Why invest in AI search optimization now — and how?
Today, search engine optimization (SEO) is a natural, almost invisible part of digital development. As AI-driven information retrieval becomes more common, the need for AI search optimization — or GEO (General Engine Optimization) — is growing rapidly. Fortunately, this shift doesn’t require reinventing everything you already know. GEO builds on familiar principles of clarity, structure and findability, and helps your content surface in both traditional search engines and AI-powered assistants.
The ways how people around the globe search for information is changing at an unprecedented pace. AI search is growing faster than any previous search trend: adoption has risen from 8% to 38% in just two years.Opens in a new tab And the pace will only accelerate — by 2028, AI search may be the primary wayOpens in a new tab people find services and companies.
So the question is no longer “Should we prepare for this?” but rather: How do you ensure your organization is visible where your customers already are?
In this article, we outline the core principles of AI search optimization and share practical steps to get started — so that your customers can continue to find your content and services, regardless of how they search.
What does AI search optimization actually mean?
AI optimization is the next evolution of traditional SEO. The goal is to ensure that your organization’s content is discoverable in AI-generated answers and summaries — whether the user interacts with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude, or read the AI generated summary in Google.
Unlike traditional search, AI models combine information from your website with countless other sources. This widens the competitive landscape — which also increases the importance of successful optimization.
And the benefits go beyond AI visibility. The same improvements also enhance traditional search engine visibility and your site’s overall user experience. AI models thrive on content that is well-structured, logical and accessible — the same qualities people appreciate.
Core GEO practices — such as clarifying your information architecture, improving content structure, strengthening metadata and ensuring accessibility — make information easier to interpret for both users and AI systems.
The result is a clearer, faster and more user-friendly site that supports your entire organization.
What to consider in AI optimization — and 4 steps how to do it?
Strengthen your traditional SEO foundations
Much of AI optimization is an extension of existing SEO practices. Depending on the AI model, information is also fetched via Bing and Google Search. Therefore, familiar elements like Titles and Meta Descriptions are equally relevant for GEO.
Structured data markup (Schema) — which Google also recommends — plays a growing role. It helps AI models understand and categorize your content more effectively, improving visibility across both traditional search and AI search.
GEO beyond your own domain: third-party platforms
Accurate and up-to-date information across external platforms matters more than ever. AI summaries and models may not choose your website as the primary source — meaning it’s essential to verify where information is pulled from and ensure it’s correct.
Key platforms to maintain include:
- Google Business Profile
- Social media channels
- Business listing sites
- Community and discussion platforms
Quality, credibility and clear structure
Google’s E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) are an excellent foundation for all content. Large language models also favor clearly sourced, structured and reliable information.
When you invest in consistent, high-quality content, you gain both SEO and GEO benefits.GEO results are difficult — and partly impossible — to measure
At the moment, there is no reliable, standardized way to see how different LLMs — such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot — reference your content. Some models add UTM parameters or referrer details to links, but you only see this data when the user clicks the link directly from within the AI interface.
When UTM and referrer data appears:
- When a user clicks the link directly inside the LLM interface (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude etc.)
- When the browser allows referrer data to be passed
When it does not appear:
- When a user copies the link and opens it in a new window or later
- When opened in private browsing or on devices blocking referrers
- When browser or security settings strip referrer data
- When the user lands via an intermediate preview that resets referrer data (e.g., some social previews)
User queries to LLMs are always private. At best, you may see isolated visits in your server logs that indicate traffic arriving from an AI conversation — but there is no direct metric showing how often models mention your content.
This makes proving impact difficult. And the situation is evolving quickly: different AI providers may choose very different approaches in the future. Still, it’s wise to start considering GEO as part of your ongoing site and content development — not only to support AI search visibility, but because it naturally improves usability and traditional search performance as well.
Summary
- Traditional SEO remains critical — especially technical SEO such as structured data markup.
- GEO extends beyond your own website. To increase visibility, optimize third-party platforms like Google Business Profile and social channels.
- Follow Google’s E-E-A-T principles. High-quality, credible content becomes even more important as AI-generated content increases.
- GEO measurement is still emerging. Today it relies on a mix of web analytics, SEO metrics and server logs. As with SEO, impact builds over time — not instantly.