AI Search Optimisation
How to Be Found by ChatGPT, Gemini & Perplexity
We are passionate about being found on AI. Here is some background and tips.
AI Search Is Growing Fast – And It’s Changing How People Find You
Search is no longer just Google and Bing.
In the last two years, AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Perplexity have changed how people research services, compare providers and make decisions. Instead of clicking through ten blue links, users now ask a question and receive a summarised answer.
AI doesn’t just list websites, t interprets, compares and recommends.
If your business is not clearly understood by AI systems, you may not appear in those answers, even if you rank well in Google.
For business owners, this is a major shift:
- More people are starting their research in AI tools
- AI answers can influence buying decisions (especially from cited sources)
- Recommendations are often pulled from structured, trustworthy sources
AI visibility in search is quickly becoming as important as traditional SEO.
The Main AI Search Platforms (And Who Owns Them)
Today’s leading AI search tools include:
ChatGPT – Owned by OpenAI (with Microsoft partnership and Bing integration)
Gemini – Owned by Google
Perplexity – Independent AI search engine backed by major investors
Microsoft Copilot – Powered by OpenAI, integrated into Bing and Windows
Google still dominates traditional search, but AI interfaces are growing rapidly. Microsoft has integrated AI deeply into Bing. Google has embedded AI into search results. Perplexity is built entirely around AI-driven answers.
This is not a trend, it is a structural shift in how information is retrieved.
Can You “Rank” in AI?
Yes, but it works differently.
AI tools do not rank pages in the traditional sense. Instead, they:
- Recognise brands as entities
- Extract structured information
- Compare services
- Evaluate trust signals
- Summarise authoritative sources
If your website and wider online presence are clear, structured, consistent and trustworthy, AI models are far more likely to:
- Quote you
- Summarise you accurately
- Include you in comparisons
- Recommend you
If your brand information is inconsistent, hidden in PDFs, vague or unstructured, AI may overlook you completely.
This is why AI optimisation is now essential.
Why This Matters for Your Business
AI search is influencing buying decisions today.
If a prospect asks:
- “Best digital consultants in Ireland”
- “Who helps with technical SEO and AI search optimisation?”
- “Who can improve website speed and structured data?”
AI will summarise and compare.
The businesses that are:
- Clear
- Structured
- Reviewed
- Mentioned
- Consistent
- Technically sound
Are the ones most likely to be recommended.
This is not just about visibility, it is about being selected.
Download the Full CreatorSEO AI Checklist
We’ve created a practical, structured checklist you can use to benchmark and improve your AI visibility.
It covers:
- Homepage optimisation
- Schema implementation
- AI-readable content
- Brand consistency
- Reviews and trust signals
- External citations
- Technical SEO for AI
- Pages that AI models love
Download the full “Being Found on AI” checklist here:[Download Checklist]
What AI Systems Look For
From our full “Being Found on AI” checklist (download), the most important principles are surprisingly practical.
Clear Brand Identity (Entity Consistency)
AI relies heavily on entity recognition.
Your business needs:
- A consistent 2–3 line official description
- The same name, services and positioning everywhere
- Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
- Clear homepage summary:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Who you help
- Where you operate
Inconsistency confuses AI models. Clarity strengthens visibility.
Structured FAQs and Schema Markup
Schema markup is critical for AI search. AI crawlers directly consume structured data such as:
- FAQ schema
- Organisation schema
- Service schema
- Review schema
- Offer / pricing schema
If you only make one technical upgrade — make it schema.
Well-structured FAQs dramatically improve:
- Accuracy of AI summaries
- Inclusion in comparisons
- Extractable question/answer content
AI prefers pages that directly answer questions like:
- “What does [Brand] do?”
- “Is this service right for me?”
- “How does it work?”
Strong Service Pages (One Service = One Page)
AI prioritises clarity and completeness (download). Each service page should include:
- Clear H1 and structured layout
- Short, factual descriptions
- Benefits
- Use cases
- “Who this is for” and “Who it’s not for”
- FAQs
- Pricing guidance (where possible)
- Pros and cons
- Alternatives
AI extracts structured, answer-based content far more easily than marketing-heavy copy.
Reviews & Trust Signals
Reviews are one of the strongest AI trust indicators (download). AI systems evaluate:
- Volume
- Recency
- Detail
- Consistency across platforms
- How you respond to criticism
Google Reviews, Trustpilot, G2, Capterra and industry platforms all matter.
Importantly: reviews must be visible in plain text, not screenshots.
External Mentions & Citations
AI tools heavily weight:
- Editorial mentions
- Industry directories
- “Alternatives to…” lists
- Reddit discussions
- Expert quotes
Perplexity and other AI tools often cite these sources directly.
Being mentioned externally strengthens your recommendation potential.
AI-Friendly Content Assets
AI search engines love structured, evergreen content (download).
High-impact assets include:
- Glossaries
- Step-by-step guides
- Pricing breakdowns
- Case studies with outcomes
- Comparison tables
- Definition blocks
- “Key Points” summary boxes
Tables and clearly formatted summaries are especially extractable by AI.
Technical Foundations Still Matter
AI still relies on crawlable websites.
You must have:
- Fast loading pages
- Mobile optimisation
- Clean internal linking
- XML sitemap
- No blocked pages
- Important information in plain text
AI cannot interpret what it cannot access.