AI search (GEO): 12 SEO methods
How Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot pick their sources, and what really changes for your site.
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1.Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
How Google AI Overviews and AI Mode pick pages, the two eligibility rules, what Google tells you to ignore, and how to read the Generative AI report.
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2.Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
What generative engine optimization (GEO) means, what the 2024 research found works and fails, what Google says, and a plan founders can follow.
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3.ChatGPT search visibility
How ChatGPT search finds and cites websites: the OAI-SearchBot rule, the three OpenAI bots, robots.txt settings, referral tracking and common blocking mistakes.
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4.Perplexity citations
How to get cited in Perplexity: allow PerplexityBot and its IP ranges, understand Perplexity-User, write citable pages, and track visits and sources.
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5.Microsoft Copilot, Bing and IndexNow
How to appear in Microsoft Copilot and Bing AI answers: verify Bing Webmaster Tools, read the AI Performance report, and push updates with IndexNow.
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6.AI crawler access (robots.txt for AI bots)
Which AI bots to allow or block in robots.txt: OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, Applebot-Extended and CCBot, with a copy-paste file.
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7.Statistics, quotes and sources in your content
Adding statistics, expert quotes and cited sources raised visibility in the GEO study. What it showed, what Google says, and how to apply it.
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8.Answer-first content (and voice search)
How to write answer-first content: put the direct answer under each question heading, then the detail. What Google says about chunking and voice.
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9.Tracking AI citations
Track AI citations with Search Console's Generative AI report, Bing's AI Performance report, GA4 referrals and a monthly prompt test.
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10.Keyword research with ChatGPT and Claude
Use ChatGPT and Claude to brainstorm keywords, group them by intent and plan content, then check real demand in Keyword Planner and Search Console.
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11.Using AI to write and refresh content
Google allows AI-written content that helps people and bans scaled content abuse. A workflow for drafting, fact-checking, refreshing and meta tags.
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12.llms.txt
llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file that points AI tools to your best pages. Google Search ignores it. Format, steps, and when it is worth adding.