Google is no longer the only search engine that matters. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude answer questions for millions of users every day — and they cite specific sites in their answers. The question is: is yours one of them?

What changed?

Before 2023, SEO was relatively simple — you optimised for Google, ranked, got traffic. Google was a monopoly. Today the picture is more complex:

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ChatGPT handles over 100 million queries per day
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Perplexity has become a preferred search engine for tech audiences
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Google AI Overview shows AI-generated answers above the organic results
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Gemini is integrated into Android and Google Workspace

People increasingly don't click through 10 results. They ask a question, get an answer and move on. If you aren't mentioned in the answer — you don't exist for them.

Three new disciplines you need to know

AEO — Answer Engine Optimization

Optimising for direct answers. The goal: your content gets picked as the answer to a specific question.

GEO — Generative Engine Optimization

Optimising for generative AI models. The goal: AI models cite your site as an authoritative source.

AIO — AI Overview Optimization

Specific to Google — optimising for the AI-generated summaries shown above organic results.

How do AI models choose who to cite?

Understanding this is critical. AI models don't work like Google — they don't "rank" sites. They build answers based on five core factors:

1. Domain authority

Sites cited by other authoritative sources are more likely to be included in AI answers.

2. Clarity and structure

AI models "prefer" content that's clearly structured, with concrete answers to concrete questions.

3. Factual accuracy

AI models avoid sites with incorrect information or contradictory content.

4. Freshness

Up-to-date content is more likely to be cited by AI models.

5. Structured data (Schema.org)

Structured data helps AI understand the context of the content and the relationships between pages.

8 practical steps for AI SEO

Step 01

Write for questions, not just keywords

Classic SEO targets keywords: "web development Plovdiv". AI SEO targets questions: "What's the cost of web development in Plovdiv?"

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Find the questions users ask ChatGPT and Perplexity about your industry
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Structure content as direct, clear answers
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Use a Question → Answer format (FAQ structure)

Step 02

Add FAQ sections everywhere

FAQ blocks are "food" for AI models. Specific questions with short, precise answers are the ideal format for AI citation.

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Example: "How much does SEO cost in Bulgaria?" — SEO in Bulgaria ranges from 300–600 EUR for a one-off audit to 350+ EUR/month for ongoing SEO. The price depends on site size, industry competition and the scope of the service.

Step 03

Schema.org structured data

Structured data is the technical way to "explain" to AI what your page contains.

Essential Schema types:

Type	What for
`FAQPage`	FAQ sections — frequently cited by AI
`Article`	Blog posts and publications
`Organization`	The company, contacts, logos
`LocalBusiness`	Local business — map, address, hours
`HowTo`	Step-by-step guides
`BreadcrumbList`	Navigation and hierarchy

Step 04

Add an llms.txt file

The analogue of robots.txt, but for AI models. The file tells AI crawlers how to index your site.

# llms.txt
# Allow AI models to index this site

User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Claude-Web
Allow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

Place the file in your root directory: yourdomain.com/llms.txt

Step 05

Build authority via E-E-A-T

Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is key for AI SEO too.

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Author bios with real experience
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Citations and references to authoritative sources
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Concrete examples and case studies
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Up-to-date and accurate information

Step 06

Optimise for featured snippets

Google's featured snippets are "training data" for AI answers. If your site appears in featured snippets — it's more likely AI will cite it.

Numbered lists

Ideal for step-by-step guides.

Bulleted lists

For features, benefits, options.

Tables

For comparisons and specifications.

Short definitions

Under 60 words — the typical formatted snippet.

Step 07

Publish authoritative long-form articles

AI models prefer deep, comprehensive content. A 2,000+ word article that covers a topic thoroughly is more likely to be cited than a 400-word piece.

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A clear H1 with the main topic
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Structured H2/H3 subheadings
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Concrete facts and numbers
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Practical examples
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Up-to-date information

Step 08

Citations in authoritative directories

AI models "know" about your business from multiple sources — not just your site. Listings on Google Business, industry directories and press mentions all build authority.

Technical optimisation for AI crawlers

Core Web Vitals

A slow site = less indexing. Target LCP < 2.5s, FID < 100ms, CLS < 0.1.

Mobile optimisation

Most AI queries come from mobile devices. The site must be flawless on phone.

Robots.txt and crawl budget

Make sure robots.txt doesn't block AI crawlers — GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot, Google-Extended.

User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

How to check if AI cites your site

Test in Perplexity

Ask questions related to your industry and see whether your site shows up in the citations.

Test in ChatGPT

Ask: "What are good [your service] companies in [your city]?" and see if you're mentioned.

Google AI Overview

Run informational searches and see which sites are cited in the AI Overview block above results.

How quickly do results show up?

Action	Time to result
Structured data (Schema.org)	Next crawl (days)
FAQ blocks on existing pages	Weeks — often cited directly
llms.txt and robots.txt tuning	Days to weeks
Authority (E-E-A-T, citations)	Months — like classic SEO

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AI SEO doesn't replace classic SEO

It complements it. If you already have solid SEO fundamentals, AI optimisation is the natural next step. If not — start with the basics: a technically sound site, keywords, on-page SEO.

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SEO + AI search optimisation

AI SEO is a new and fast-moving discipline. We help businesses become a source of answers in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overview.

AI Search Auditone-off review
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SEO + AI optimisation → · Classic SEO guide

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Conclusion

AI SEO doesn't replace classic SEO — it complements it. The good news: if you already have a solid SEO foundation, AI optimisation is the natural next step.

The key rule: write for humans, structure for AI. Content that answers questions clearly, is marked up with Schema and comes from an authoritative domain — will be cited by both Google and ChatGPT.

How to optimise your website for ChatGPT and Perplexity — the complete 2026 guide