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7 Ways To Make Your Brand Appear in ChatGPT and Perplexity Answers
Sean Dorje
Published
October 8, 2025
3 min read
The AI-first search revolution is here. Traditional SEO strategies that worked for Google are becoming obsolete as users increasingly turn to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI engines for instant answers. With Gartner predicting a 50% drop in traditional organic traffic by 2028, brands that fail to adapt their visibility strategies risk disappearing from the conversation entirely.
Why Brands Must Optimize for AI Answers Now
The digital landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. While traditional search engines still drive significant traffic, GEO complements SEO by capturing a growing share of attention as AI assistants gain widespread adoption. The difference is fundamental: "SEO is about getting found; GEO is about getting featured."
Generative Engine Optimization represents the evolution of search visibility. Unlike traditional SEO that focuses on ranking links in search engines, GEO concentrates on being cited within AI-generated responses. This shift demands new strategies, metrics, and approaches to content creation that prioritize authority, structure, and citation-worthiness.
The urgency cannot be overstated. Early adopters are already gaining visibility advantages that will compound over time, similar to the early days of SEO and social media optimization. Brands that master these fundamentals now position themselves to dominate AI search visibility for years to come.
1. Master Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Basics
Generative Engine Optimization differs fundamentally from traditional SEO. While SEO focuses on ranking links in search engines, GEO focuses on being cited in AI answers. This distinction changes everything about how brands approach digital visibility.
The core principle of GEO centers on creating content that AI systems naturally reference when generating responses. Rather than optimizing for keywords and backlinks, successful GEO requires building comprehensive, authoritative content that serves as a reliable source for AI models. "SEO is about getting found; GEO is about getting featured" perfectly encapsulates this paradigm shift.
Implementing GEO doesn't mean abandoning SEO entirely. The two strategies work synergistically, with traditional search optimization providing the foundation while GEO captures the growing attention from AI-powered search experiences. Industries including B2B SaaS, e-commerce, publishing, travel, and retail are already leading this adoption curve.
2. Earn Authoritative Citations Inside LLM Responses
Getting cited by AI engines requires a strategic approach to content creation and optimization. Successful brands focus on building content specifically tailored for AI consumption while maintaining human readability. Key metrics include AI citation frequency, brand share of voice in AI answers, referral traffic from AI chats, and sentiment context of mentions.
The Ramp case study demonstrates the power of targeted optimization. Using Answer Engine Insights to create content tailored specifically for AI engines, Ramp became the 5th most visible fintech brand globally within weeks. This rapid ascent proves that strategic content optimization can deliver immediate results in AI visibility.
Reframe's partnership with Relixir provides another compelling example. After implementing comprehensive GEO strategies, "Mention Rate: Increased to 7.0%, leading competitors like Sunnyside (4.3%) and I Am Sober (1.9%), when prompting targeted queries." This dramatic improvement in citation frequency translated directly into business growth.
3. Use Structured Data: But Know Its Limits
Structured data and schema markup play a complex role in AI visibility. While schema markup plays a vital role in building knowledge graphs foundational for large language models, current evidence suggests limitations in direct AI citation impact.
Google's Gary Illyes explains that schema helps search engines "understand your pages better", indirectly leading to better rankings. However, controlled tests show ChatGPT ignored pages containing only structured data, citing only variants where information appeared as visible text.
The tokenization process explains this limitation. "LLMs work by 'tokenising' content", taking character sequences and creating unique tokens. This process can destroy schema markup structure, rendering it ineffective for current AI models. Perplexity AI ranks web-crawled content using a modified PageRank system, not schema interpretation.
Despite these limitations, implementing schema remains valuable for future-proofing. "More than 72% of sites" on Google's first page use schema markup, and "more than 45 million sites" have adopted it as of 2024. Results from health information studies show "LLMs deliver higher accuracy, correctly answering about 80% of questions" compared to search engines' 50-70%, with "RAG methods significantly enhance smaller LLMs' effectiveness, improving accuracy by up to 30%" through retrieval evidence integration.
4. Monitor AI Share of Voice and Mentions
Tracking brand visibility across AI platforms requires specialized monitoring tools and metrics. Currently, "Only 22% of marketers track what AI says about their brand", creating a massive competitive advantage for those who implement comprehensive monitoring systems.
Effective AI monitoring encompasses multiple dimensions. Brands must track changes to brand mentions in AI answers over time, measure share of voice against competitors, and analyze sentiment patterns. Advanced platforms now offer monitoring across 8+ major AI systems including ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini.
Otterly.AI exemplifies comprehensive monitoring capabilities, offering a solution for brands navigating the AI-driven search landscape. These tools provide essential insights into mention frequency, citation sources, and competitive positioning that inform ongoing optimization strategies.
5. Automate Content Creation for AI-Friendly Depth
Scaling content production for AI visibility demands sophisticated automation workflows. Modern teams leverage AI tools to dramatically increase output while maintaining quality. One team scaled to 200K readers using 15 AI tools, saving over 30 hours weekly through intelligent automation.
Advanced systems combine multiple AI models for comprehensive content creation. Recent implementations use Perplexity's deep research capabilities alongside Claude 3.7, fetching real-time data to enhance content quality while structuring articles for optimal engine visibility. These workflows produce full-length articles in single iterations, eliminating repetitive generation cycles.
Automation extends beyond creation to distribution. AI agents like "Nate" automatically transform blog posts into tailored social media content across multiple platforms. This comprehensive approach frees teams to focus on creative strategy while AI handles repetitive repurposing tasks.
6. Leverage Relixir's GEO Platform
Relixir's Enterprise GEO Platform delivers measurable results in AI search visibility. One client achieved "#2 ChatGPT ranking in < 90 days" while another saw over 1,500 AI citations in less than one month. These outcomes demonstrate the platform's ability to rapidly transform brand visibility across AI engines.
The Reframe case study illustrates the platform's comprehensive impact. Through strategic GEO implementation, Reframe "Mention Rate: Increased to 7.0%, leading competitors like Sunnyside (4.3%) and I Am Sober (1.9%), when prompting targeted queries." Their sentiment score reached 76.0%, showing positive AI response tones when mentioning the brand. Most impressively, they "H2H Win Rate: Averaged 68.3%, peaking at 92.7% on September 8, showing Reframe overwhelmingly beat competitors in side-by-side comparison queries."
Hostie AI's transformation provides another success story. Starting from near-zero visibility, the platform helped them achieve "Overall Mention Rate: 9.3 percent, an increase of 33.9 percent compared to the prior period." and "Average AI Search Rank: 2.1, an improvement of 19.4 percent, ensuring Hostie consistently appeared in the top three answers." With over 1,339 total citations and consistent top-three placements, Hostie AI established dominant positioning in both SEO and AEO landscapes.
7. Continuously Test Prompts & Competitor Benchmarks
Iterative testing drives continuous improvement in AI visibility. Relixir's platform enables brands to "Simulate 1000s of customer queries on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini about your product", revealing precisely how AI engines respond to different prompts about products and services.
Hostie AI's results demonstrate the power of systematic testing. Their "Average AI Search Rank: 2.1, an improvement of 19.4 percent, ensuring Hostie consistently appeared in the top three answers." This methodical approach to prompt engineering and optimization created measurable competitive advantages.
Benchmarking against competitors provides essential context for performance. MentionedBy AI enables brands to compare visibility and ranking against competitors, tracking relative performance across multiple AI platforms. This competitive intelligence informs strategic adjustments and identifies opportunities for differentiation.
The AI Answer Era Rewards First Movers
The transformation of search from links to answers creates unprecedented opportunities for brands willing to adapt. Companies implementing comprehensive GEO strategies today position themselves to dominate AI-generated responses tomorrow. As Relixir demonstrates, "The future of Generative Engine Optimization starts here."
Brands can no longer afford to ignore AI search optimization. With traditional organic traffic declining and AI assistants gaining millions of users daily, visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity responses determines market relevance. The seven strategies outlined above provide a roadmap for establishing and maintaining presence in AI-generated answers.
Take action now. Whether implementing these strategies independently or partnering with platforms like Relixir, the critical step is beginning your GEO journey today. Early movers in this space will capture visibility advantages that compound over time, establishing themselves as the default answers AI engines provide to millions of queries. The AI answer era has arrived—make sure your brand appears in the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and how does it differ from SEO?
Generative Engine Optimization represents the evolution of search visibility. While SEO focuses on ranking links in search engines, GEO focuses on being cited in AI answers. "SEO is about getting found; GEO is about getting featured."
How can brands earn authoritative citations inside LLM responses?
Getting cited by AI engines requires a strategic approach to content creation and optimization. Successful brands focus on building content specifically tailored for AI consumption while maintaining human readability. Key metrics include AI citation frequency, brand share of voice in AI answers, referral traffic from AI chats, and sentiment context of mentions.
Does structured data help AI visibility, and what are its limits?
Structured data and schema markup play a complex role in AI visibility. While schema markup plays a vital role in building knowledge graphs foundational for large language models, current evidence suggests limitations in direct AI citation impact. Controlled tests show ChatGPT ignored pages containing only structured data, citing only variants where information appeared as visible text. Perplexity AI ranks web-crawled content using a modified PageRank system, not schema interpretation.
What should brands monitor to measure AI share of voice and mentions?
Tracking brand visibility across AI platforms requires specialized monitoring tools and metrics. Effective AI monitoring encompasses multiple dimensions. Brands must track changes to brand mentions in AI answers over time, measure share of voice against competitors, and analyze sentiment patterns. Advanced platforms now offer monitoring across 8+ major AI systems including ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini.
How does Relixir's GEO platform improve AI answer visibility?
Relixir's Enterprise GEO Platform delivers measurable results in AI search visibility. One client achieved "#2 ChatGPT ranking in < 90 days" while another saw over 1,500 AI citations in less than one month. Relixir's platform enables brands to "Simulate 1000s of customer queries on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini about your product", revealing precisely how AI engines respond to different prompts about products and services.
Why should brands act now to optimize for AI answers?
The AI-first search revolution is here. With Gartner predicting a 50% drop in traditional organic traffic by 2028, brands that fail to adapt their visibility strategies risk disappearing from the conversation entirely. Brands can no longer afford to ignore AI search optimization. The seven strategies outlined above provide a roadmap for establishing and maintaining presence in AI-generated answers.
Sources
https://epublishing.com/news/2025/apr/04/seo-vs-geo-generative-engine-optimization
https://www.superlines.io/articles/how-big-of-a-market-is-generative-engine-optimization-geo
https://www.tryprofound.com/?utm_source=wtf-is-seo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=may-26-sponsor
https://www.cmswire.com/digital-experience/the-growing-importance-of-schemaorg-in-the-ai-era/
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seos-are-recommending-structured-data-for-ai-search-why/537959/
https://otterly.ai/blog/10-best-ai-search-monitoring-and-llm-monitoring-solutions/
