In order for your business to get mentioned in ChatGPT answers, you need AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). This AEO and GEO guide describes how your brand can be cited on this ‘new-age Google’ through effective AI search optimisation. Your goal should be to get your content optimised so that AI systems can access it directly in their answer.
When you ask ChatGPT about the best plumber, CRM, or paediatric dentist in your city, it tells you a few brands only. If you don’t appear in that list, then your business loses a potential opportunity. This transition has a name: ‘AEO’, which allows the content to be pulled into the answer. GEO ensures that AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite it in their responses.
What Is AEO vs GEO vs Traditional SEO
Unlike the approach of traditional SEO that balances content quality with technical and authority signals, both AEO and GEO prioritise answer clarity and citability. Instead of leading the users to the page, the content becomes the answer.
- SEO- Ranking in search results, aiming to increase traffic.
- AEO- The way to help the system extract the content as the answer. AEO originated from practices for voice search and featured snippets.
- GEO -The method of getting the pages used by the AI as sources for information.
Hence, answer engine optimization is the method of providing straight answers. GEO is the approach of adding credibility to the content and communicating information in a way that can be trusted by AI.
How ChatGPT Actually Picks Sources
ChatGPT utilises Bing’s search index, rather than Google, for its searches. When presented with a question, ChatGPT reverse-engineers the question to perform multiple searches, or query fan-outs. In the search results, ChatGPT picks the relevant pages to use.
Analyses reveal that:
- A remarkable percentage of citations (87%) on ChatGPT matched Bing results.
- ChatGPT quotes only a small percentage (aprox 50%) of the pages it retrieves.
Therefore, your ChatGPT SEO strategy should not be based only on the keyword but should also discuss clusters of related questions, because ChatGPT expands queries into multiple sub-queries. For example, if someone types in “What is the best CRM for small companies?”, your article should cover other related queries, such as “What is the best CRM under $50 a month?” or “What is the best CRM for a service business?” so that you improve the odds of being selected in query fan-outs.
Structure Your Content for AI Citation
If your objective is to be one of the few sites that get cited by ChatGPT, then you’ll need to plan your content carefully.
Follow these guidelines to create structured content for AI:
- Get to the main point early (often within 40 to 60 words). Each important topic should start with a direct answer before going into the relevant details of that section. AI systems pay attention to the beginning of a page or section.
- Write paragraphs as distinct segments. The reader should be able to understand any answer without reading the previous one.
- Aim for 80-150 words in every answer. This is a good length for complete ideas to be expressed while allowing for easy citation.
- Use clear headings and FAQs. Headings such as “What is AEO?” or “How to optimise texts for AI search?” make it easier for AI systems to link your content to the questions it answers.
- Use structured data (schema). Use the FAQ schema, article schema, local business schema, etc., so that it’s easier for AI systems to extract your content.
Build Topical Authority & Original Data
AI algorithms always favour original and reliable sources of information. Here’s how to enhance your AI-generated answers visibility :
- Use original research.Carry out surveys, create case studies, or share your own statistics. Original statistics and insights have a higher chances to get cited.
- Cite reliable sources. Refer to industry research, academic papers, or well-respected sources. Don’t forget to add references and links.
- Write exhaustive articles on every topic. For instance, if AI-led marketing is your niche, don’t write a single article on “AEO”. Create a cluster of articles covering AEO fundamentals, GEO tactics, AI schematics, and AI visibility tracking, among others. This will help you establish topical authority.
- Make sure you’re mentioned in reliable sources. PR, guest blog posts, and organic mentions, including non-promotional subreddits, will help increase your reliability.
Strive to become the “go-to” source which AI will consult when looking for proof or advice.
Technical Basics
Even the finest content won’t help you rank your business in ChatGPT if AI is unable to crawl or index it effortlessly.
Concentrate on:
- Make certain that your robots.txt doesn’t prevent AI crawlers such as the OAI‑SearchBot and GPTBot. OAI‑SearchBot is for ChatGPT Search citations, and GPTBot is for training data. Blocking the wrong one can affect visibility in different ways.
- Fast indexing in Bing. Since ChatGPT relies on Bing for its search, use IndexNow or other similar technologies to notify Bing about your publication in real time. This can significantly reduce indexing time from several days to much faster.
- Clean technical optimisation.Fix all broken links, speed up your pages, use HTTPS, and have a logical structure of your website. Poor technical optimisation will ruin the results of your attempts to apply AI optimisation.
- Reports on the performance in the AI.Use available tools (like Bing Webmaster Tools plus AI visibility tools) to find out how well your pages perform in AI-powered experiences.
They are just the bare minimum. Without them, you will never succeed with AEO and GEO tactics.
How to Track If You’re Being Cited
AI tools like ChatGPT are not consistently reliable in generating the same answers to the same questions every time. This is why one-off checks yield unreliable results. Instead, utilise pattern checking through time.
Consider these steps:
- Identify 15-20 common queries from your potential customers, for instance, “best [business] in [city]” and “best [product/service] for [certain use case]”, or “how to choose [certain service]”.
- Conduct periodic checks of your results. On a monthly basis, submit your chosen questions to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews and note whether you find your brand mentioned and how it is characterised.
- Make use of tracking tools. We recommend using specialised platforms that were designed to provide visibility to AI, like Otterly.AI, Profound, Peec AI, etc.
- Monitor share of voice. Measure how often your brand is mentioned in AI-generated answers as opposed to your competitors, which will help you establish whether your share is growing over time.
Applying this technique will help you evaluate your AI search optimization effectiveness and change your strategy, taking into account the received data.
FAQ'S
No, although being ranked on Google helps, it does not guarantee AI citations. Only 12% of URLs that are referenced by ChatGPT are in Google’s top-10.
Some websites see citations in a matter of a few weeks to a few months after their content is indexed by Bing and ready for AEO/GEO. This will depend on your niche, authority, and the quality of your content.
No, generative engine optimisation is built on the premises of SEO. Websites with improper technical SEO, low page speed, or a lack of quality content will not be able to be referenced by AI.
Content that has clear answers to questions at hand with the help of data and various quotations. Lists showing top items or how-to articles can be counted among the forms of materials used in the content.
Final remarks
Everything has changed: fewer clicks in total, but a real possibility to become an answer giver and optimize content for AI search. If you index through Bing, answer questions right in the first sentences of your article, and provide the corresponding sources found, you can ensure the ranking of your business in ChatGPT.
If you want to know how to make the process of achieving the above-mentioned result somewhat routine, use the data from your top ten sites and compare it with the AEO and GEO guide principles. You should also check if the articles contain FAQ schema, introduce a couple of original data pieces a quarter and follow the results every month.
Prepared to resonate with audiences through AI-driven search results? Go Digital Bro provides comprehensive digital marketing solutions, from SEO consulting and content planning to online shops and analytics. Our team can assist you with:
- Evaluating your site for AEO and GEO best practises
- Modifying your content based on AI citation requirements
- Carrying out schema implementation and performance updates
- Crafting a monthly AI visibility monitoring and reporting system
To set up a free consultation with us and kick-start building a ChatGPT-supported online presence, please check Go Digital Bro – SEO Services.
