Get a faster airplane, then you'll be the one doing the overtaking...
Seriously though. Aircraft below you, against a backdrop of a typical countryside or town are notoriously hard to spot. Only if the background is a uniform color (sea or sky) do you stand a chance of spotting another aircraft from a reasonable distance away. And flying with lights and strobes on only helps so much.
I know this is not taught formally, but wiggling your wings or altering your course temporarily makes you a moving target, even if only for a short while, instead of a stationary target, in the eyes of the other party, which much greater chance of visual acquisition. And if the other guy wiggles back, that's an informal confirmation that he's seen you.
Although, in this particular case, I can't see how the situation could have been avoided.