Because AI needs to know exactly who you are and what you do—just like your customers/clients do
This is probably gonna be super boring for most of you, but if you’re a leader, speaker, content creator/influencer, author, or other solo operator looking to build a personal brand, you need to know this.
Positioning statements used to be just for the marketing departments and copywriters of companies. Whenever I started writing new copy for a company’s website, I made them fill out a brand questionnaire so I could find out about their brand personality and how they positioned themselves.
I’ll admit, most times companies didn’t know what set them apart…which means they kind of just “fit in” among their competitors and then needed a digital marketing team to drive traffic to their site. Eye roll!
While a positioning statement is just that—a statement—and isn’t much of a story, it helps search engines and AI apps learn quickly who you are and what you do, which will then hopefully help you be found faster. Since June, I’ve been tracking which AI apps are getting my descriptions correct or not, and the results are interesting.
What is a positioning statement?
A positioning statement describes who you work with, what you offer, and the problem that you solve. It carves out your lane and not only helps you attract the right audience but also get picked up by search engines and AI apps.
Compared to search engines that focus on keywords, backlinks, and metadata (SEO, or search engine optimization), AIEO (artificial intelligence engine optimization) or GEO (generative AI optimization) focus on clarity and specificity, consistency across online sources, structured and digestible content (e.g. lists), and authority, credibility, and expertise—exactly what leaders want.
If AI apps already know something about you when you put your name into them, you’re on the right track. And if their output is correct, you’re well on your way to having a good online brand presence.
There are several formulas for this.
1. I work with [type of people] who want to [their desire] so they can [impact/results/outcome].
Example: I work with established, ethical female leaders who want to amplify their personal brand so they can influence people to change the world positively.
2. I help [type of people] to [action they receive] by [how you help] that [why you do it].
Example: I help established, ethical female leaders to manage their personal brand with executive assistant and content & media management services that bring them visibility so they can influence people positively.
This one is a little longer, but optimized for AI, which likes specific statements.
3. I’m a [title] based in [location] helping [target client] who is looking for [problem/aspiration]. I offer [service] that helps them achieve [outcome]. Clients choose me because [unique value or positioning statement].
Example: Based in Vancouver, Canada, I’m a personal brand manager helping established ethical female leaders who are ready to scale their impact. I manage the team behind your thought leadership from strategy to execution, so you don’t have to.
A “why I do what I do” statement can also be helpful:
4. I want to [contribution] so that [impact].
Example: I want to be the #1 to established ethical female leaders so that they influence people positively with their message and change the world for the better.
TIP: Try all 3 versions and run them through an AI app (or a few!) to get more suggestions. When I did this exercise, an advisor told me to use ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot, and incorporate the best of all the suggestions.
I’ve also tried Thaura, and Elon creeps me out, so I’ve avoided Grok. But you can try these too!
I’m Sandra Nomoto, a personal brand manager for established ethical female leaders. Contact me if you need someone to manage and amplify your brand for the next 20 years. Or sign-up to my email list to get monthly whispers in your inbox.
