The new rules for SEO: How to optimise for AI Search

AI is now deciding what gets seen online. Instead of serving a list of links, tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity scan your writing, pull out key details, and decide whether your content fully answers a user’s question. If it does, you get visibility. If it doesn’t, you risk being invisible.

That means traditional SEO tactics designed for Google’s blue links aren’t enough. To stay visible in 2025, you need to structure your content so AI systems can understand it, summariSe it, and cite it accurately.

Why SEO alone no longer works

Search engines were built for people. They ranked pages based on links, keywords, and metadata. But generative engines work differently. They need clear, fact-based writing that can be pulled into direct answers. Companies must rethink SEO because large language models (LLMs) now shape brand visibility, not just search engines

Introducing GEO and AEO

Two new terms are emerging, GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation),

GEO is how you structure your writing with clarity, depth, and AI-friendly language so it is usable in AI answers

Think of AEO as the “what” and GEO as the “how.”

The 'Answer Engine Optimisation' checklist

01. Plan it so your content is AI-ready from the start

Write in modular sections of 75–300 words that each answer a single question

Group related pages into topic clusters

Anticipate follow-up questions and add them to your content as FAQs

Mention your brand, products, and partners clearly as AI relies on named entities

02. Structure the content so AI can extract key facts

Lead with a clear answer before expanding

Use subheadings phrased as real questions

Add schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, Product) so machines know what’s what

Include descriptive captions and alt text for data-driven images

03. Test it to see if you show up

Run real searches in ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity using the questions your customers ask

Monitor your mentions using tools like ChatHub

Track branded queries over time and if your brand isn’t cited, strengthen your content

Content that AI loves

Use quotable, memorable phrasing

Back up every claim with data or a credible source

Keep sentences short (15–20 words)

Write with confidence and authority

Authority and trust still matters

AI systems weigh E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) heavily. To signal credibility:

Show author bios and credentials

Publish original research or unique data

Keep pages up to date (review high-value content every 90 days)

Link to reputable publications and government data sources

We estimate that content with specific data points is 30–40% more likely to appear in AI answers.

How GEO and SEO intersect

Don’t throw SEO out the window. GEO builds on SEO by adding structure for machines. Schema, clear subheadings, and concise summaries improve your performance both in traditional search and in AI summaries. As we explain in our post on how to optimise your website for LLM search, the two approaches overlap but GEO is the extra step you can’t ignore.

Why does this matter to your business?

Customers may never click to your website if AI answers their question directly. Instead, AI search will become the gatekeepers. For a business that relies on bookings generated from customers searching for experiences or services, your visibility depends on being quotable and trustworthy so you are cited when these systems look to answer a customers question. That means structuring your content for AI isn’t just good practice, it’s survival.

Next steps

Start with your most valuable content, service pages, FAQs, and top blog posts

Apply GEO best practices to include short factual answers, schema markup, authority signals

Test regularly in generative engines and track your mentions