GEO: How to Get Your Business Mentioned by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI
The new optimization that defines who will be visible in the AI era
Imagine this: a potential customer asks ChatGPT "Who develops mobile apps in [your city]?" and the AI responds mentioning your competitor, but not you. It doesn't matter if your website ranks #1 on Google: if AIs don't cite you, you're losing a new wave of customers. Welcome to GEO, the optimization that defines who will be visible in 2026.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
These engines include:
• ChatGPT (800 million weekly users as of October 2025)
• Google AI Overviews (appearing on 55%+ of searches)
• Perplexity (the fastest-growing AI search engine)
• Gemini (Google's AI)
• Claude (Anthropic's AI)
• Copilot (Microsoft/Bing's AI)
Unlike traditional Google which shows you 10 blue links, these engines generate answers by synthesizing information from multiple sources. Here's the key change: on average, AIs only cite 2-7 sources per response, not 10.
SEO vs GEO: The Fundamental Difference
• Goal: Rank #1 on Google results
• Metric: Position on search results page
• Outcome: User clicks your link
• Competition: 10 results on first page
GEO (2024-present):
• Goal: Get cited in AI-generated answers
• Metric: Times your brand appears mentioned
• Outcome: User knows you WITHOUT clicking
• Competition: Only 2-7 sources cited per response
The key shift: In SEO, you wanted clicks. In GEO, you want mentions. The user might never visit your website, but they already know you exist and that you're an authority on the topic.
Why GEO is Critical in 2026
• 25% of all searches will be AI-powered by 2026 (Gartner)
• AI Overviews appear on 55%+ of high-traffic queries on Google
• AI-referred traffic increased 527% between January and May 2025
• Only 20% of AI citations overlap with the #1 Google result
• AI Overviews have caused traffic drops up to 89% on some informational searches
What does this mean?
You can rank #1 on Google and still be invisible to AIs. Traditional ranking no longer guarantees visibility. You need to specifically optimize for AI citations.
How AI Search Engines Work (Simple Explanation)
Step 1 - Retrieval:
The AI searches its index for relevant "chunks" (fragments) of text related to the user's question.
Step 2 - Augmentation:
It takes those chunks and uses them as context to generate the response.
Step 3 - Generation:
Creates a synthesized answer, citing the most relevant and trustworthy sources.
The key: Your content must be easy to "chunk" into citable pieces. If your information is buried in long paragraphs without structure, the AI won't extract it easily.
The 9 GEO Strategies That Work (With Data)
1. Structure Content for Extraction (+40% citations)
Pages with clear structure (H2/H3/bullets) are 40% more likely to be cited. Use Q&A format when possible because it matches how users ask questions to AIs. Start each section with a clear, factual statement (inverted pyramid style).
2. Include Original Data & Statistics (+30-40%)
Content with proprietary data, statistics, and expert quotes shows 30-40% higher visibility. AIs love concrete numbers. Don't say "many satisfied customers," say "over 70 completed projects with 98% satisfaction rate."
3. Create "Answer Capsules"
Pages with "answer capsules" (direct answers in 2-3 sentences) achieve 40% more citations. Don't make the AI synthesize scattered information. Give it a ready-to-cite answer.
4. List and Comparison Content (25% of all citations)
List and comparison formats represent 25.37% of all AI citations according to analysis of 2.6 billion citations. "The 5 best..." or "X vs Y: Complete Comparison" are formats AIs love.
5. Implement Schema Markup (+30-40%)
Content with proper schema markup shows 30-40% higher visibility. Use: Product, FAQ, HowTo, Article, Organization, Review. Schema helps AIs understand exactly what you offer.
6. Technical Accessibility for AI Crawlers
ChatGPT uses GPTBot, Perplexity uses PerplexityBot, Google uses Googlebot. Make sure your robots.txt doesn't block these bots. If you block them, you don't exist to them.
7. Build Presence on Third-Party Platforms
AIs frequently cite: Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, G2, Medium. Perplexity averages 6.61 citations per response, favoring YouTube. Google Gemini heavily cites Reddit and Medium. Build genuine presence on these platforms.
8. Optimize for Bing (Yes, Bing)
Studies show 87%+ of SearchGPT citations match Bing's top results. If you rank well on Bing, you're more likely to be cited by Microsoft/OpenAI AIs.
9. Context Independence
Make sure an AI can understand your paragraph 3 without reading paragraph 1. Each section should be self-contained. Don't use "as mentioned above" because the AI might only extract that fragment.
Strategies by Business Type
• Focus on Perplexity and Claude
• Create whitepapers and technical documentation
• Publish on LinkedIn with thought leadership content
• AIs cite G2, Gartner Peer, and B2B review sites
For B2C (Stores, consumer services):
• Focus on ChatGPT and Google Gemini
• Participate genuinely on Reddit (no spam)
• Create YouTube content (heavily cited by AIs)
• Real customer reviews matter a lot
For local businesses (USA):
• Google AI Overviews already appear in local searches
• Optimize your Google Business Profile
• Create content specific to your city/region
• AIs are learning to answer "Where can I find X in [city]?"
How to Measure Your GEO Success
Share of Model (SoM) - Your market share in AIs:
1. Identify 20 key questions for your industry
2. Ask them to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude
3. Record how many times your brand is cited vs competitors
4. Calculate your percentage: (your citations / total citations) x 100
5. Repeat monthly to see trends
Example for web development:
• "Who develops apps in [your city]?"
• "How much does a website cost in [your state]?"
• "Best web development companies [your region]"
• "Who builds e-commerce stores in [your city]?"
If your competitors appear and you don't, you have a GEO problem.
Should I Abandon Traditional SEO?
• Google sends 345 times more traffic than ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity combined (September 2025)
• 76.1% of AI Overview citations also rank in Google's top 10
• Strong SEO directly feeds your GEO visibility
Recommended distribution in 2026:
• 50% effort on traditional SEO
• 50% effort on GEO
The good news: Technical foundations (speed, schema, quality content) benefit BOTH. It's not double work, it's smarter work.
Common GEO Mistakes (Avoid These)
- ✓ Not investing enough: Dedicate 20-30% of your content optimization to GEO
- ✓ Statistics without source: AIs value data with clear attribution
- ✓ Burying answers: Put important information at the beginning, not the end
- ✓ Focusing on only one platform: Diversify across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI
- ✓ Giving up too early: Building authority to be cited takes 3-6 months of consistent effort
- ✓ Blocking AI bots: Check your robots.txt and make sure to allow GPTBot and PerplexityBot
GEO Action Plan: Next 30 Days
• Ask 10 questions about your industry to ChatGPT and Perplexity
• Document if your brand appears cited
• Check your robots.txt (don't block GPTBot or PerplexityBot)
Week 2: Technical Optimization
• Implement/improve schema markup on your key pages
• Structure your content with clear headers (H2, H3)
• Create "answer capsules" at the beginning of each section
Week 3: Content
• Add statistics and concrete data to your existing content
• Create 1-2 articles in list or comparison format
• Make sure each paragraph is self-contained
Week 4: External Presence
• Participate genuinely on Reddit (if applicable to your industry)
• Optimize your LinkedIn profile with authority content
• Verify your Google Business Profile
Month 2-3: Repeat the audit and measure improvements in Share of Model.
Conclusion: The Future is Already Here
If your business doesn't appear when an AI answers "Who offers [your service] in [your city]?", you're losing customers you'll never know existed.
The good news: it's still early. Most businesses don't even know what GEO is yet. Those who optimize now will have a competitive advantage for years.
Want your business to appear when AIs respond?
At Adratech, we combine traditional SEO with GEO strategies so your brand is visible both on Google and in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI.
Contact us on WhatsApp or fill out our contact form to learn how we can implement GEO for your business.
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