In this article
What changes when your customer asks an AI
Classic search
- 1SearchesKeywords
- 210 linksCompete for position
- 3ClickLands on your site
Answer engine
- 1AsksA full sentence
- 2RetrievesReads several pages
- 3WritesOne single answer
- 4Cites 2-3If you are not there, you do not exist
Which tactics work, with data
The study GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (Aggarwal et al., KDD 2024) tested 9 tactics on thousands of queries. The ones that raise visibility most are the ones that make content verifiable.
+115 %
visibility for a page ranked 5th when it cites sources. The tactics help most those who are not first.
| Criterion | RecommendedCite sources | Add quotes | Add statistics | Keyword stuffing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page ranked 5th | +115 % | +100 % | +98 % | No data |
| Average (cited words) | Among the best | +41 %, the best | Among the best | −9 % |
| Example on your site | Link to DNIT, BCP, SRI or INEC | Verbatim line from a regulation | Figure with date and source | Repeating the service name |
| Effort | Low | Low | Medium | Do not do it |
RecommendedCite sources
Page ranked 5th
- Cite sources
- +115 %
- Add quotes
- +100 %
- Add statistics
- +98 %
- Keyword stuffing
- No data
Average (cited words)
- Cite sources
- Among the best
- Add quotes
- +41 %, the best
- Add statistics
- Among the best
- Keyword stuffing
- −9 %
Example on your site
- Cite sources
- Link to DNIT, BCP, SRI or INEC
- Add quotes
- Verbatim line from a regulation
- Add statistics
- Figure with date and source
- Keyword stuffing
- Repeating the service name
Effort
- Cite sources
- Low
- Add quotes
- Low
- Add statistics
- Medium
- Keyword stuffing
- Do not do it
A 20-minute weekly audit
Copy these questions (one by one or all 5), replace the brackets and ask them in ChatGPT and Perplexity every Monday. Note whether you appear, who gets cited and which page they use.
5 questions for your weekly audit
Which companies in [Paraguay/Ecuador] offer [your service] for [your customer]?What is the best option for [specific problem] in [city]?How much does [your service] cost in [country] in 2026?What does [regulation or procedure] require and who helps you comply?Compare [your company] with other options for [use case].
Self-check: can you be cited?
GEO checklist for a page you want cited
priority: sourced figures and answer in the first sentence
Tick what your page already does. Priority puts first what makes content verifiable (sources and data), the largest effect in the study.
How to read it: 0 to 3, hard to get cited; 4 to 6, partial base; 7 to 9, ready. Priority puts citing sources and verifiable data first, the tactics with the largest effect in the study; then structure and the technical layer.
A 6-week plan
Example GEO plan for a company or bank
- Week 1BaselineAudit the 5 questions and list the sources cited today.KPI: % of the 5 questions where you appear
- Week 2-3Citable pagesRewrite the 3 pages that answer your key questions.KPI: 3 pages rewritten with sources and a table
- Week 4Technical layerOrganization, FAQPage and consistent external profiles.KPI: schema with no errors in Google's test
- Week 5-6Measure and repeatRepeat the audit and prioritize the next batch.KPI: change vs. week 1 and AI referrals
To understand how these engines retrieve and cite, read what is RAG.