Ep. 37 Found in AI: Is YouTube the Missing Piece in Your AI Search Strategy?
In this episode of Found in AI, Cassie explores a real-time experiment in AI search visibility.
Today’s guest, Zechariah Tokar, shares how he’s been using simple YouTube videos—created with Google’s NotebookLM—to influence local search results. And, it’s working. But it also raises bigger questions about what AI systems are rewarding right now—and what that means for brands.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why YouTube may be overweighted in local and AI-driven search
- How short, low-production videos can create entity signals
- Where NotebookLM fits into rapid video testing
- Why middle-of-funnel questions may outperform “best of” keywords
- How to treat YouTube as an experiment—not a long-term shortcut
Transcript: Is YouTube the Missing Piece in Your AI Search Strategy?
Why Zechariah Started Testing YouTube for AI Search
A lot of Zechariah clients are chasing “near me” searches and “best of” queries — the kind of searches that drive real local business. What he kept noticing was that Google was serving YouTube videos at the top of those results, even when the videos were old, barely optimized, and not especially relevant.
So he did what any curious SEO person would do: he looked closer.
The videos getting served weren’t polished productions. A lot of them were AI-generated, low-effort, and had inconsistent engagement. Some had views. Some didn’t. But Google kept serving them anyway.
His takeaway? The supply just isn’t there yet. Google wants video, and not enough businesses are providing it — which means there’s a window.
“I wouldn’t suggest for everyone to do this. I wanted to test the waters. I guess that’s usually how bad or good things start.”
What “Low Production” Actually Means — And Why It’s Working
Zechariah started making one to two minute videos with minimal production, focused purely on the keywords he wanted to rank for. As someone who describes himself as a “spammy SEO person,” he optimized everything he could — the channel name, the headline, the description — and it worked.
But here’s the part worth paying attention to: even when the video itself didn’t show up in search results, he noticed a significant improvement in organic rankings for the associated website. The connection between the video and the brand was doing something.
His honest caveat, though: this is a trending tactic. He expects more people will catch on, and as they do, engagement signals will likely start to matter more. For now, the bar is low because the competition is low.
How Zechariah Creates Videos with NotebookLM (For Free)
This is the part of the conversation that got really practical.
Zechariah uses Google’s NotebookLM — completely free with a Google account — to generate videos without ever turning on a camera. Here’s his basic workflow:
Step 1: Create a new notebook. Add in all the resources and content you want the video to draw from. He skews this heavily toward brand mentions and anything that reinforces the client’s positioning.
Step 2: Go to the Studio tab and click “Video Overview.” NotebookLM narrates and summarizes the content into a short video. It’s static images with a robotic voiceover — not exactly Hollywood. But it gets indexed.
Step 3: Write a strong description. He’ll drop a Loom or Google video into an AI tool, ask it to write a keyword-rich description, and paste that in. The barrier to entry is very low.
He’s the first to admit these videos aren’t something he’d put on a brand’s website. They’re AI-generated, they’re a little clunky, and they glorify the brand in ways that would feel off in other contexts. His honest framing: he expects no one is actually watching them. The audience he’s optimizing for is AI engines, not humans.
“It sounds really terrible, but it’s just like a guest post — except it’s free. And for some reason, AI thinks it’s really reliable and they’re picking up on it.”
How YouTube Fits Into Entity Building
Here’s where this gets more strategic.
Zechariah doesn’t treat YouTube in isolation. After creating a video, he simultaneously posts about it on Reddit and Twitter — always with the same brand language, always connecting it back to the same entity. The goal is more mentions of the brand across more unique surfaces.
This aligns directly with what we’ve been learning about AI search more broadly: the more your brand appears consistently across different platforms and contexts, the stronger your entity becomes. AI engines aren’t just reading your website. They’re synthesizing signals from everywhere.
One thing worth noting on YouTube specifically: he’s not optimizing for YouTube’s internal algorithm. He’s not trying to build a following or go viral. He’s using YouTube as a distribution channel for entity signals — and it’s working for that purpose.
Does Adding a Transcript to YouTube Help?
This came up because of a conversation Cassie had at PodFest, where a speaker mentioned that adding a transcript to YouTube (not just audio) makes a meaningful difference.
Zechariah’s take: within YouTube itself, a transcript probably helps. For broader AI search? He hasn’t seen a big difference. A well-written description seems to do enough for the indexing he’s targeting.
His advice: don’t overcomplicate it. The description alone, generated with AI and optimized for your keywords, is often sufficient. The barrier to entry really is that low.
What to Expect as YouTube Cleans Things Up
Zechariah is clear-eyed about the fact that this is a window, not a permanent strategy. YouTube has already been removing spammy AI-generated channels, and as competition increases, engagement will likely become a stronger signal.
But for now — especially in lower-competition niches like local services — the supply of video content is still thin enough that even minimal effort can make a difference. He’s seen videos from 2022 with 8,000 views still showing up at the top of searches for competitive queries. The algorithm isn’t demanding quality yet. It’s demanding presence.
His prediction: once more SEO people catch on, this gets harder. So if you’re going to test it, now is the time.
The One YouTube Thing Brands Should Do Right Now
Cassie’s final question: if a brand can only do one YouTube-related thing this year to improve AI search inclusion, what should they prioritize?
Zechariah’s answer was direct: volume and consistency, built around a question-and-answer format.
His recommendation:
- Make short videos — one minute or less — structured as question, answer, question, answer
- Put your keywords and entity information in the title and description
- If you can put a real person on camera, even for 30 seconds, that’s even better
- Churn them out quickly and watch the data
Treat it the same way you’d approach topical authority for a blog. Cover the same topic clusters you’d write about — just in video format. If after 20 to 30 videos you’re not seeing movement, pivot. But if you are? Refine the quality and keep going.
“I would just be churning them out as quickly as possible and not worrying so much about production. After one month or two months, if you don’t see anything, you could stop it.”
What to Take Away From This One
YouTube is being weighted in local and AI-influenced search right now — especially in lower-competition niches. That does not mean you need to churn out 30 junk videos tomorrow. But it does mean video has entered the entity conversation, and ignoring it is a choice.
If you’re going to test this, test it with intention. Start with the real questions your customers are asking. Keep videos short — think 90 seconds or less. Align them to specific services or locations. Make your titles and descriptions clear, structured, and on-topic. Then watch your data.
And one more thing worth adding: your YouTube channel should use the same language as your website. Consistency across surfaces is how entity authority actually compounds.
AI search rewards signals, but brands win customers on trust. Visibility is only useful if it strengthens authority — not just presence. So whatever you test, make sure you’d be proud of what someone finds if they actually click through.
This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.
If we haven’t met yet…
Hi, I’m Cassie — a fractional content strategist for early-stage startups who specializes in AI search optimization.
If AI-generated answers are already influencing your buyers, your content strategy needs to account for that. I build content programs that connect strategy with execution: clear positioning, systems, and content that actually drives revenue. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, here’s how we can work together.
Want to know where your brand actually shows up in AI search right now? An AI visibility audit is the place to start.
Want more insights like this? Subscribe to The Visibility Report, where I break down how AI engines interpret authority — and how you can show up in the results.
