AI-search & GEO: start in 5 concrete steps

In short

• AI-search isn't future music – millions of people are already using ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to find answers
• You don't need to be a techie – the first steps are simple and take little time
• Quick wins exist – with a good FAQ and clear definitions, you'll score better quickly
• Measurement is key – start simple with manual checks before investing in tools
• GEO strengthens SEO – both disciplines work together, you don't have to choose

What is AI-search and why should you start now?

More and more people are using AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini to search for information. Instead of ten blue links, they get one synthesized answer, often with source citations.

What does this mean for your business?

When a potential customer asks "What's the best solution for [your service]?" and your brand isn't mentioned, you're missing an opportunity. AI tools are increasingly used for:

• Product comparisons
• B2B research before purchases
• Creating shortlists
• Vendor research

Companies that start with GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) now are building a lead that will be hard to catch up with later.

Step 1: Test your current situation

Before you optimize, you need to know where you stand. This takes about 30 minutes.

What you need

• Access to ChatGPT (free version is fine)
• Perplexity account (free)
• A list of 5-10 prompts relevant to your business

Test prompt examples

• "What are the best [your service] agencies in Belgium?"
• "What is [core concept in your industry]?"
• "Compare [competitor A] with [competitor B]"
• "What should I look for when choosing a [your service]?"

What to note

Tip: Save this baseline. In 3 months, repeat the same test to measure progress.

Step 2: Check your technical foundation

AI crawlers need to be able to visit and understand your website. This is the technical checklist.

Check robots.txt

Open https://yourwebsite.com/robots.txt and verify:

• GPTBot is NOT blocked
• PerplexityBot is NOT blocked
• ClaudeBot is NOT blocked

If you block these bots, AI tools cannot use your content.

Is structured data present?

Check with Google's Rich Results Test if your pages contain structured data:

• Organization schema (for your company)
• Article schema (for blog posts)
• FAQ schema (for frequently asked questions)
• Person schema (for experts/authors)

Read more about technical AI-search analysis.

llms.txt file

This is a new file format that helps AI crawlers find your most important content. See our llms.txt implementation guide.

Step 3: Identify quick wins

Some optimizations deliver quick results with little effort.

Quick win 1: FAQ page

Create a comprehensive FAQ page with:

• 10-20 frequently asked questions
• Short, direct answers (max 150 words per answer)
• FAQ schema markup
• Internal links to relevant pages

Quick win 2: Clear definitions

Start each important article with a definition:

• "What is X? X is..."
• Place this directly under the H1
• Use simple language
• Maximum 2 sentences

Quick win 3: Author page

Create a page for the expert(s) in your company:

• Name and position
• Expertise and background
• Links to published content
• Person schema markup

Step 4: Make your first optimizations

Now that you know where you stand and what the quick wins are, get to work.

Week 1-2: Technical foundation

• Adjust robots.txt (allow AI bots)
• Create llms.txt file
• Add Organization schema
• Update and submit sitemap

Week 3-4: Content optimization

• Create FAQ page with schema
• Review top 5 most important pages
• Add definitions to core pages
• Write "In short" summaries

Month 2: Build authority

• Create expert bio pages
• Improve internal link structure
• Blog posts with in-depth content
• Build citations via PR and guest blogs

Step 5: Start measuring

You don't need to buy expensive tools right away. Start simple.

Manual tracking (0 cost)

• Test the same 10 prompts weekly
• Document results in a spreadsheet
• Calculate Share of Voice (how often are you mentioned vs. competitors)

Simple tracking setup

1. Google Search Console: monitor AI crawler activity
2. Analytics: filter by referrer (t.co for Perplexity, etc.)
3. Server log analysis: search for known AI bots

Read more about impact measurement.

5 common mistakes by beginners

Mistake 1: Blocking AI bots in robots.txt

Many websites have blocked all unknown bots by default. Check this first.

Mistake 2: Only focusing on keywords

AI tools understand context. Focus on complete answers, not keyword-stuffing.

Mistake 3: Buying complex tools too quickly

Start with manual checks. Only invest in tools once you have a baseline.

Mistake 4: Seeing GEO as a replacement for SEO

GEO and SEO reinforce each other. Keep investing in traditional SEO too.

Mistake 5: Not measuring

Without a baseline, you don't know if you're making progress. Document your starting position.

FAQ

How much time does AI-search optimization take per month?

For the basics: 4-8 hours per month. This includes weekly prompt tests (1 hour), monthly content updates (2-4 hours), and technical monitoring (1-2 hours). As you gain more experience, it becomes more efficient.

Do I have to choose between SEO and GEO?

No, both disciplines reinforce each other. Good structured data helps both Google and AI tools. Clear content scores in both channels. Start with GEO as a complement to your existing SEO efforts.

When will I see results?

Technical changes (robots.txt, structured data) can have an effect within weeks. Content-based improvements take longer: 2-3 months for noticeable changes in AI citations. Consistency is more important than speed.

Next steps

Ready to start? Here's your action plan:

1. Today: Test 5 prompts in ChatGPT and note your baseline
2. This week: Check your robots.txt and structured data
3. This month: Implement the quick wins (FAQ, definitions)
4. Next month: Continue building authority and measure your progress

Need help? Schedule a conversation and we'll look at your current situation and opportunities together.