Where we used to receive lists of links on Google, now more often a direct answer from an AI appears. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews increasingly determine which brands and organizations are visible, and which are not.

This requires a new way of looking at online discoverability: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), also known as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). In this article, you will learn why this is important, how it works, and especially what you can already do to stay ahead.

Why optimizing for AI is important

Suppose you ask in an AI search engine: “What are the best sneakers under €100?”. Within seconds, a short overview with three models appears, including explanations and sources. Handy for you as a consumer. Confronting for many webshops. If your brand or product is not mentioned, you do not exist in this new search landscape, and you are increasingly less visible to potential customers or visitors.

The shift is happening fast:

• 400 million people use ChatGPT weekly (Pew Research Center, 2025).

• 1 in 10 internet users now starts their search with AI instead of Google.

• With searches involving AI Overviews, the number of clicks to websites drops by an average of 20% (Amsive, 2025).

As Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft) aptly puts it: “AI is renewing the way we interact with software. First in line: search.”

In other words: being discoverable via SEO in Google is no longer enough. You also need to be visible in AI's answers. That’s exactly what GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is all about.

What is GEO/AEO?

Generative Engine Optimization, also known as Answer Engine Optimization, helps you structure and enrich your content so AI-driven search engines (answer engines) select your page as a source. While classic SEO focuses on visibility in search result lists, GEO focuses on visibility in the AI-generated answer. Search engines often remain the basis for finding pages in these answer engines. GEO ensures that your content is also selected for the answer afterward. It is therefore not a replacement for SEO, but an important addition.

Examples of AI answer engines

Answer engines are now mainstream. Think of:

• Google AI Overview. Available in more than 200 countries, including the Netherlands, since March 2025.

• ChatGPT with web browsing and Claude AI with web search, have 400 million weekly users.

• Perplexity. Very popular for quick research.

• Bing Copilot. Built into many Office apps that millions of people use daily.

If you are not mentioned here, you miss the moment when your target audience makes its choice.

Optimizing content for AI

How do you ensure your content is chosen by AI? The most important aspect here is the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritiveness, and Trustworthiness). But how do you apply this on your website in a way that works for AI search engines? Research by Amsive shows that seven strategies make a difference. Not isolated tips, but methods that have been tested and validated. Below, we walk you through them step by step, with examples that show how you can apply them directly.

1. Adding quotes (+40% visibility)

AI systems value content that cites experts. A quote provides context, authority, and humanizes your text.

Not:
“Swiss chocolate is popular due to its high quality.”

Instead:
“Swiss chocolate is popular due to its high quality. As chocolate expert Marie Dubois states: ‘The Swiss tradition of slow conching creates the unique texture that is appreciated worldwide.’”

2. Using statistics (+37% visibility)

AI prefers hard facts over vague descriptions. Where possible, replace general claims with numbers.

Not:
“Many companies now use robots.”

Instead:
“Companies have increased robot usage by 70% over the past decade, according to figures from the industrial automation sector.”

3. Citing sources (+30% visibility)

Answer engines prefer information that can be traced back to a source. Therefore, use source citations to support your claims.

Not:
“Swiss people eat a lot of chocolate per capita.”

Instead:
“With an annual consumption of 11-12 kilos per person, Swiss people are among the top chocolate lovers worldwide (International Chocolate Consumption Research Group, 2024).”

4. Fluent texts (+24% visibility)

AI's are trained on natural language. Texts that are clear and flowing are better processed and therefore used more often. So, do not use too many 'difficult' words and jargon. 

Not:
“Implementing customer segmentation is often considered a strategic approach that can lead to significant improvements in marketing efficiency.”

Instead:
“With customer segmentation, you target your marketing more effectively. You waste less budget and see results faster.”

Ensure your content remains relevant in a world where answers become more important than clicks. By applying these seven techniques, you increase the chance that your content is picked up by AI systems by 20 to 40%.

Joris Meijer
AI Lead at Vragen.ai

5. Smart use of technical terms (+22% visibility)

AI recognizes domain-specific terms as a sign of expertise. But do not overdo it: combine technical terms with comprehensible explanations, as indicated in the previous point. 

Not:
“We fine-tune the model with LoRA for faster training.”

Instead:
“We fine-tune our AI model with LoRA (a technique for faster and more efficient training).”

6. Authoritative tone (+21% visibility)

Hesitant texts convince no one, not even AI. Use a firm, factual tone.

Not:
“The Jaguars have never played in the Super Bowl.”

Instead:
“It is important to emphasize that the Jaguars have never stood in the Super Bowl, but have been division champions four times.”

7. Simple language (+21% visibility)

AI's are strong in pattern recognition, but simple language helps both algorithms and people. The simpler and more structured, the greater the chance of being selected.

Not:
“In the context of the GDPR, data controllers are obliged to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures.”

 Instead:
“Do you work with customer data? Then you fall under the GDPR. Arrange two things:
  - Only keep what is necessary.
  - Only give access to colleagues who really need it.”

What does not work

Many classic SEO tricks have little effect in an AI context:

• Keyword stuffing → AI ignores it or even penalizes it.

• Unique words without context → add nothing for interpretation.

In GEO, discoverability shifts more towards helpful content. So focus on E-E-A-T and quality, not on artificial tricks.

Take the first step today

By applying these seven techniques, you increase the chance that your content will be picked up by AI systems by 20 to 40%. The beauty is: they also make your content better readable and more convincing for your human target audience. A double win.

The good news: you don’t have to immediately overhaul your entire website. Small, targeted actions already make a difference.

Here’s how you can start:

• Start with your key pages and add clear citations and statistics.

• Rephrase your FAQs so that they are readable in natural language, as if answering a question in a conversation.

• Show expertise with quotes from experts, customers, or internal specialists.

• Make it measurable: track whether your content is picked up in AI answers and monitor its impact on traffic and conversions.

Ensure your content remains relevant in a world where answers become more important than clicks.