AI Search / AI SEO

AI SEO: get found in AI search

More people are asking ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity for a recommendation instead of scrolling through search results. When they do, the AI names only a handful of businesses. I help make sure yours is one of them, built on proper SEO rather than hype or empty guarantees.

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★★★★★

5.0 on Google

~1 in 3

people in major markets expected to use AI search in 2026

Converts

AI-referred visitors often convert several times higher than traditional search visitors

Extra

Google still dwarfs AI search in volume today. This is an extra channel, not a replacement.

Your customers are starting to ask AI

When someone asks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity "who's the best accountant in Manchester" or "recommend a web designer for a small business", the AI gives them a short list. It does not say "here are ten results, pick one." It picks for them.

The businesses it names are not necessarily the biggest or the oldest. They are the ones that have built the kind of content, reputation and technical signals that AI systems trust.

Most businesses have not started thinking about this yet. That is the opportunity.

What AI search optimisation actually is

A lot of agencies are selling "AI SEO" as a buzzword. What it actually means is building the signals that generative AI uses when it decides what to recommend.

That includes:

Clear, structured content that answers the specific questions your customers ask
A strong presence in the places AI draws its training and grounding data from: Google, industry directories, review platforms, trade publications
Technical signals: schema markup, structured data, page clarity, factual accuracy
Entity authority: being clearly associated in Google's knowledge graph with your location, sector and specialism
A content programme that keeps you visible as AI models are updated

I do not promise you a specific position in a ChatGPT answer. Nobody can. What I can do is make sure you are visible in all the right places so that when AI systems look for a recommendation in your category, your business has the signals to be named.

It works best when it is part of a broader SEO programme, not a standalone campaign. Read more about content marketing services and local SEO services.

How it works

How I approach AI search optimisation

Audit where you currently appear, and where you should

I run an AI search audit to find out how AI currently answers questions in your category, who it is naming, and where the gaps are.

Build the content and entity signals

I identify which questions your ideal customers are asking AI, and build the content that answers them clearly and authoritatively.

Fix the technical layer

Schema markup, structured data and page clarity all feed the systems that AI uses for grounding. I get these right.

Establish your reputation across the wider web

Reviews, citations, trade directory listings and coverage in relevant publications all contribute to AI trust signals.

Monitor and iterate

AI search is changing fast. I track your visibility and adjust as models update.

Honest answers

What AI SEO can do, and what it cannot

What it can do

✓
Significantly improve your chances of appearing in AI-generated answers in your sector
✓
Build the underlying content, entity authority and technical quality that AI systems reward
✓
Help you appear in Google AI Overview responses, which are integrated into standard search
✓
Improve your standard SEO at the same time, since the signals overlap
✓
Give you a meaningful head start over competitors who have not started yet

What it cannot do

✗
Guarantee a specific position or mention in any AI system
✗
Control how AI platforms update their models or grounding behaviour
✗
Make poor-quality businesses appear credible when the underlying product is weak
✗
Replace standard SEO: you still need to rank on Google, which remains the dominant channel
✗
Deliver results overnight: like all good SEO, it compounds over months, not weeks

AI search is a local opportunity, not just a national one

When someone asks an AI assistant for a recommendation, they often add a location. "Best physio in Leeds." "Accountant near Stockport." "Web designer for a Manchester start-up." These local AI answers are decided by the same factors as broader AI search, but with an even heavier weighting on Google Business Profile, local citations and reviews.

If your local SEO is already strong, AI SEO adds to it. If it is not, building it properly will improve both.

A note on terminology

You may see this work described as GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation) or just AI SEO. These terms are often used interchangeably. What they mean in practice is the same set of signals. I use "AI SEO" because it is the plainest.

Read more about how AI search engines work in the GEO and AI search guide.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about AI SEO

AI SEO (sometimes called GEO, or Generative Engine Optimisation) is the practice of building the signals that generative AI systems use to decide what to recommend. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in a list of links, AI SEO focuses on being cited or named in an AI-generated answer. The signals overlap heavily with standard SEO, but with greater emphasis on clear structured content, entity authority and third-party references.

Mostly it is an extension of it. The same signals that help you rank on Google (strong content, clear entity signals, technical quality, backlinks from relevant sources) also help AI systems trust and cite you. Where AI SEO adds something is in the emphasis on structured answers, entity associations and reputation signals from sources like review platforms and trade directories. A good SEO programme should be building these anyway.

No. Nobody can. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI platforms decide what to name based on their own models and grounding processes, and those change regularly. What I can do is build the signals that make your business a credible candidate. The businesses that appear in AI answers are not there by accident: they have built the right content and reputation infrastructure. That is what I help you do.

For most small businesses, Google remains the dominant channel and your first priority should be getting that right. But AI search is growing, and the businesses building these signals now will have a head start when it becomes more mainstream. I always treat AI SEO as part of a broader SEO programme, not a separate budget line. If the underlying signals are good, you benefit from both.

Directly measuring AI search is hard, since most AI platforms do not expose referral data cleanly. I use a combination of prompt testing (asking AI systems the questions your customers ask), tracking coverage on Google AI Overviews (which does appear in Search Console), monitoring entity mentions in key sources, and standard SEO metrics as a proxy. It is an evolving discipline, and I am honest that the measurement tooling is not yet as mature as traditional SEO.

llms.txt is a proposed standard that lets you tell AI systems which content on your site is available for them to read and cite. It is early-stage and not universally supported, but it is worth adding if you have a content-heavy site. I can advise on whether it is relevant for your specific setup.

I lead digital marketing for a major UK IT solutions and services provider by day. I have been writing and speaking about AI search since before most agencies offered it as a service. The strategies I apply come from reading primary sources and testing, not recycled conference slides. Read the GEO and AI search guide or get in touch to talk through what AI SEO could mean for your business.

Written by Richard Barker, Digital Marketing Consultant

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