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If you want AI to recommend your brand, start telling better science stories

  • Writer: Thomas Bertossi
    Thomas Bertossi
  • 7 days ago
  • 2 min read

Science storytelling isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s now your brand’s winning ticket to being recommended by AI. If you want to be the answer that ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity serves up, you need more than keywords and backlinks. You need science content that’s clear, credible, and radically real.


The game has changed: from SEO to AEO


Let’s be honest: the old SEO playbook is fading fast. According to the Financial Times, 80% of consumers now use AI-generated content for 40% or more of their searches. Gartner predicts a 20 to 40 percent drop in search engine volume by 2026 because people are asking chatbots, not just Googling.

And what are these AI bots looking for? Not the catchiest slogans or the biggest ad budgets. They’re hunting for answers grounded in science explained in a way that anyone can understand.


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I put it to the test: how AI picks its favorites


I asked ChatGPT: “Best toners for oily skin?”

It didn’t spit out the most-advertised brands. It listed products with:


  • Evidence-based ingredients (salicylic acid, niacinamide)

  • Clinical and Dermatologist Validation (with a big focus on recommendations by dermatologists online #tiktokderms #RealSelf #r/SkincareAddiction

  • Brand Credibility and Ingredient Transparency

  • Product Performance and Reviews

  • Safety and everyday tolerability


When I challenged it on “Why these?” it doubled down: science first, always. Peer-reviewed efficacy, third-party testing, and transparent, jargon-free explanations win every time.

Here's one example of what it said:


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Why science storytelling wins with AI

Here’s the shift: AI bots are trained to prioritize clarity and authority. They’re not wowed by pretty packaging or hype. They want the receipts. That means if your science content is buried in technical PDFs or locked behind “brand-safe” marketing speak, you’re invisible to the new gatekeepers of discovery.

Zero-click searches are surging. Google’s AI Overviews reach 2 billion monthly users. Most people never even click through to your website. They trust the AI summary. If your science isn’t optimized for answer engines, you’re missing the moment of truth.


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Zorba’s POV: science storytelling as an AEO power move

At Zorba’s Social & Digital Lab, we don’t just translate science. We turn it into stories that AI (and humans) can’t resist.


  • We break down complex research into crisp, conversational insights.

  • We structure content so AI bots want to quote you as the authority.

  • We help brands become the go-to answer for both people and algorithms.


The result: Your expertise isn’t just published. It’s featured, referenced, and trusted in the places that matter most.


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Final word: make your science unmissable

If you want your brand to be the answer, not just another search result, science storytelling is your new superpower. It’s not about dumbing it down. It’s about making your science so clear, so credible, and so compelling that even AI can’t help but recommend you.

Ready to turn your science into the story everyone’s talking about (and searching for)? Let’s talk.



 
 
 

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