Guide: How to Optimize Your Site for the AI Search Era (ChatGPT, Bing, AI Overviews)

Website promotion becomes an increasingly complex task each year. New Google requirements emerge, new rules affecting rankings, new SEO techniques, and new technologies. And now, in 2025, Google launches AI Overviews, Bing integrates Copilot, X (formerly Twitter) uses Grok right in the app – you just need to tag it in comments, and users increasingly search for answers through ChatGPT and Perplexity instead of regular Google.

Using only traditional SEO by businesses no longer guarantees visibility to potential clients: even reaching the first position in Google, you can lose traffic due to zero AI answers that satisfy user queries without clicks. And this is not to mention that after zero results there are up to three advertising announcements, and only after that organic TOP.

Google Search Results Structure in 2025

Therefore, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) enters the scene – this is content optimization for AI search and assistants, so that your content, brand mentions, and website links appear in AI responses.

Why AEO is a Must-Have in 2025

• AI responses displace traditional ways of obtaining information by clients: AI Overviews and ChatGPT provide information without user transition to the site.
• Growing competitors in AI Search: optimization for AI is just forming, so brands that first optimize for AI get priority visibility in assistant responses for years to come.
• More chances for coverage: proper AEO allows your site to appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Bing Copilot, and even in Google AI Overviews – all simultaneously.

What is AI Search and How Does It Differ from Traditional Search

AI Search is search where artificial intelligence algorithms collect, analyze, and form ready answers, often without users needing to visit sites. This is how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok in X, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot work.

How Different AI Search Systems Work

Service / Platform	How It Works	Where the Answer is Shown
ChatGPT Search	Generates answers based on web data and its AI	Separate chat, user gets short answer + links
Google AI Overviews	Forms summary answer from sites in Google	Above organic results, even before ads
Bing Copilot	Shows interactive answers and links	In Bing search results, often in sidebar
Perplexity	Gives detailed answer with source links	In its own AI interface and mobile app
Grok (X / Twitter)	Integrated assistant, responds within social network	In search tab, chats and comments in X (Twitter)

Grok integration directly in dialogue under discussion in X (Twitter) threads

How AI Search differs from Traditional Google Search and thus gains popularity

1. Answers without clicks: users get short, relevant summaries immediately, without transitioning to sites.
2. Zero AI position: now before ads and organic results appears an AI answer that actually becomes the main traffic interceptor and completely satisfies the user’s query.
3. More chances for new sites: AI assistants don’t always choose sites with the highest trust if content is accurate and well-structured, so users can get useful advice even from “small” sites if it answers their query.

Traditional SEO is still important (Google and Bing use its signals), but without AEO sites risk losing visibility in the new search environment. Therefore, businesses need to pay attention to what distinguishes AI search from Google and implement this on their site to be noticed.

How ChatGPT provides sources, recommending products, highlighting as important

What is AEO, How It Works and How It Differs from SEO

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is content optimization for AI search and answer engines, i.e., for platforms that generate ready answers based on web data and their own models (Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity). The goal is to make content as convenient as possible for recognition, citation, and showing to users directly in AI responses, even if the user doesn’t click on the site.

There is also such a direction as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) – this is a narrower term that means optimization for generative search platforms, and focuses more not on content but on technical features of site adaptation so that:

• content is easily indexed by AI
• assistants can seamlessly cite your site
• the site becomes an authoritative source in AI responses

Regarding AI Overviews – this is a Google feature that automatically generates short summaries from several sites in the top part of Google results. These responses appear above ads and organic results, actually occupying the “zero position”.

There is no single naming standard yet, the market is just forming. Besides AEO and GEO, the term AI SEO is often used. Names may change, but the goal remains one – to add a new source of relevant traffic from AI assistants and generative search platforms.

How AEO Differs from SEO

	SEO (traditional)	AEO (for AI and assistants)
Goal	Ranking in Google/Bing organic results	Getting into AI responses, Overviews, chat assistants
Content Format	Long articles optimized for keywords	Clear answers, lists, FAQ, structured data
Traffic Source	Clicks from Google results	Visibility and citation without clicks (brand visibility + traffic from AI sources)
Main Factors	Backlinks, keywords, technical optimization	E-E-A-T, intent matching, schema, semantics, content quality
Success Metrics	Backlinks, keywords, technical optimization	Mentions in AI responses, visibility in Overviews, brand recognition

Types of Content Most Often Chosen by AI Assistants:

1. FAQ and short structured answers (easy to integrate into AI responses)
2. Guides and How-To articles (especially with step-by-step structure)
3. Comparison tables and rankings (AI often cites them)
4. Checklists and lists (simple for generating summaries)
5. Expert materials with E-E-A-T signals (authored, with facts)

How AI Assistants Choose Answers: Key Ranking Factors

To get into Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, or Grok, your content must meet several important signals:

1. Authority Signals (E-E-A-T)

• Author experience and expertise (Experience, Expertise)
• Source authority (Authority) – trusted domain, links from quality sites
• Reliability and transparency (Trust) – current data, source links, no clickbait

2. Content Formatting

• Short, clear paragraphs (1-3 sentences)
• Lists, tables, FAQ
• Logical structure with H2, H3

3. Semantics and Relevance

• Using AI-friendly keywords and LSI (not just classic SEO queries)
• Intent matching – content clearly answers a specific query, doesn’t “blur” the topic
• Content matches search intent (informational, commercial, transactional)

4. Structured Data

• Using FAQPage, HowTo, Article schema
• JSON-LD helps AI quickly index content
• Proper micromarkup increases chances of getting into AI Overviews and Copilot

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Optimize Your Site for AI Search

To make your site gain visibility in Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, Grok, and ChatGPT Search, you need a comprehensive approach covering intent research, content adaptation, and technical optimization. Below we provide a detailed step-by-step guide with tips.

Step 1. Search Intent Research

AI assistants don’t just copy results from Google, they analyze queries, determine user intentions, and create generalized answers. For your content to get into these answers, you need to understand what AI already shows.

• How to analyze AI results:
  • Enter your priority keywords into Perplexity and ChatGPT Search, see which sites they cite and how exactly
  • Check if your content appears in Google AI Overviews (SGE) – these blocks now occupy the highest positions
  • Analyze competitor content format: AI often prefers clear lists, FAQ, and step-by-step guides

Google AI Overviews

• Intent classification (which need to be covered):
  • Informational — if taking the theme of this article, an example would be “What is AI SEO?”
  • Commercial — “Best agencies for Answer Engine Optimization”
  • Transactional — “Order optimization for AI Search”

Intent Analysis

Tip:

Use tools like AlsoAsked or Keywords Insights to build search question trees. This will help you form content that AI is more likely to pick up.

AlsoAsked – query/question recommendations for expansion

Step 2. Text Optimization for AI Algorithms

AI prefers content that’s easy to read and cite. Your text should simultaneously give quick answers and offer depth to prove expertise.

1. Presentation structure:
   • At the beginning of each section: short answer in 1-2 sentences (for AI citation)
   • Then: expanded explanation with examples and details
   • Use H2/H3 with keywords: AI and search engines recognize them as topic indicators
     
2. FAQ and lists as mandatory blocks:
   • AI often integrates exactly these formats into its responses
   • FAQ helps cover different intents (informational and transactional)
     
3. Keywords and LSI for AI:
   • Use AI-friendly content in natural context
   • Add synonyms and LSI queries so AI has more options for topic identification

Important! 

Keyword overspamming is never an advantage. Treat text as an answer to a person, not an algorithm – the more naturally the text sounds, the higher the chance of citation.

So, AI assistants prefer content that’s easy to convert into ready answers. Most effective formats:

• Guides and How-To articles – especially with step-by-step instructions
• Checklists and lists – easily cited
• Comparison tables and rankings – AI often uses them in summary responses
• Q&A and Knowledge Base – suitable for FAQ integrations in ChatGPT and Bing Copilot
• Expert cases and analytical articles – form E-E-A-T and increase AI trust

AI systems themselves love giving answers with checklists, step-by-step instructions

Expert tip: 

Use a mixed approach: combine deep articles with short blocks (FAQ, lists, summaries). This gives a chance to appear in AI results even if users don’t read long texts.

Step 3. Technical Optimization

AI doesn’t always “read” sites like Googlebot. If your site isn’t technically structured, it may not get into AI indexing even if content is perfect.

1. Schema Markup and JSON-LD – this is important:
   • Use FAQPage, HowTo, and Article schema so AI assistants easily understand your material structure
   • Add JSON-LD to all key pages and this will facilitate indexing for AI
     
2. Speed and mobility:
   • AI assistants more often cite sites that load quickly and are adaptive
   • Optimize Core Web Vitals – this will simultaneously improve SEO and AEO
     
3. Security and accessibility:
   • HTTPS – mandatory
   • Clean code and XML-sitemap increase chances of AI indexing

Pay attention!

Even if you have great content, without markup and technical optimization there aren’t many chances of getting into AI responses.

How to Measure AEO Effectiveness

So, after implementing all points you need to understand how to evaluate the effectiveness of all these actions. Since AI Search is still new, there are few standard metrics yet, but you can track:

• Whether your site appears in Google AI Overviews and Bing Copilot. Check in incognito mode.
• Visibility in ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and Grok (through manual checks or API). Check not through your account, but through empty or anonymous ones, or through several different ones.
• Traffic from AI search (as a separate category in Google Analytics through utm or other markers).

GA4 menu — Traffic acquisition — Session source/medium.

Tools that might be needed:

• AlsoAsked – for finding search questions
• Ahrefs and SEMrush – for analyzing organic and AI traffic
• Google Analytics – for monitoring referral traffic from AI sources
  

Important! 

AEO is not a replacement for SEO, but an extension. Even if organic traffic decreases, visibility in AI responses compensates for losses and forms a new channel for attracting users.

AEO – The Future of Search

Search has already changed and will never be the same again. Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and even Grok in social networks are becoming the main points where users find answers. Each month more and more queries are processed by AI, and traditional traffic from search engines is decreasing.

AEO is an investment in long-term visibility of your business. Optimization for AI assistants and generative search systems allows you to:

• get visibility and clients even when users don’t click on Google results
• become an authoritative source that AI constantly cites
• capture new traffic channels while competitors still work according to old schemes

Luxeo helps brands adapt to the AI search era. We offer free AI presence audits and compose AEO strategies. Don’t wait for AI to bypass your business.