Illustration of a search bar and AI chat bubbles linked to several website cards, showing an AI assistant citing web pages

AI SEO: How to Show Up in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

8 min read

AI SEO is the work of making your website easy for AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity to find, understand and quote. The good news for small businesses is that it isn’t a separate discipline. Google says there are no extra requirements to appear in AI Overviews beyond normal SEO best practice. What has changed is what “good” looks like: clear answers, a well-defined business, and a reputation that shows up beyond your own website.

This guide explains how AI answers pick their sources, what’s different from traditional SEO, and the practical steps you can take this month.

What is AI SEO?

AI SEO, sometimes called generative engine optimisation (GEO), means shaping your content so AI assistants can use it when they answer a question. Instead of a list of ten blue links, the person gets a written answer with a handful of sources linked underneath or alongside it. Your aim is to be one of those sources, or at least to be named in the answer.

That matters because more people now start with a question rather than a keyword. Someone might type “how do I get my plumbing business on Google?” into ChatGPT, or see an AI Overview at the top of a Google search before they ever scroll to the normal results.

How do ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews choose their sources?

Each tool works a little differently, but they share one thing: they can only cite pages they can reach and understand.

  • Google AI Overviews and AI Mode draw on Google’s normal search index. According to Google’s own guidance on AI features, a page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet in Google Search to appear as a supporting link. Google also says you don’t need special AI text files or extra schema markup.
  • ChatGPT search uses OpenAI’s own crawler, called OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI’s crawler documentation says sites that block OAI-SearchBot won’t be shown in ChatGPT search answers. It’s separate from GPTBot, which collects content for training, so you can allow one and block the other.
  • Other assistants such as Perplexity, Copilot and Gemini run their own searches and crawlers. The same basics apply: be crawlable, be clear and be trusted.

Google also describes a “query fan-out” technique, where the AI runs several related searches across subtopics to build one answer. In practice, that means a page which answers one specific question well can be pulled in, even if it doesn’t rank first for the broad search term.

What has changed from SEO to AI SEO?

The foundations haven’t moved. Technical health, useful content and a good reputation still do the heavy lifting. The emphasis has shifted in four ways.

  1. Answers beat articles that circle the point. AI tools lift short, self-contained passages. A page that answers the question in its first two sentences is easier to quote than one that builds up to it slowly.
  2. Questions replace keywords as headings. People ask AI tools full questions, so headings phrased the way customers actually ask (“How much does a website cost?”) line up better with what’s being asked.
  3. Your business needs to be clearly defined. AI tools try to work out who you are, what you do and where. If your website, Google Business Profile and directory listings describe you differently, you’re harder to recommend with confidence.
  4. Mentions elsewhere count for more. AI answers often lean on third-party sources such as reviews, directories, industry articles, forums and LinkedIn. What other people say about you is part of your visibility, not just what you say about yourself.

How can a small business show up in AI answers?

You don’t need a big budget. Most of the work is tidying up what you already have and writing a little more clearly.

1. Make sure the AI crawlers can get in

Check your robots.txt file isn’t blocking Googlebot or OAI-SearchBot. Google’s guidance also points out that crawling must be allowed by your CDN or hosting, not just robots.txt. Security plugins and firewall settings sometimes block bots without you knowing, so it’s worth checking with whoever looks after your site.

2. Get the basics of normal SEO right

Your pages need to be indexed, load well on a phone and be linked from other pages on your site. Put your important content in text rather than only in images or videos. If you’re not sure where you stand, a professional SEO review will show you what’s holding your site back.

3. Lead every page with a direct answer

Start each page and each section with one or two sentences that answer the question plainly, then add the detail. Use short paragraphs, lists and steps that still make sense if they’re read on their own, because that’s how an AI tool will often use them.

4. Write about the questions your customers really ask

Make a list of the questions you hear on calls and in emails. Look at the “People also ask” box in Google for your service. Each good question can become a heading, an FAQ answer or a blog post. If writing isn’t your thing, our content writing service can turn those questions into pages that rank and get quoted.

5. Describe your business the same way everywhere

Use the same business name, contact details and one-line description on your website, Google Business Profile, social profiles and directory listings. State plainly on your home and About pages who you are, what you do, where you work and who you help. Consistency is part of good brand identity too.

6. Build a reputation beyond your own website

Ask happy customers for genuine reviews, keep your directory listings complete and share useful expertise where your customers already look. For B2B firms, LinkedIn is often the obvious place to start, and our guide to promoting your business on LinkedIn covers the basics.

7. Use real facts and keep them current

Specific, accurate information is more useful to an AI tool than vague claims. Link to your sources, use your own examples where you can, and update pages when prices, services or rules change. Showing a “last updated” date helps readers and machines trust that the page is still right.

How do you check whether AI tools mention you?

Write down ten to twenty questions a customer might ask, such as “best web designer for small businesses in Glasgow”. Ask them in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and Google, and note whether your business is mentioned, which sources are cited and which competitors appear. Repeat the check every month or so, alongside any changes you’ve made.

Google counts clicks from AI Overviews and AI Mode within the normal “Web” figures in Search Console’s Performance report, so you can’t see them separately there. Watching your enquiries and Google Analytics alongside your manual checks gives a fuller picture.

Frequently asked questions

Is AI SEO different from normal SEO?

Not at its core. Google says normal SEO best practice is all you need to be eligible for AI Overviews and AI Mode. The difference is emphasis: AI tools reward direct answers, question-led headings, a clearly described business and a reputation on other websites. Good AI SEO is really good SEO done thoroughly.

Do I need an llms.txt file or special schema?

Google says you don’t need AI text files or special schema markup to appear in its AI features. An llms.txt file is a simple, optional summary of your site that some people add. It costs little to create, but there’s no proof yet that it helps, so it shouldn’t come before the basics.

Should I block AI crawlers from my website?

Only if you’d rather not appear in AI answers. Blocking OAI-SearchBot keeps you out of ChatGPT search answers. You can block GPTBot, which gathers training data, while still allowing OAI-SearchBot. For most small businesses that want to be found, allowing the search crawlers makes sense.

How long does AI SEO take to work?

Much like normal SEO, it takes time. Search engines and AI tools need to recrawl your pages before changes show up, which can take days or months. Fixing crawl blocks can help quickly, while building content and a reputation is a steady, month-by-month job.

AI search rewards the same things good customers do: clear answers, honest information and a business that’s easy to understand. If you’d like to know how your website stands up, get a free site audit from our SEO team and we’ll show you where to start.

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