, smell, taste, see. And above all: be present. The forkful of Kaiserschmarrn, the scent of apples in South Tyrol, the interview in the parking lot – these aren't stylistic devices. These are proofs. Proof that someone was truly there. And can put these impressions into words in such a way that they evoke something in the reader.
This is precisely why feature articles work so well for AI search: AI systems like Google AI Overviews or ChatGPT Search are trained to prioritize trustworthy sources – and content that exists in ten different variations. Because these content are so precisely tailored to you, no competitor can copy them. No AI can invent them. They exist only once. For companies, this is a real opportunity – and one that hardly anyone is currently taking advantage of.
A visit to a customer who uses your product in a completely different way. The night shift in production where the machine suddenly breaks down. The trade fair appearance where the Minister of Health unexpectedly visits your booth: Stories that identify AI systems as a primary source are hidden everywhere.
Where you can use the format
On-page reporting works wherever credibility counts and it needs to be exciting: as a blog post or magazine article – and equally in case studies, where a customer visit shows how you really work.
Off-page, the reportage sends a strong geo-signal: as an attractive guest article for a trade magazine, as an advertorial, or as LinkedIn long-form content. Each of these channels sends the same signal to AI search from a different source – thus expanding your brand's citability.
The (travel) report – Mag. Dr. Carola Leitner
"As a travel journalist, the appeal for me lies not only in experiencing things, but also in reporting: What did I learn, what did I see? How can it be placed in its historical and cultural concontent? How did my fellow travelers fare? A travelogue shouldn't just provide information, but also take the reader along on my journey. It should convey a feeling, too. That's why I also like to borrow elements from other content formats for my travelogues, such as portraits or feature articles.".
Because every journey can not only be portrayed in different journalistic formats, but also unfold in entirely different ways. Despite thorough research, everything can suddenly change on location. Often, it is precisely those journeys where many things turn out differently than expected that give rise to the best stories. I find it particularly exciting to concontentualize these unpredictable events in writing and to captivate the reader in the process.
For example: On my most recent trip through Kyrgyzstan, I traveled on horseback. (Many of my travelogues appear in equestrian magazines.) I'm usually part of a riding group on these trips. In this predominantly Muslim country, however, I was not only alone with three (!) male guides this time, but also a test subject for the trail – and the very first tourist to sleep in the shepherds' yurts. A particular highlight: the bed built for me right before my eyes… Perhaps that's precisely why it was one of the trips that most inspired me to write
“As a travel journalist, the appeal for me lies not only in experiencing, but also in reporting: What did I learn, what did I see? How can it be classified historically and culturally? How did my fellow travelers fare?”
Mag. Dr. Carola Leitner, journalist and lecturer at the University of Vienna
Why the (travel) report is a good content format for GEO
Sure, theoretically, AI systems know the whole world. They know that the nomadic population of Kyrgyzstan lives in yurts and travels on horseback. They also know a few other facts that the AI has gleaned from sources like Wikipedia and others.
What the AI doesn't know: What does it feel like to enter a Kyrgyz yurt? What does it smell like? What do typical dishes like beshbarmak, plov, and kumis taste like? What is daily life like for a nomadic family? How does this family earn a living – and how are they doing? Only a human can truly experience, taste, and ask about all of this. And that's precisely what's so fascinating – especially for horse enthusiasts who want to book one of these exclusive riding trips.
Quite apart from Kyrgyzstan and horses: A (travel) report provides concontent, puts things into perspective, and answers all the "W" questions that interested people might have (who, how, what, where, when, why). Through information, he explains connections, creates understanding, and thus provides a sense of security. And that makes him a valuable content format for any product or service that requires explanation.
Where you can use the format
On-page optimisation is perfect for case studies, blog content – and even landing pages, depending on the product. It answers both hard and soft questions, taking into account all needs and potential areas where things might go "differently." This builds trust in the product, the service, and your brand.
Off-page, a good report provides perfect material for an advertorial or a valuable guest post on relevant third-party websites, making it a wonderfully citable source for AI recommendations.
The in-depth expert interview – Victoria Scholz
“In B2B marketing at Ninox, we work with our internal subject matter experts to tap into their insider knowledge along fixed topic pillars (so-called “content pillars”).
Our questions are not a rigid set of queries: Rather, we use SEO and keyword researchto find out what our target group is really passionate about.
The interview itself, however, proceeds like a classic journalistic conversation. We listen and ask follow-up questions where things get interesting. I learned in journalism school that you should think about the answers you want and then formulate the appropriate questions. Therefore, all the questions I ask follow the same logic: Question 1 is for identifying topics. Question 2 is for strong quotes and headlines, and Question 3 is for a powerful quote at the end and possibly for additional topics. This is how real stories are created instead of generic AI-generated content.
In content orchestration, we work with the 1:7 formula: The large interview serves as our comprehensive research source. Following the motto "Create Once, Distribute Forever," we break this core format down into at least seven smaller, channel-specific content bites
“We listen and ask follow-up questions where things get interesting. This is how real stories are created instead of generic AI content.”
Victoria Scholz, journalist and content lead, Ninox Software
Why the in-depth expert interview is a good content format for GEO
Consistency across all channels is one of GEO's key success factors. So you're doing everything right if your website features a comprehensive interview, complemented by thematically relevant LinkedIn formats such as posts or articles, podcasts, and advertorials – all addressing different facets of the same message.
It is initially a lot of work. But because it generates so much unique content , the investment pays off. Usually faster than you'd think.
Where you can use the format
Onpage is a game-changer for any blog, featuring in-depth expert interviews. You can use quotes from it virtually everywhere: on thematically relevant landing pages, product pages, and offpage as a snappy content format on social media channels like LinkedIn, or as an addition to really good advertorials.
The column – Monika Wolf Weber
"A column is not a self-help guide. Not an analysis. Not a balanced overview with all the pros and cons. It is an opinion piece by someone who stands by a cause with their name. And that is precisely its strength.".
When you read a column, you're not reading about a topic. You're reading about a person: their way of thinking, provoking, and making pointed remarks. Often with humor, sometimes with irony, sometimes sharp as a scalpel and correspondingly painful, and often controversial.
What distinguishes a column from almost all other formats is its regularity: it appears regularly, always in the same place, always by the same person. It's incredibly personal. This regularity is part of its recipe for success. Readers want to be entertained, to be provoked. They like the format. They come back regularly for more. And they want to be able to rely on the format. A written relationship develops that can last for decades.
I think a column is the boldest format you can use in content marketing: taking a clear position – and sticking to it.”
"I think a column is the boldest format you can use in content marketing: taking a clear position – and sticking to it."
Monika Wolf Weber, copywriter and GEO consultant at monswap solutions
Why the column is a good content format for GEO
The column is the content format that most effectively fosters trust and recognition. Not because the arguments are always appealing, but because the stance, the person behind them, is consistent. Those who regularly publish a column don't just build a readership; they establish genuine authority on a topic. And if there's one thing the internet needs, it's more opinion, more conviction, more personality, more reliability
At the beginning of the year, I optimized the website of a well-known bestselling author. Her wish was to eventually write a column again, sharing her personal perspective on the literary scene, writing book reviews, and even venting her frustrations about working conditions in the German publishing industry.
What better place for a column than your own blog?
Where you can use the format
The column is the perfect format for personal branding. On-page, it clearly belongs on your own blog – as a regular feature, with its own title, and published at a consistent pace. Those who maintain this consistently achieve something that almost no company website has: a reason for your target customers to keep coming back.
Off-page, the column works wherever a specialist audience and opinion leadership count: as a regular feature in a trade magazine that your target group already reads, or as a regular LinkedIn format.
Your next step?
Many marketers know that listicles are no longer effective in AI search. But what content formats should you use then? Where on your website should each of these formats be placed? And who should write the appropriate content for them? This is exactly where I can help: with SEO and GEO strategy, high-quality contentthat gets found and cited – and monitoringto show whether GEO is actually working for you.
What clients ask me about content formats for SEO and GEO…
Besides classic journalistic formats like interviews, features, profiles, reports, columns, and commentaries, there are numerous hybrid forms. In addition, there are countless web formats such as case studies, FAQ pages, product pages, and landing pages.
The list is long. The crucial factor is which content format best suits your product, your brand, and search intent .
For B2B customers, trust is even more crucial. That's why formats that demonstrate expertise and genuine experience work best: in-depth expert interviews, case studies or reports, and customer profiles with real names. They prove that behind your brand are people who know what they're doing.
AI systems in the B2B concontent use precisely these kinds of content formats as a source – because they're only available in this form from you.
Because I primarily work with B2B clients, I'll only be sharing my experiences on LinkedIn here. The following content formats work well:
– features, reports, and profiles, either as full LinkedIn articles or shortened posts
– columns, if done correctly, can be a real reach powerhouse
– interview quotes are perfect as hooks or posts.
Each format works best when the message is presented in a controversial and, ideally, personal way.
Consistency is key: AI systems interpret the same statements presented differently, possibly even from different employee profiles, as a strong signal.
