AI search optimization: be a source the answer cites
People now ask Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity for recommendations. We make your business easier for those systems to find, understand and quote.
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- Entity and structured data work so machines know who you are
- Answer-first content that is easy to extract and cite
- Crawler access checked for the major AI systems
- No guarantees of inclusion; nobody controls these answers
What is AI search optimization?
An AI answer is assembled from sources the system retrieved and judged reliable. To be one of those sources, a page has to be reachable by the system's crawler, clearly about the question, written so that a passage can be lifted out and still make sense, and backed by a business the system recognises as a real entity.
Most of that is what good SEO already produces. The additional work is making identity unambiguous, structuring content around direct answers, and earning mentions on the sites these systems lean on. We are plain about the limits: no agency can place you in an AI Overview or a ChatGPT response. What can be done is improve the signals those systems use.
Signs you need it
AI answers recommend competitors
Ask an assistant for the best provider in your category and area, and your business is not mentioned.
AI gets your business wrong
Assistants describe your services, prices or location inaccurately, usually because sources across the web disagree.
Organic clicks are falling while rankings hold
AI Overviews are answering the query on the results page, and your page is not among the cited sources.
Content is not written to be quoted
Answers are buried under introductions, or locked in images, tabs and scripts a crawler will not read.
What the service covers
Answer engine optimization (AEO)
Pages restructured to answer specific questions directly, with the answer in the first sentence and the supporting detail after it.
Generative engine optimization (GEO)
Content, citations and mentions developed so generative systems have accurate, consistent material about you to draw on.
Google AI Overviews
We identify the queries where Overviews appear for your topics, study which sources are cited, and close the gap in content and structure.
ChatGPT and Perplexity visibility
Crawler access for OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, PerplexityBot and ClaudeBot is verified, and the pages they are likely to retrieve are improved.
Entity optimization
One consistent description of the business across your site, Google Business Profile, directories and social profiles, tied together with Organization markup and sameAs links.
Structured data
Schema for organisations, services, products, FAQs and articles, so the facts on the page are available in machine-readable form.
Citations and third-party mentions
Reviews, directory profiles, industry listings and press. AI systems give weight to what independent sources say about you.
Visibility monitoring
A fixed set of prompts is run on a schedule across the main assistants, recording whether you are mentioned, cited and described correctly.
SEO, AEO and GEO compared
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank pages in search results | Be the direct answer to a question | Be mentioned and cited in generated answers |
| Where it shows | Organic listings | Featured snippets, voice answers, AI Overviews | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews |
| Main levers | Technical health, content, links | Question-led structure, concise answers, FAQ and how-to content | Entity clarity, structured data, third-party mentions, citable facts |
| How it is measured | Rankings, clicks, conversions | Snippet and answer ownership | Mention and citation rate across a prompt set |
How we work
Baseline
We run a prompt set covering your services and area across the main assistants and record who is mentioned, who is cited, and what is said about you.
Technical access
Robots rules, rendering and structured data are checked so AI crawlers can reach and parse the pages that matter.
Content and entity work
Key pages are restructured around direct answers, and the business's identity is made consistent everywhere it appears.
Mentions and monitoring
We build the third-party presence the systems rely on, then re-run the prompt set monthly to track change.
What you receive
- An AI visibility baseline across a defined prompt set
- A crawler-access and structured-data audit
- Rewritten answer-first content for priority pages
- Consistent entity information across your profiles
- A monthly visibility report
Who it suits
- Businesses whose customers research before they buy
- Local businesses that want to appear in "best … near me" style answers
- Brands seeing organic clicks fall on informational queries
- Companies with a solid SEO base ready for the next layer
What it costs
AI search optimization is scoped after a baseline assessment, and is usually taken alongside SEO or local SEO because the work overlaps. Request a baseline through the contact page.
Questions we are asked
What is the difference between AEO and GEO?
Can you guarantee we appear in Google AI Overviews or ChatGPT?
Does AI search replace SEO?
Should we block AI crawlers?
What is an llms.txt file and do we need one?
How do you measure AI visibility?
Related services
Works better alongside
Search visibility comes from several things done together. These are the services most often paired with real estate.
SEO Services
Strategy, on-page, content and links.
Learn moreLocal SEO Services
The full local search programme.
Learn moreContent Marketing
Strategy, briefs and editorial.
Learn moreTechnical SEO
Crawling, indexing, speed and schema.
Learn moreReviews & Reputation
Review generation and responses.
Learn moreWeb Design & Development
Fast sites built to be found.
Learn moreSee what AI assistants say about your business
We will run a baseline across the main assistants and show where you are mentioned, where you are missing, and what is inaccurate.
