Search engine optimization is no longer what it used to be. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are changing how people search for information – and with that, the entire logic of SEO is changing. Where it used to be enough to reach the first page, today you also have to think about whether AI cites your content when someone asks the artificial intelligence for an answer directly.
This article explains what is happening in the SEO landscape in the AI era, which numbers speak for themselves, and what you can already do differently today to be visible both on Google and in AI search engines.
What is GEO and why should you care?
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, is the natural evolution of SEO in the AI era. Where the goal of traditional SEO is to reach Google’s first page, the goal of GEO is to become the source that AI cites in its answer. In essence, this means optimizing your content not only for algorithms but also for the artificial intelligence that answers users’ questions directly.
GEO helps you become the page that AI refers to – and that means brand visibility even in those moments when the user is not searching on Google at all. The use of AI search engines is growing fast – ChatGPT’s share of web traffic alone doubled in the first four months of 2025.
How do the different AI platforms work?
Perplexity – the closest to Google
In 91% of cases, Perplexity cites web pages that rank in Google’s top 10. If you have made it into Google’s top ten, Perplexity visibility largely comes along for free.
Google AI Overviews – a hybrid approach
Google’s own AI answers rely on its own top-10 results in 76.1% of cases. AI Overviews now appear in more than 50% of all search results – especially for informational and “how to” queries.
ChatGPT – the most independent
ChatGPT Search overlaps with Google’s top-10 results in only 14% of cases. ChatGPT often also rates pages with a lower Google position highly if the content is authoritative and well-structured enough.
SEO vs GEO – what exactly changes?
5 strategies for gaining visibility in AI search engines
1. Answer questions clearly and quickly
In 44.2% of cases, AI models cite from the first 30% of an article’s text – the core answer must come right at the beginning of the article.
2. Add structured data (schema markup)
JSON-LD schemas help AI models understand your content more precisely. The FAQPage schema is especially valuable – it makes FAQ questions directly machine-readable for AI.
3. Strengthen your E-E-A-T signals
E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Add author bios, reference specific studies and numbers, and mention real client experiences.
4. Update your content regularly
50% of Perplexity citations come from content published in 2025. Updating does not mean rewriting the entire article – adding new statistics is enough.
5. Improve technical speed and accessibility
Make sure AI crawlers (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot) can access your site – review your robots.txt file.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
What is GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization?
GEO is a strategy aimed at shaping your content so that AI search engines cite it in their answers. This means a clear structure, E-E-A-T signals, and schema markup.
Will AI search engines replace Google?
Not anytime soon. Google still processes more than 8.5 billion searches per day. AI search engines complement Google rather than replace it.
Does ChatGPT use Google’s results?
Partially – ChatGPT Search overlaps with Google’s top 10 in only 14% of cases. ChatGPT values content authority and clarity more than Google position.
How do you measure visibility in AI search engines?
Use tools such as the Semrush AI Toolkit or the Ahrefs AI visibility report. You can also test manually – ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini questions on your topics.
Want your site to be visible both on Google and in AI search engines? Check out our SEO service.
