You’ve probably noticed it: fewer search results, more instant answers. Whether it’s ChatGPT giving you the top three tax preparers in Phoenix or Google’s AI Overview summarizing the best real estate agents in your area, the way people discover professionals is shifting—from links to answers.
But here’s the key question: How do YOU become the answer?
This is the heart of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and it starts with understanding how AI models decide who to quote. Unlike traditional SEO, where keywords and backlinks reign supreme, AI search engines like ChatGPT (via Bing), Google SGE, and Perplexity are choosing content based on clarity, structure, and trustworthiness.
Here’s exactly what these models look for—and how to get cited.
1. AI Doesn’t Search, It Synthesizes
First, understand this: AI models don’t “search” in the way you think. They’re trained on massive datasets—websites, reviews, directories, articles—and they use this information to generate new text based on your query.
That means your content isn’t just competing to be seen—it’s competing to be used.
So while traditional search focuses on where you rank, GEO focuses on whether your information is trusted, clear, and citable.
2. Structure Is Everything
AI tools love structure. Unlike humans, they don’t skim—they parse. If your content is messy, ambiguous, or buried in fluff, AI will ignore it.
What helps:
- Schema Markup: Tags like FAQPage, Review, Person, and sameAs tell AI exactly what it’s looking at.
- Bullet Points: Lists are easier for LLMs to extract and reuse.
- Q&A Format: Answering questions directly (e.g., “How do I apply for a VA loan?”) increases your chances of being pulled into a result.
- Summaries and Definitions: Short, authoritative explanations are often cited verbatim.
Tools like Experience.com automatically generate and validate schema for professionals—so your content is AI-ready out of the box.
3. Trust Signals Make or Break You
AI models are cautious. If your content doesn’t match across platforms, or your identity is unclear, they’ll skip you in favor of someone with verified signals.
Trust signals include:
- Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all directories
- Linked social profiles (sameAs links)
- Verified reviews with full names and detail
- Company and location schema
Experience.com helps professionals clean up and unify their online presence automatically—so your identity is crystal clear to AI.
4. Activity Wins Over Static Content
AI prioritizes recency and relevance. Pages that are regularly updated signal authority and engagement.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Weekly Google Posts (offers, events, updates)
- New Q&A added to profiles
- Regular review replies
- Article updates with fresh context
The Experience.com platform tracks and reminds you to post, update, and engage—so you stay in the AI spotlight.
5. Reviews Are the New Content
One of the biggest AI blind spots people miss? Reviews.
AI models often quote customer reviews word-for-word—especially ones that are specific, recent, and positive.
Examples: ✅ “Jane helped us close in 21 days and even got us pre-approved for a VA loan.” ❌ “Great service!”
Encourage detailed reviews, and reply to them. Experience.com’s review engine helps you request the right kind of feedback—then shows you which reviews are likely to be cited.
6. Get Tracked. Stay Found.
You can’t improve what you can’t see. The best way to win in GEO is to track your AI visibility.
Experience.com’s new GEO Visibility Engine shows:
- Whether you were cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google
- What content was used
- How many AI referrals came to your profile
- What’s missing (schema, content, reviews, etc.)
It’s like Google Analytics—but built for the world of AI!
TL;DR: How to Get Cited by AI
- Use schema markup and structured data
- Format answers in bullets, FAQs, and summaries
- Maintain consistent identity across platforms
- Keep your content fresh (posts, replies, Q&A)
- Prioritize detailed reviews
- Track citations and fix visibility gaps
Being the answer isn’t luck. It’s a system. GEO is that system.
With Experience.com, you’re not just ranking—you’re ready to be referenced.
