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Topic

AI search

How ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews choose what to cite, and which agencies do generative engine optimization (GEO) for US brands.

Published

AI SEO, also called GEO (generative engine optimization), is the work of getting a brand cited in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. It matters because AI answers are taking clicks: when an AI Overview shows, the first organic result gets far fewer clicks than it used to, according to Ahrefs' study of 300,000 keywords in December 2025. This topic explains what the AI tools actually do, what an agency can and cannot promise, and which agencies have verified results.

Who this is for

US brands that have noticed AI answers appearing for their category, agencies adding a GEO service, and anyone asked to evaluate a "GEO agency" pitch.

What is known, in plain terms

  • AI tools pull pages from ordinary search indexes. ChatGPT uses OpenAI's own crawler plus third-party search; Claude uses its own crawler and Brave; Perplexity uses its own index; Google's AI features use the Google index with no extra requirements.
  • They quote pages that answer first, use plain HTML headings and tables, and are updated. "Best of" lists were 43.8% of the pages ChatGPT cited in an Ahrefs study of 750 prompts in December 2025.
  • Nobody can submit a page into an AI answer. Any agency that sells "guaranteed AI citations" is selling something that does not exist.
  • A page hidden from crawlers cannot be cited, so the first job is often a robots.txt and Cloudflare check.

What to ask a GEO agency

  1. Which prompts do you track, in which tools, and how often? Ask to see the tracking sheet, not a screenshot.
  2. Show me a client that was not cited six months ago and is cited now, with dates.
  3. What did you change on the site, and what did you do off the site? Off-site work should be earned mentions, not bought ones.
  4. How do you measure it? Search Console's AI performance report and Bing Webmaster Tools both show AI citations now.

The ranked lists

AI SEO and GEO agencies in the USA and AI SEO and GEO agencies in India rank agencies by verified reviews and by their own measured visibility in AI answers, which Rankyfy tracks monthly for a fixed set of prompts. An agency that cannot get itself cited is a weak bet to get you cited.

The guides in hiring an agency apply here too: a named account manager, a paid pilot and a contract that leaves your accounts in your name.

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