Why ai search optimization (aeo / geo) matters right now.
Search is fragmenting. In 2026, roughly one in three product-research queries now originates in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Claude — not Google. And Google itself is answering more queries with AI Overviews than with blue links.
The playbook for ranking in those surfaces overlaps with SEO but isn't identical. Answer engines cite structured, entity-clear, factually verifiable content — and they cite it disproportionately to the top-3 organic result.
AEO/GEO is the discipline of making sure your content is the answer these engines cite. It's SEO's next-generation companion, not a replacement.
If you're not being cited, you're being replaced.
AI answers used to send a click. Increasingly, they replace one. So the goal isn't 'appear as a source' — it's 'be the source the answer is built around'.
That requires content that answers the query directly, in structured formats an LLM can extract cleanly, on a domain whose entity graph the model already trusts.
The disciplines that make this work.
Answer-engine schema
FAQPage, HowTo, Article with author + reviewer, Product with reviews — the schema types LLMs use to identify authoritative sources.
- Schema strategy per template
- Author + reviewer entity setup
- Product / Service schema
- Validation via schema.org + GSC
Entity signalling
Wikipedia, Wikidata, Crunchbase, LinkedIn — the entity graph LLMs read. We make sure your brand, people, and topics are consistent across it.
- Entity graph audit
- Wikidata + Wikipedia review
- About / Organization schema
- Named entity consistency sweep
Citation-friendly structure
Direct-answer paragraphs, comparison tables, definitional glossaries — the content structures LLMs extract cleanly.
- Content structure templates
- Direct-answer paragraph patterns
- Comparison tables
- Definitional glossary entries
llms.txt
The emerging protocol for telling LLMs which content on your site is authoritative and how to cite it.
- llms.txt authoring
- Priority page mapping
- Maintenance cadence
Citation monitoring
You can't optimise what you don't measure. We track citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews monthly.
- Semrush AI Search reporting
- Custom prompt tracking
- Citation share of voice
- Monthly citation report
Our proprietary approach.
Every page is scored on four axes: Extractability (can the LLM parse it cleanly?), Authority (does the entity graph trust the source?), Freshness (is the data current?), and Uniqueness (does the page add non-derivative value?). We optimise for all four.
- Step 01Extract
Structure the page so an LLM can parse the answer without ambiguity.
- Step 02Attribute
Author, reviewer, and organization entity setup for E-E-A-T + LLM trust.
- Step 03Refresh
Freshness signals — updated dates, revised data — matter to LLMs.
- Step 04Differentiate
LLMs down-rank derivative content. Say something the internet doesn't already say.
Deliverables, by cadence.
- Prompt monitoring
- New-citation alerts
- AI Overview watch
- Citation share-of-voice report
- 3–5 pages GEO-optimised
- Entity graph maintenance
- llms.txt update
- Deep entity audit
- AI-answer market analysis
- Competitor citation benchmark
- Executive GEO review
A staged roadmap.
- Weeks 1–3
Baseline
- Entity graph audit
- Schema strategy
- Prompt list + monitoring setup
- llms.txt v1
- Weeks 4–10
Build
- Schema rollout
- Content structure refactor
- Direct-answer + FAQ blocks
- First citation gains
- Months 3–6
Compound
- Ongoing page GEO-optimisation
- Entity maintenance
- Citation share growth
Transparent pricing.
All engagements include a 30-day exit clause. If we're not the right fit, you keep every asset produced.
- Entity audit
- Schema strategy
- llms.txt
- Prompt monitoring setup
- Monthly citation report
- 3–5 pages / mo optimised
- Entity maintenance
- llms.txt updates
- SEO retainer + GEO layer
- Unified reporting
- Priority citation acquisition
We turn away work that isn't a fit.
- Brands in categories where AI answers are already appearing
- Teams with strong SEO fundamentals ready to compound with GEO
- Publishers, SaaS brands, and any category with high-intent research queries
- Sites without basic technical SEO in place (fix that first)
- Brands looking for guaranteed citations — no ethical vendor can promise that
Engagements running this discipline.
Questions we get on every call.
How is AEO different from SEO?+
SEO optimises for ranking in search results. AEO / GEO optimises for being cited as the source in an AI-generated answer. The disciplines overlap heavily but the scoring criteria differ.
Can you guarantee citations in ChatGPT?+
No — and no ethical vendor should. We can measurably grow your citation share, but the models make their own choices per query.
Does GEO cannibalise SEO traffic?+
It can reduce click-through on queries where AI Overviews answer directly. It also builds brand authority that lifts SEO on adjacent queries. Net-net, most brands come out ahead.
What's llms.txt?+
An emerging convention (similar to robots.txt) telling LLMs which content on your site is authoritative and how to use it. We author and maintain it.
How do you measure citation growth?+
Semrush AI Search + custom prompt tracking. We monitor a defined list of category prompts monthly and report your citation share vs. competitors.
Ready to run ai search optimization (aeo / geo) as a system?
Book a free strategy call. We'll audit your current footprint and tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
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