How AI search picks its sources
Assistants retrieve, then cite. They favor pages that answer a question directly in extractable form: clear claims, named entities, numbers with context, and question-shaped headings. Brand authority helps, but far less than in Google’s link-weighted world, which is precisely the opening for smaller players.
The GEO playbook
Write definitive answers to the questions your buyers actually ask, one question per section. Use FAQ blocks with the question verbatim. State facts in complete, self-contained sentences, because retrieval happens per passage, not per page. Keep pages fresh; assistants prefer recent sources for anything time-sensitive. And submit your site to Bing Webmaster Tools: several assistants lean on Bing’s index.
Measuring it
Monthly, ask the major assistants the ten questions you want to own and record whether you are cited. Watch referral traffic from assistant domains in your analytics. Rankings do not exist here; citation share is the metric.
FAQ
Does GEO replace SEO?
No. It compounds it: the same clear, well-structured content tends to win in both, but GEO punishes fluff harder.
Should we block AI crawlers?
If being found is your goal, no. Blocking GPTBot and friends removes you from the answers your buyers read.
How long until results?
Weeks, not months, for niche questions with weak competition. That window is the opportunity.