A Guide to Being Cited by AI Search (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity)

What is GEO, and how is it different from SEO?

GEO, or generative engine optimisation, is the practice of shaping content so that AI answer tools can retrieve it and use it as a source. It builds on SEO rather than replacing it, because these tools still depend on pages that can be crawled and understood.

The difference is the unit of success. Classic SEO aims at a page ranking in a list of links. GEO aims at a passage being used inside a written answer, ideally with a link back. That changes how you write: clear, self-contained answers matter more than long introductions. Our GEO and AI-search optimisation service works this way, and it sits alongside SEO services.

How should a page be structured to be cited?

A page that can be cited opens with a direct answer and then supports it. AI tools often extract short passages, so each section should make sense on its own.

1. Open the page with a direct answer that names the subject explicitly and does not rely on words like "it" or "this". Let the topic and the reader's need set its length; Google does not ask for a particular word count.
2. Use headings that are real questions or precise noun phrases.
3. Start each section with one or two sentences that answer the heading directly.
4. Keep paragraphs to two to four sentences, and put comparisons in tables and steps in lists.
5. Add a short FAQ with self-contained answers.
6. Show the date of the last update, and keep facts accurate and sourced.

This is the structure we use on every page of this site. It also helps human readers, which is the better reason to adopt it.

Why do entities matter for AI search?

An entity is a clearly identifiable thing, such as a company, a person, a place or a service, that a system can recognise and connect to other facts. Naming your entities consistently helps both people and machines know exactly who and what a page is about.

Use the full business name consistently, describe what you do in the same words across your site, profiles and directories, and state facts a reader would need: location, services, contact route, and who is responsible for the content. Avoid vague claims. Where you operate only remotely, say so, because a clear and honest description is more useful to an answer engine than a flattering one.

Does schema markup help with AI search?

Structured data helps search systems understand a page, but it is not a switch that makes AI tools cite you. Google says structured data can enable more engaging results, and it recommends JSON-LD for most sites.

Google also warns not to add markup about information that is not visible to users. Use accurate Organization, Article, FAQPage or Service markup where it truthfully describes the page, and keep it consistent with the visible text. For AI Overviews specifically, Google states that no extra technical requirements or special schema are needed beyond being indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.

Do you need an llms.txt file?

An llms.txt file is a proposed convention, not a standard: a Markdown file at your site root that gives AI tools a short, curated overview and links to key pages. The proposal was published by Jeremy Howard in September 2024 and is described on llmstxt.org as open for community input.

Google states that you do not need AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Whether other providers read the file is not something we can confirm, so check their current documentation. Adding one is low effort and harmless, and it can help tools that choose to read it, but do not expect results from it alone. Fix your content and crawlability first.

Google states that you do not need llms.txt or other new machine-readable files to appear in Google Search, and that creating them neither harms nor helps visibility. Other assistants may read them, so keep them accurate, but do not treat them as a visibility lever.

Which AI crawlers exist, and how do robots.txt rules apply?

Each major provider runs several crawlers with different purposes, and robots.txt can treat each one separately. Blocking a training crawler does not necessarily block the crawler that powers search answers, so read each provider's current documentation before changing anything.

If you want AI search visibility, do not block the search crawlers by accident through an old blanket rule. Names and behaviour change, so check the official documentation of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Perplexity before you edit robots.txt.

How do you measure AI search visibility?

Measurement of AI search visibility is still imperfect, and you should combine several partial signals. No provider gives a complete report of how often it cited you.

• Google Search Console: Google's current guide points to a separate Generative AI performance report for features on Google Search and Discover, and says a site must be included in Search generative AI features in Search Console to be eligible. Check both in your own account; we cannot see them for you.
• Server logs: look for the crawler names above to see who is fetching your pages.
• Referral traffic in analytics from AI tools that send visitors.
• Manual checks: ask real customer questions in each tool, record the answers, and repeat monthly. Results vary between sessions.
• Business outcomes: enquiries, calls and form submissions.

Treat manual checks as samples, not rankings.

What can nobody promise about AI search citations?

Nobody can promise that an AI tool will cite your page, mention your brand, or send traffic. The tools do not publish their full selection rules, answers vary between users and over time, and the products change quickly.

What you can do is publish accurate, well-structured pages, keep them crawlable, describe your entity clearly, and measure honestly. A provider that offers guaranteed AI citations is selling certainty that does not exist. If you want to discuss your site, message us on WhatsApp at +90 216 393 10 07.