From natural SEO to GEO: making your brand visible in AI search engines

SEO is no longer enough: how to make your business visible in ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI search engines

Your business can rank first on Google and yet never be cited by ChatGPT.

This is not unusual. It simply shows that information search no longer relies solely on a list of links ranked by a search engine.

A prospect might now ask ChatGPT which agency to choose to take over a no-code application. They might ask Gemini about the best solutions for building a B2B SaaS. They might use Perplexity to compare Bubble, WeWeb, and Next.js, or ask Claude how to connect an AI to their company’s internal data.

In each of these cases, the user expects a direct answer. They don’t always want to visit ten sites before forming an opinion.

Natural SEO remains essential, but it must now be complemented by a new approach: GEO SEO, that is, a company’s ability to be understood, retained, cited, and recommended by AI-based answer engines.

SEO isn’t disappearing, but search is evolving

For a long time, the search journey followed a simple logic:

Question, Google results, click, website visit.

This journey still exists. Google remains a central channel for discovering a business, comparing solutions, and visiting a site. SEO fundamentals also continue to influence Google’s generative features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google states that these experiences rely in part on its index, ranking systems, and document retrieval mechanisms.

But a second journey is gaining importance:

Question, generated answer, presentation of a few sources or brands, optional click.

ChatGPT can support its answers with citations and a sources panel. Perplexity displays numbered references to the pages used. Claude can search the web, process multiple sources, and include direct citations. Gemini can also display sources or links associated with certain answers.

The challenge is no longer just about securing a spot on a results page. It’s also about increasing the chances of appearing in the answer itself.

This doesn’t make SEO obsolete. It simply broadens the field on which digital visibility is decided.

What is GEO?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization, or optimization for generative engines.

The term refers to the methods used to improve the visibility of a business, brand, or content in the responses generated by artificial intelligence systems.

In practical terms, GEO aims to help AI engines:

• understand the company’s business;
• identify its areas of expertise;
• verify published information;
• find relevant pages;
• use certain content as sources;
• cite the brand;
• recommend the company when the question calls for it.

The concept was notably formalised in an academic paper dedicated to optimising visibility in generative engines. The authors describe these engines as systems that retrieve multiple sources before synthesising an answer. They also highlight their opaque and evolving nature.

GEO is therefore not about adding the word 'AI' to every title or repeating a phrase twenty times on a page.

Effective AI optimisation relies primarily on clarity, precision, consistency, expertise and the technical accessibility of information.

GEO vs. SEO: what are the differences between the two approaches?

SEO and GEO share a common foundation, but they do not pursue exactly the same goal.

The goal of SEO is to improve a page’s ranking in search results and then generate a qualified click.

The goal of GEO is to increase the likelihood that a brand or page is retained, cited or recommended in a generated response.

Visibility also differs. In SEO, users typically see a title, a URL and a description. In an answer engine, information from the site may be rephrased, combined with other sources or used to justify a recommendation.

Metrics also differ. Traditional SEO relies on rankings, impressions, click-through rates, traffic and conversions. AI optimisation adds other measures: citation frequency, brand presence, platforms involved, associated sentiment, sources used and recommendations obtained.

Finally, brand visibility in AI depends less on the company’s website alone. Engines may consult media, comparison sites, directories, forums, reviews or trade publications.

SEO and artificial intelligence should not be pitted against each other. A well-indexed, fast and authoritative page already has a useful foundation. The best GEO strategies typically build on strong SEO fundamentals.

Why traditional SEO is no longer enough on its own

Answers can be obtained without visiting a website

Answer engines reduce the number of steps needed to obtain information.

A complex question that previously required multiple searches can now receive an initial synthesis in seconds. Google explains that its generative features can run several related searches for a single query, then compile the information found. This method is called “query fan-out.”

The click doesn’t disappear, but it sometimes becomes secondary. Users may already have obtained a definition, a comparison, or an initial shortlist of providers before visiting a site.

A strong Google ranking does not guarantee a citation

Generative systems do not automatically pull from the top ten results for the exact query.

A study published by Ahrefs in August 2025 compared 15,000 questions asked to multiple assistants with Google’s results. On average, only 12% of the URLs cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot appeared in Google’s top ten for the same query. This figure describes a specific sample and is not a universal rule, but it confirms that the two forms of visibility do not fully overlap.

Another Ahrefs analysis, published in March 2026 based on four million URLs cited in AI Overviews, found that around 38% of the cited pages also appeared in the top ten results of the studied SERP. Again, the methodology and scope must be considered.

A strong ranking remains an advantage. It is simply no longer a sufficient guarantee to be included in a generative search.

Overall brand presence matters more

An AI engine may encounter a company on its official website, but also in an external article, a professional directory, a study, a video, a customer testimonial, or a specialized discussion.

A brand described consistently across all channels is easier to understand. Conversely, a vague or contradictory positioning creates uncertainty.

An agency that presents itself alternately as a no-code agency, a design studio, a consulting firm, and a general development company risks sending a less clear signal than a business with coherent expertise, case studies, and terminology.

Searches are becoming conversational

Users no longer limit themselves to short queries like “Bubble agency Paris” or “SaaS development.”

They might ask:

Which agency can take over an application built with Bubble and migrate it to Next.js?

How can I connect an AI to a small business’s internal data without exposing confidential documents?

Should I choose Make or n8n to automate critical workflows across multiple business systems?

These questions combine a need, a context, and constraints. Generic content is unlikely to address them properly.

How do AI engines choose their sources?

There is no guaranteed formula forbeing cited by ChatGPT or being recommended by Gemini.

The algorithms are proprietary. They evolve regularly. The triggering of a search, the formulation of intermediate queries, the selection of pages, and the final generation can vary by platform, country, conversation context, and date.

However, some facts are now established.

Google states that its generative features rely on its index and can perform multiple related searches. OpenAI specifies that a public site may appear in ChatGPT Search, provided its search bot can access content intended for summaries and citations. Anthropic and Perplexity also document dedicated search bots.

Based on available documentation and observations of these platforms, several signals are therefore worth addressing:

• precise alignment with the query;
• clarity of the answer;
• consistency of the information;
• demonstrated expertise;
• the presence of verifiable evidence;
• the quality of cited sources;
• the freshness of the information;
• the brand’s reputation;
• mentions on third-party sites;
• the page’s technical accessibility.

Recent academic work also suggests distinguishing between the selection of a citation and its actual influence on the generated response. A page may be cited without its content playing a major role in the final synthesis. Measuring GEO thus remains more complex than a simple link count.

How to optimise your site for GEO?

Answer your prospects’ real questions

AI-optimised content starts with a deep understanding of commercial queries.

It’s not enough to target 'web development'. You need to address questions closer to real decision-making, such as:

• How do you take over an application built with an AI generation tool?
• When should you migrate a no-code application to code?
• What architecture should you choose for a B2B SaaS?
• How do you secure an assistant connected to internal data?
• What are the hidden costs of critical automation?

Each page must provide an identifiable, well-reasoned answer tailored to a specific situation.

Structure information without artificially fragmenting the content

Headings should clearly state what the reader will learn. The opening sentences of a section should provide a comprehensible answer without requiring the reader to scan the entire page.

Lists, short definitions, step-by-step guides, and self-contained paragraphs are useful when they genuinely improve readability.

However, pages should not be turned into a series of fragments designed solely for search engines. Google states that no specific "block segmentation" is required for its generative features. The priority remains content that is useful to people.

Publish hard-to-replicate expertise

AI engines can already summarise general information found across hundreds of websites.

To stand out, a company must provide what generic content lacks:

• explained technical choices;
• real-world experience feedback;
• observed limitations of a tool;
• data from actual projects;
• argued comparisons;
• internal methodologies;
• detailed client case studies;
• assumed professional opinions.

Google itself recommends producing useful, original content based on firsthand experience rather than mere summaries of existing information.

Develop high-intent content

The most strategic formats are often those that support a decision.

A technical company can publish comparisons, migration guides, "alternative to" pages, case studies, or "how to choose" content.

Scroll, for example, has an article explaining the difference between a web app and a website. This type of topic answers a clear question while helping the reader qualify their project.

Strengthen brand consistency

The company’s name, positioning, services, and proof points must remain consistent across the website, social profiles, directories, and external publications.

The "About" pages, expert bios, establishment profiles, service pages, and client case studies must use compatible information.

The goal is not to repeat the same text everywhere. It is to make the company’s identity understandable and verifiable.

Secure mentions on third-party sources

GEO is not just about working on your own domain.

Press relations, partnerships, expert contributions, podcasts, joint studies, reviews, and testimonials all contribute to overall visibility.

These mentions must remain legitimate. Google advises against tactics aimed at artificially creating signals or citations solely to influence its generative results.

Strengthen technical foundations

An inaccessible page cannot become a reliable source.

Key aspects to check include:

• indexability;
• robots.txt file rules;
• CDN or firewall protections;
• server-side rendering when the site heavily relies on JavaScript;
• performance;
• internal linking;
• the presence of important content in text form;
• relevant structured data;
• consistency between structured data and visible content;
• accessibility of menus, buttons, and forms.

OpenAI recommends not blocking OAI-SearchBot for pages the company wants to appear in ChatGPT summaries and citations. Anthropic states that blocking Claude-SearchBot may reduce a site’s visibility in its search results. Perplexity also recommends allowing PerplexityBot to appear in its index.

Structured data can help engines understand certain information and enable access to rich results. However, they do not guarantee any citation. Google clarifies that there is no special Schema.org markup for AI Overviews or AI Mode.

The same caution applies to the llms.txt file. It may be considered in certain contexts, but it is not a universal shortcut to AI search visibility. Google explicitly states it does not use it for its search features. Scroll provides further details onthe role and limitations of the llms.txt file.

Which content is most likely to be picked up by AI?

Answer engines often look for passages that can support a claim or directly answer a question.

The most useful formats include clear definitions, well-reasoned comparisons, sourced statistics, detailed guides, procedures, original studies, experience reports, case studies, and regularly updated expertise pages.

For Scroll, several topics show strong potential:

• Bubble or Next.js: how to choose?
• How to take over an application generated with Lovable?
• Make or n8n for critical workflows?
• How to migrate a no-code application to code?
• How to choose the technical architecture of a SaaS?
• How to connect an AI to a company’s internal data?

This last topic, in particular, helps create links with content dedicated toRAG and its business applications, then with a more technical guide onLangChain and RAG architectures.

The goal is not to publish the highest number of pages. It is to cover topics where the company has genuine expertise and can provide better answers than the existing content.

How to measure GEO performance?

GEO measurement remains less standardized than SEO.

A company can track:

• the presence of its brand in responses;
• the number and position of citations;
• the platforms where it appears;
• the pages used as sources;
• the sentiment associated with the brand;
• the questions for which it is recommended;
• traffic from assistants;
• brand searches;
• conversions from these visits.

OpenAI automatically adds a parameter utm_source=chatgpt.com to some recommendation links, which makes it easier to identify this traffic in analytics tools.

Since June 2026, Google has also been testing dedicated reports in Search Console for impressions obtained through its generative features. The rollout still only covered a subset of sites at the time of the announcement.

For other platforms, the most robust method is to compile a list of strategic questions and then regularly repeat tests with different phrasings.

You need to track not only your brand’s presence but also your competitors, the sources cited, and how responses evolve. A single test is not enough, as results can vary.

Should you invest more in GEO than in SEO?

There is no one-size-fits-all allocation for every business.

The level of investment depends on the industry, prospect behavior, sales cycle, website maturity, and the role of recommendations in choosing a provider.

A B2B company with a long sales cycle should quickly work on its visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. Prospects in this space often use multiple sources before contacting a supplier.

This does not mean it should abruptly reduce its SEO efforts.

Natural search remains essential for being crawled, indexed, understood, and discovered. It also continues to feed part of generative search systems.

For most businesses, the right approach is to evolve the existing strategy so that the same content serves both traditional results and answer engines.

Why start now?

GEO is not yet an exact science. This is precisely why you should avoid opportunistic actions and focus on building lasting assets.

Clear editorial expertise, a consistent brand, structured content, verifiable proof, and a presence on recognized sources remain valuable, regardless of how any single tool evolves.

These elements take time. A credible case study, industry reputation, or a body of specialized content cannot be built in a few weeks.

Starting now does not mean giving in to a trend. It means gradually adapting your strategy to new search journeys.

Being visible is no longer enough—you also need to be retained

SEO still largely determines who is visible. GEO is starting to determine who is retained, cited, and recommended.

Businesses do not have to choose between the two. They must build a GEO SEO strategy that is coherent, with a solid website, genuinely expert content, a clear brand presence, and regular performance measurement.

This also makes the topic broader than mere editorial optimization. Visibility in ChatGPT or Gemini depends on content, but also on web development, data structuring, technical accessibility, and the ability to integrate artificial intelligence into a comprehensive digital strategy.

Do you want to know if your business is visible in Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity? Scroll can analyze your current presence and identify the content, technical optimizations, and authority signals to develop.