AI search is changing how users get information. Many believe GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) or AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) will replace traditional SEO, or even make Google obsolete. But what's the truth? Data shows Google handles about 16.4 billion searches daily, while ChatGPT has 1 billion queries – and many of those aren't for traditional search intent, but rather to help AI draft emails or generate content.
According to a 2025 study, 79.8% of US users still prefer using traditional search engines. Most people are accustomed to Google and won't easily switch in the short term. However, AI search is indeed on the rise, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z, who are more willing to integrate AI tools into their search behavior.
The good news is: GEO is not a completely new discipline, but rather an added layer of optimization strategies on top of existing SEO. In other words, by mastering traditional SEO and making a few adjustments for AI search, you can achieve rankings on Google and visibility in AI search simultaneously.
AI search tools (like ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews) typically extract information from high-ranking search results and trusted sources, compiling them into an answer. This means:
Surfer recently released a study on AI Overviews based on 400,000 searches, indicating that well-structured, authoritative content (like pages with clear sections and FAQs) appeared in AI-generated answers 37% more often.
If you want visibility in AI search, first ensure your website performs well in traditional search, then optimize for AI.
AI models (like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok) are trained on conversational text, so they prefer content that sounds like a human expert explaining something. Your articles should:
A 2024 study found that content adhering to E-E-A-T standards was cited significantly more often in AI searches. How to demonstrate E-E-A-T?
• Share first-hand experiences or real case studies. • Cite statistics and their sources. • Showcase the author's or interviewee's industry background. • Offer multi-faceted analysis of complex topics. • Honestly discuss potential limitations or differing viewpoints.
AI doesn't just identify keywords; it analyzes semantic relationships. Instead of repeating the same word, use related terms, concepts, and entities to build a semantic network.
For example, when writing about "SEO content creation," naturally incorporate related concepts like "keyword research," "user intent," "content structure," "technical SEO," and "multilingual SEO."
If you use tools like SEOInfra, you can quickly generate SEO-compliant blog posts based on high-quality video content (like YouTube videos) while maintaining semantic richness and content depth. SEOInfra supports one-click publishing to platforms like WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify, helping you scale content efficiently while ensuring every article has a solid SEO structure.
Both human readers and AI appreciate well-structured content. Ensure your articles use H2 and H3 headings to divide content into logically clear modules. If a user asks AI a specific question, and your article has a relevant section, clear headings help AI quickly pinpoint it.
• Lists and numbered steps are not only easy for users to scan but also convenient for AI to cite directly. • Tables are suitable for presenting comparative data (e.g., feature comparisons, price comparisons), and AI can directly parse information from them. • FAQ sections offer a concise question-and-answer format, ideal for AI search tools to extract.
For instance, if your SaaS product supports Salesforce integration, you can state clearly in your FAQ:
Q: Does your software integrate with Salesforce? A: Yes, we offer native Salesforce integration.
This format allows AI to directly quote the answer without needing to extract information from a lengthy paragraph.
AI search tools typically use their own crawlers or rely on search engine indexes. Ensure your robots.txt file doesn't block the following crawlers:
• OpenAI's GPT Bot • Google's crawlers • Microsoft's Bing Bot
Notably, ChatGPT Search actually uses Bing's index, so ensuring your site is indexed by Bing is crucial. You can submit your sitemap via Bing Webmaster Tools.
AI primarily reads raw HTML, not content rendered by JavaScript. If your core information is hidden within JavaScript interactions or images, AI might miss it.
• Key information should be presented directly as HTML text. • Add descriptive alt text to images. • Provide transcriptions for videos.
A clear website hierarchy helps AI understand which content is most important. Place your most valuable content within a few clicks from the homepage and use descriptive internal links. These are best practices for traditional SEO that also apply to AI search.
Schema markup is a type of structured data that tells search engines and AI "what kind of information this is." While humans don't see this code, machines can use it to quickly understand page content.
Google has explicitly stated that Schema markup is particularly important in the AI era. It not only helps websites appear in rich search results (like knowledge panels and carousels) but also enables AI to understand and cite your content more accurately.
• Organization Schema tells AI about your brand (name, logo, social media). • Article Schema clearly marks the publication date, author, and title, helping AI determine content relevance and trustworthiness. • FAQ Schema structures question-and-answer content, making it easy for AI to cite directly. • Product Schema if you sell products, Schema can help AI understand product specifications and pricing.
Implementing Schema markup doesn't guarantee you'll appear in AI search results, but it significantly increases the probability of being cited.
AI doesn't evaluate your content in isolation; it considers how other websites on the internet perceive you. This means:
• High-quality backlinks from authoritative websites. • Brand mentions in industry publications. • Positive reviews and user recommendations. • Inclusion in "Best XX Tools/Resources" lists.
For example, if your travel blog is listed on multiple authoritative sites as one of the "Top 10 Travel Blogs of 2025," AI is likely to cite your website when answering "What are some good travel blogs?"
You can proactively reach out to bloggers, journalists, or industry websites to be included in their resource lists. Even without a dofollow backlink, a brand mention itself is highly valuable, as large language models scrape this data.
Cover all topics within your niche comprehensively and answer all possible questions users might have. This not only helps you rank well in traditional search but also positions AI to see you as an authoritative source in your field.
Surfer's research found that AI Overviews cite an average of 5 sources, and no more than 8 in 90% of cases. However, these sources can come from multiple pieces of content within the same domain. This means if you comprehensively cover a topic, your chances of being cited increase significantly.
For cross-border e-commerce, SaaS official websites, or content-centric sites, establishing topical authority is a long-term and continuous process. If you want to scale content quickly while maintaining quality, consider using SEOInfra. It can efficiently transform high-quality content sources like YouTube videos, podcasts, and social media opinions into SEO-compliant original blog posts, automatically handling keyword placement, multilingual translation, and one-click publishing, helping you build a comprehensive content system in a short period.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is not a replacement for traditional SEO but rather an enhancement with optimization strategies tailored for AI search. The core still lies in doing SEO fundamentals well, such as content quality, website structure, and authority building, and then making your content easier for AI to understand and cite through structured data and clear formatting.
No. The core of AI search optimization still relies on traditional SEO best practices. You just need to make some adjustments to your existing approach, such as optimizing content structure, adding Schema markup, and ensuring content exists as HTML text.
Traditional click tracking is less applicable in AI search, as most users get their answers directly from AI without clicking links. A more effective method is to track brand mentions. Surfer's AI Tracker can monitor your brand's mentions across major large language models.
While they are based on different large language models, the optimization strategies are largely the same. It's worth noting that ChatGPT Search actually uses Bing's index, so ensuring your website is indexed by Bing is equally important.
It doesn't guarantee it, but it significantly increases the probability. Schema markup makes it easier for AI to understand your content type and key information, thereby increasing the likelihood of being cited. It's a low-cost, high-return optimization method.
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