Does video content help you show up in AI search?

It can. When you ask ChatGPT or Claude for the best podcast in your niche, helpful video content is part of what gets you named. Mostly Media's CFO show already turns up in those answers.

Quick Answer

• Ask ChatGPT or Claude "what's the best podcast for CFOs" and Mostly Media's show shows up.
• Showing up in AI search isn't only top-of-funnel. It supports the whole buyer journey.
• If you already appear, it becomes one less fire to fight. If you don't, that's where the work is.

Why video earns AI-search mentions

Most companies are watching their traffic drop and feeling like AI is eating their lunch. So Dane asked Ben Hillman the direct question: does video content actually move the needle in AI search, or is it only top-of-funnel awareness?

Ben's answer is grounded in real tests, not theory.

"We've done really crude tests of going to ChatGPT or Claude, asking what's the best newsletter for CFOs, or what's the best podcast for CFOs. And our show will pop up and show up on those searches for sure." — Ben Hillman

He's candid about his posture. He doesn't feel panic about AI search precisely because his show already appears in those answers. That's a privileged position, and he keeps an eye on it rather than chasing every change.

For teams that don't yet show up, that's the signal. Helpful, niche video content is what earns these mentions across the funnel. The companies that build it now get to hold the position later, when it's much harder to break in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does video help you appear in ChatGPT and Claude answers?

Yes, it can. Ben Hillman runs informal tests asking ChatGPT or Claude for the best podcast for CFOs, and his show appears. Helpful, niche content is what earns those AI-search mentions.

Is AI-search visibility only for top-of-funnel awareness?

No. Ben treats showing up in AI search as support across the buyer journey, not just awareness. The point is to be present when buyers ask AI tools for recommendations at any stage.

What if my company doesn't show up in AI search yet?

Then that's where the work is. Ben notes that already showing up is a privileged position. Teams that aren't there yet should build helpful, niche content now to earn those mentions before the space gets more crowded.

Full Clip Transcript

I think most companies are seeing their traffic drop and feeling like AI is eating our lunch. So is video content going to actually help move the needle? And is it just top of funnel awareness, or what about the middle and the late-stage decision-making buyer journey content? We've done really crude tests of, every once in a while, going to ChatGPT or Claude, asking, what's the best newsletter for CFOs, or what's the best podcast for CFOs? And our show will pop up and show up on those searches for sure. I don't have a lot of panic or urgency around showing up in them because we already do show up in them. Having said that, I'm not trying to portray that it doesn't matter. It absolutely matters. I just know there are so many things I need to worry about, and the fact that we're showing up there right now, that's one less thing I need to worry about. So keep an eye on this and make sure we're still showing up there.

Full Interview Transcript

Dane: Hi everybody, my name is Dane Frederiksen. I am a B2B video expert and I'm on a mission to help companies get visible, trusted, and build pipeline faster with video. And I'm joined today by Ben Hillman from Mostly Media. Welcome, Ben.

Ben: Hey, thanks for having me, Dane.

Dane: Tell us about your role in distribution right now.

Ben: Yeah, so I'm the director of production at Mostly Media. My primary role is being the executive producer of our podcast, Run the Numbers. It's a podcast for CFOs and aspiring CFOs. We put out episodes twice a week, for eight episodes a month. And along with that comes a lot of distribution troubles.

Dane: What is the biggest challenge about doing a show like that?

Ben: The biggest challenge is not living and dying by every single upload. We'll make topic-based episodes, like the history of the stock exchanges, that perform better than some of the interview episodes. But the struggle is to remember the TAM that we're addressing, that it's not this massive audience.

Dane: Why is a targeted show the right play right now?

Ben: I think that's always been the play. I remember going to the second ever VidCon back in 2011. They were talking about you want to niche down. And I don't think that is ever going to change. There's always going to be a specific audience that you can speak to.

Dane: Why is distribution so important now?

Ben: It's just because it's easy as heck to distribute now. We had a discussion of, let's make a hundred pieces of content off of one thing. My pushback is, I liken what we do to playing a baseball game. I want quality at-bats. You want to make sure that when you're up to bat, you're prepared, you've done the research. And that comes into play with using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or any other AI software.

Dane: What do B2B teams need to know about distribution?

Ben: The age-old question around quality and quantity, it's kind of both. We're on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter. But not falling prey to that spray and pray mentality, making sure the platforms aren't just a dumping ground. This is an intentional piece of content.

Dane: How do you know if TikTok is performing well?

Ben: The hardest thing is attribution. We had someone comment on a YouTube video that said, I saw your clips on Instagram. We put out two shorts every day, getting one to three hundred views. But that one comment tells me there are people who didn't comment who came from these platforms. That legitimizes it.

Dane: Is video content gonna help you show up in AI search?

Ben: We've done crude tests of going to ChatGPT or Claude and asking, what's the best podcast for CFOs? And our show will pop up. I don't have a lot of panic because we already show up. It absolutely matters. The fact that we're showing up there is one less thing to worry about. So I come from a privileged perspective.

Dane: What's a takeaway for using video for visibility and trust and pipeline?

Ben: Don't assume that people have seen your stuff. My own dad is still trying to figure out how to subscribe to the things that I make. It's age-old advice, but it's still true: you have to tell people seven times before it registers. And that comes hand in hand with, take the piece of content, break it up into chunks. It stands alone. Show up where people are.

Dane: When people say CFOs aren't on TikTok, what's your comeback?

Ben: Yeah, they are. But maybe they aren't, and their kid might be, or their neighbor. The next best person you can get, other than a customer, is a friend of a customer. And it's a validation that this is a legitimate person, and now I'm in play.

Dane: Okay, that's a good one. This has been a great conversation. Thanks again, Ben.

Ben: Yeah, thanks for having me, Dane.

Dane: And we're wrapped.