I have no problem with businesses paying attention to AI search. I do have a problem with agencies making it sound like everything they know about SEO is suddenly useless.
The pitch is simple: search has changed, your business could get left behind, and you need a new service called GEO.
But when that service includes better content, clear headings, trusted sources, and a website search engines can read, I have a question.
Why wasn’t that part of your SEO work already?
What Is GEO?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. It means trying to get your website or business included in AI answers from tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity.
That is a real goal. But giving the goal a new name does not make all the work new.
Useful content, a working website, and a good reputation mattered before AI search. They still matter now.
Our team of experts is here to help you navigate the complex landscape and drive real results.
TALK TO AN EXPERT →Google Says the SEO Basics Still Apply
Google’s own guidance on AI search says its AI features use its core search systems. From Google’s point of view, this work is still SEO.
Its AI features guide also says you do not need special AI files or special website markup to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
That does not mean every good page will get picked. It does mean Google is not telling businesses to throw out their SEO plans.
If an agency says you need to start over, ask what changed. Then ask for the source.
But AI Does Not Just Copy Google’s Top Results
There is a limit to the argument that SEO is all you need. Ranking well in Google does not mean ChatGPT will mention your business.
Google says its AI features may run several related searches to answer one question. It calls this query fan-out.
Think about a homeowner asking whether to fix or replace an air conditioner. A useful answer could need information about repair costs, equipment age, and energy use. One search result may not cover all of that.
Other AI tools also have their own crawlers. These are programs that visit and read web pages.
OpenAI uses OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT search. Its separate GPTBot crawler collects content that may be used to train models. A website can allow search access while blocking training access.
Perplexity has its own search crawler, too.
So yes, checking whether these tools can read your website is useful work. But access alone does not guarantee that they will choose your page.
What Do the Studies Show?
There is research behind AI search. The problem is turning a limited finding into a promise it cannot support.
A Special AI File Is Not a Proven Shortcut
SE Ranking studied about 300,000 domains. It found no link between having an llms.txt file and getting more AI citations in its sample. A citation is a link to a source used in an answer. Read the study.
This does not prove the file will never help. It does mean we should question anyone selling it as a proven way to get noticed by AI.
A Sound Website Still Matters
A Semrush study looked at five million URLs cited by ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode. It found patterns tied to technical SEO and how people used those pages. Read the study.
Those patterns do not prove that one website change causes more citations. They do not give us a reason to abandon the basics, either.
Google Rankings Do Not Tell the Whole Story
Ahrefs studied about four million AI Overview URLs. Only 37.1% ranked in Google’s top ten regular results for the same query. Read the study.
That is a good reason to track AI results separately. It is not proof that SEO no longer works. The study does not account for every related search an AI system might run.
The Original GEO Study Has Limits
The 2024 GEO research paper reported gains of up to 40% in how much sources appeared in generated answers. Adding sources, quotes, and statistics helped in its tests.
But its Perplexity test used uploaded files. Answers were limited to those files across 200 test samples.
That is not the same as changing a live website and proving it gets found more often. The study did not show a 40% increase in leads or sales.
It gives us ideas to test. It does not give an agency a result it can promise.
These studies used different tools, samples, and methods. Ahrefs, Semrush, and SE Ranking also sell marketing software. Their findings are useful, but they are not guarantees or Brand House client results.
What Should Your Business Actually Do?
Start with the problems you can identify. Do not buy a package just because it has AI in the name.
Check Whether Search Tools Can Read Your Pages
Make sure the crawlers you want to allow can reach your service pages and articles. Your website settings or security tools may block them.
Follow each platform’s rules. Do not turn off your website security just to let bots through.
Answer the Questions Your Customers Ask
Clear headings will not save a page that says nothing useful.
If customers ask what affects your price, explain the factors. If they ask how your service works, explain the steps. Use real examples when you have them.
Avoid adding quotes or numbers just to look credible. They should help the reader understand the answer.
This is the same approach we cover in our guide to writing useful content with SEO built in.
Keep Your Business Details Accurate
Check your website, business profiles, and key directories. Your services, location, credentials, and contact details should be correct.
Focus on real reviews and useful coverage. Posting fake praise across forums is not a sound reputation plan.
Measure More Than One Good Answer
A screenshot of ChatGPT mentioning your company is not a full report.
Check a set of real customer questions over time. Record which tool you used and whether it linked to your site, named your business, or recommended you.
Then track visits and qualified leads separately. Those results are not the same thing.
Before You Pay for GEO, Ask These Questions
- What work is not already covered by our SEO plan?
- Which AI tools are you trying to improve our presence in?
- What evidence supports the changes you suggest?
- What will you measure before and after the work?
- How will we know whether it helps our business?
Google warns that outside tools cannot access its internal ranking data or guarantee results. Keep that in mind when a pitch sounds too certain.
Our guide to choosing an SEO company covers what a clear proposal and a useful report should include.
Pay for the Work, Not the Label
Some GEO work deserves its own budget. Checking crawler access, testing changes, and tracking AI answers can take real time.
A good agency should explain that work in plain language. It should also be honest about what it cannot control.
But if you are being sold the same work twice, a new acronym does not make it a better deal.
AI search is worth your attention. A fear-based sales pitch is not worth your budget.
Need help deciding what your website actually needs? Learn about Brand House’s SEO services or talk with us about your strategy.
Sources reviewed September 3, 2026. AI tools change, and study results reflect the systems tested at the time.
Brand House builds campaigns around search intent, budget control, landing pages, conversion tracking, and lead quality — so you generate qualified leads instead of just buying traffic.
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