A growing share of searches never reach the blue links. Someone asks an AI assistant "who is the best SEO agency in Manchester" or "what is a home care package", and the model answers in prose, naming a few businesses and citing a few pages. If you are not one of them, you are invisible to that buyer, no matter how well you rank in classic search.

AI Search Optimisation, also called Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), is the work of becoming the source these models trust and quote. It builds on good SEO, and it is where forward-thinking businesses are getting ahead right now. Have a free strategy call and we will show you where you stand today.

Key Takeaways

AI assistants answer in prose and cite only a few sources, so being one of them is the new front page
AEO and GEO build on solid SEO: entities, structured data, and content written to be the answer
Getting cited depends on authority and clear, well-structured information the models can trust
The basics

AEO and GEO, explained plainly

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is optimising so that answer engines, from Google's AI Overviews to voice assistants, use your content as the answer to a question. It rewards content that is clearly structured, factually tight, and easy to lift a direct answer from.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the wider practice of influencing what large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini say about you and recommend to their users. It depends on the model seeing your business described consistently and credibly across the web, not just on your own site.

Both sit on top of classic SEO. A site that is technically sound, well structured and authoritative is a site an AI can read, trust and quote. That is why we treat AI search as an extension of the SEO discipline, not a separate trick.

Why now

Why this matters this year, not next

01

AI Overviews are already on the results page

Google now answers many queries at the top of the page with an AI summary that cites a few sources. Being one of those citations captures attention before the traditional results are even seen.

02

Buyers ask assistants for shortlists

People increasingly ask ChatGPT and Gemini to recommend a provider, compare options, or explain a complex topic. The businesses named in those answers win the consideration, often invisibly.

03

Early movers compound their lead

Models favour sources they already recognise and trust. The businesses building that recognition now will be far harder to displace once AI search is the default, which is happening quickly.

What we do

How we get your business cited by AI

Entity and schema foundations

We make your business a clearly defined entity with consistent structured data, so models understand exactly who you are, what you do and where you operate.

Content built to be the answer

We write and structure content that directly answers the questions your buyers ask, in a format answer engines can lift and cite with confidence.

Authority and citations

Through digital PR and genuine mentions across the web, we build the third-party signals that make an AI trust and repeat what your site says.

Technical access for AI crawlers

We make sure the crawlers behind AI search can reach, render and understand your content, from robots rules to clean, fast, well-marked-up pages.

FAQ

AI search optimisation, answered

What is the difference between SEO and AI search optimisation? +
SEO earns rankings in the traditional list of blue links. AI search optimisation earns citations and recommendations inside AI answers, such as Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT. They overlap heavily: a technically sound, authoritative site is the foundation for both, but AI search adds a focus on entities, structured answers and third-party credibility.
What are AEO and GEO? +
AEO is Answer Engine Optimisation, optimising so answer engines use your content as the direct answer to a question. GEO is Generative Engine Optimisation, the wider practice of influencing what generative models like ChatGPT say about and recommend to their users. In practice we treat them as two sides of AI search.
Can you really influence what ChatGPT says about my business? +
Not by trickery, but yes, meaningfully. Models draw on how your business is described across your own site and the wider web. By making that description consistent, credible and well structured, and by earning genuine mentions, you materially improve how often and how accurately you are cited.
Do I still need normal SEO? +
Yes. AI search optimisation builds on SEO rather than replacing it. A fast, crawlable, authoritative site is what lets an AI read and trust you in the first place. We usually run both together, because the same work strengthens both.
How do you measure AI search results? +
We track whether and how your business appears in AI answers for the questions that matter, monitor referral traffic from AI platforms, and watch the entity and citation signals that drive inclusion. It is a newer field, so we are transparent about what is measurable and what is still directional.
Is it too early to invest in this? +
No. AI answers are already on the results page and already shaping shortlists. Because models favour sources they already recognise, the businesses that start now build a lead that is hard to catch later. Starting early is the advantage.

Ready to get cited by AI search?

Start with a free 20 minute call. We will show you how AI answers currently describe your business, and how to improve it.

Book a Free Strategy Call