More and more people are putting their questions straight to assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity, or reading the summary Google shows at the top of the results. Some businesses get named in those answers and others don't. Being found there too is becoming part of the job of staying visible online.
The good news: you don't need to start from scratch. You need to do a few things SEO already asks of you, and do them well, with a little extra care.
What AI Overviews and GEO are
AI Overviews are the AI-generated summaries Google shows above the results for many searches. They cite a handful of sources, with a link.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the name given to the work that helps a website be understood and cited by the engines that generate answers. In practice, it's an extension of SEO.
How AI assistants choose their sources
Nobody knows the exact rules, and they change often. But a few things consistently help:
- content that answers specific questions clearly and directly;
- consistent information across several sources: your website, Google Business Profile, social media, online directories;
- pages that are technically easy to read, fast and well structured;
- a reputation built up over time, through reviews and mentions.
What to do on your website
1. Answer your customers' real questions
Collect the questions people ask you on the phone and in person, and answer them with dedicated pages or sections. Give a clear one-sentence answer at the start, then the details. It's the easiest format for an AI assistant to pick up.
2. Use headings that describe the content
Headings such as "How much does it cost to…", "How does… work" or "What do you need to…" help both people and machines find the right part of the page straight away.
3. Add structured data
Structured data is information tucked away in a page's code that states explicitly what's on it: who you are, where you are, what services you offer, what the frequently asked questions are. It helps Google and other systems avoid misreading your page.
4. Consider an llms.txt file
The llms.txt file is a recent proposal: a plain-text summary of your website, designed for language models, listing the main pages and what they contain. It isn't an official standard and guarantees nothing, but it costs little and works well as a tidy index of your site.
5. Keep your details consistent everywhere
Your name, address, phone number, opening hours and services should be identical on your website, your Google Business Profile and your social media. Contradictory information confuses AI assistants too.
What not to do
- Filling pages with mass-produced text that adds no new information: it helps neither people nor search engines.
- Chasing tricks that promise to "get you onto ChatGPT": nobody can guarantee that.
- Neglecting traditional SEO: most of the sources cited by AI are pages that already rank well.
Frequently asked questions
Is traditional SEO no longer needed?
It's still needed, and it's the foundation. Generated answers often draw on pages that already rank well and are well built.
Can I find out whether an AI assistant is citing my website?
Only partly. You can run test searches using your customers' questions, and check your website analytics for visits coming from these services.
Where's the best place to start?
With your customers' most frequent questions: write clear answers on your website and check that your business details are consistent everywhere.
If you'd like to know how your website measures up on these points, have a look at our Performance Marketing page or the one on AI for Marketing.
