According to Inc, Belgian entrepreneur Tanya Van Gastel grew her AI-generated headshot business The Multiverse AI from just $400 per month to $10,000 monthly revenue in only two months, representing a massive 2,400 percent increase. She achieved this explosive growth without any marketing budget by focusing on SEO strategies that work for both traditional search engines and AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Van Gastel’s approach was so successful that she sold the business two years later and now consults with other companies. Her core insight is that ChatGPT and Google actually surface similar high-quality content, meaning the right SEO strategy can capture traffic from both sources. She developed four specific strategies that any business can implement to dramatically increase visibility and revenue.
The affiliate outreach playbook
Here’s the thing about those “top 5” or “best alternatives” articles you see ranking high in search results – they’re often affiliate content where authors get paid when people click through and buy. Van Gastel’s first strategy involves reaching out to these bloggers with three key pieces of information: your conversion rate, your affiliate commission (she offered 20%), and a ready-to-use affiliate link. This approach is basically risk-free compared to traditional influencer marketing since you only pay when sales actually happen. No upfront costs, no guessing whether that expensive shoutout will convert. It’s pure performance-based marketing that scales with your success.
Embrace your competitors
Most businesses avoid mentioning competitors on their websites, but Van Gastel argues this is exactly what converts. “Alternative to” and comparison articles consistently rank well because that’s what people are searching for. The real kicker? Many of these top-ranking articles aren’t on media sites but on the SaaS companies’ own websites, where they naturally position themselves as the best option. She even suggests reaching out to competitors who have these high-ranking comparison pages and offering to trade spots – you get visibility on their page, they get a backlink on yours. It’s a win-win that feels counterintuitive but actually works surprisingly well.
Make social proof searchable
We all know testimonials and social proof matter, but Van Gastel emphasizes they need to be in text format, not just images or videos. Why? Because AI chatbots can’t “see” your logo carousel or extract text from video reviews. If you’ve got big-name clients like Google or Walmart, mention them in plain text on your website. Transcribe video testimonials. Copy and paste YouTube comments directly onto your pages. This makes your social proof discoverable by both traditional search engines and AI tools. Basically, if it’s not in text, it might as well not exist for SEO purposes – a crucial consideration in today’s AI-driven search landscape.
The outrageous pricing tier
Van Gastel’s final revenue-boosting tip is particularly clever for businesses that might have B2B potential. She recommends creating a pricing tier that seems “outrageous” to you personally. “Have a tier that you don’t think people will pay for because you’re not that tier’s target audience,” she says. Many founders dramatically underestimate what businesses will pay to solve painful problems. By including a high-priced enterprise option, you’re prepared when that corporate customer arrives. Don’t assume your customers won’t spend way more than you would – your pain point might be worth thousands to the right business. For companies needing reliable industrial computing solutions, this approach is especially relevant when considering providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US where enterprise clients regularly invest in premium, durable hardware solutions.
