Ranking in AI Search Results: GEO Is Here, and Yes, This Matters
- Raising Sand Studio | Official
- Mar 26
- 12 min read
Updated: Jul 8
The AI wave isn’t slowing down. Tools like Google Gemini, SearchGPT, and Perplexity are reshaping how people search and how brands show up.
If you thought SEO was already a maze, welcome to the next level. AI isn’t replacing organic search, but it’s adding a whole new layer. And if you want to stay visible, it’s time to think beyond traditional search tactics.
Enter GEO: Generative Engine Optimization. It’s not another buzzword, but rather, an internal shift. It’s how we start showing up not only in search results, but inside the answers themselves.
This guide is here to help you get your footing—what to know, what to focus on, and where to take action to ensure your digital presence shows up in AI-driven responses.
Google’s AI Overviews: Where (and When) to Focus
Yes, everyone is experimenting with the new tools—SearchGPT, Perplexity, and You.com—but most people (around 90%) are still using Google. That means the most visible form of AI search right now is Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs).
Depending on who you ask, AIOs appear in anywhere from 4% to 50% of all Google searches. That range is vast, but what’s consistent is this: AIOs overwhelmingly favor informational keywords.
So, if you're trying to show up in AI-driven results, focus there.
Not transactional searches like “best saute pans” or “ceramic cookware sale.” Not branded searches like “Madewell return policy,” but informational searches where users are looking to learn, compare, explore, and understand.
Why? Because that’s where AI summaries shine. Google knows that dropping an AI-generated blurb into a transactional search might actually get in the way. But for those broad, research-heavy queries? That’s where it adds real value.
So what’s the move? It's quite simple, really. All you have to do is get intentional about the keywords you're targeting. Meet your audience where they’re looking for knowledge, not only where they’re looking to buy.
Whether AI is answering the question or serving up your page as the next click, it’s still all about intent. Understand it, align with it, and your content has a much better shot at standing out in this evolving landscape.
Lead with Intent: Aligning Content with What Users Want
Whether it’s Google’s AI Overviews or platforms like Komo and Yep Chat, one thing remains consistent: user intent drives everything. These tools aren’t guessing. They are specifically and intrinsically built to understand why someone is asking the question in the first place.
So when you’re researching keywords, don’t think only in terms of volume—ask:
What is this person really trying to figure out?
Are they trying to learn something new?
Are they troubleshooting or fact-checking?
Are they trying to get something done, fast?
According to a recent Gartner study, over 65% of generative AI searches begin with a question, and a need for fast, actionable insights drives the majority of those queries. In fact, Google’s own research shows that users are 2.5x more likely to engage with content that directly addresses their query in a clear, conversational format.
Most AI queries come down to one thing: questions. If you want your content to appear in AI-powered search results, you need to answer them clearly, concisely, and in a way that feels human. The right content not only informs but also anticipates, supports, and helps you move forward in real time.
Pro tip: Include the question within your answer. It helps AI understand context and gives users exactly what they’re looking for.
Question: How do I write a business plan for a startup?
Answer: To write a business plan for a startup, begin with an executive summary, followed by a company description, market analysis, organizational structure, product or service line, marketing strategy, and financial projections.
It must be clear, helpful, and only the beginning of a much deeper resource, because clarity and depth matter. AI engines (and the people using them) don’t want surface-level fluff. They want content that covers all angles, anticipates follow-ups, and expands into what the user didn’t even know they needed yet.
Content That Performs: Why Quality Still Wins in AI Search
There’s a reason people say “content is king.” But when we’re talking about AI search? Content is king, queen, and entire court.
Users aren’t looking for filler. They want answers that are clear, credible, and actually helpful. And AI systems are also trained to prioritize this.
That’s where Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E.E.A.T.) comes in. While not a direct ranking factor, E-E-A-T plays a central role in Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which shape how content is scored and surfaced. In fact, a 2023 study by First Page Sage found that pages demonstrating strong E-E-A-T characteristics were 45% more likely to rank in the top three results across competitive industries.
So, how do you show that level of quality?
Bring in subject-matter experts. Real voices add real weight.
Do your research. And cite your sources—Google’s algorithms aren’t skimming, they’re cross-checking.
Link to credible, authoritative domains. Think government sites, academic research, or respected industry leaders.
Make it useful. Respect the user’s time. Say something original. Cover what matters. Cut the fluff.
Because in a world where AI search is filtering for value at every level, the content that performs is worth reading. That’s what earns trust and continues to rank.
Cover It All: Why Depth Drives Visibility in AI Search
Comprehensive content is foundational. For users, it means they can stop bouncing between five tabs and finally get a complete answer in one place. For search engines and AI systems, it’s a signal that your site is credible, consistent, and worth returning to.
When done well, one piece of content can answer the initial question and the follow-ups your audience hasn’t even asked yet. And when all your content works together like that—layered, connected, and intentional—it builds something even more powerful.
Authority.
According to a 2023 report from Semrush, long-form, comprehensive content generates 77% more backlinks than shorter content and is more likely to rank in the top 10 results, especially for informational queries. And with AI pulling from multiple sources to construct answers, content that covers all the angles has a higher chance of being selected and surfaced first.
This isn’t about keyword-stuffing or writing longer to meet a word count requirement. It’s about depth, clarity, and structure. It’s about making your site the place where people and machines know they’ll find what they’re looking for—because in an AI-driven search landscape, the most valuable real estate is reserved for content that leads, not follows.
Signal Boost: Using Contextual Terms to Strengthen Visibility
The more comprehensive your content, the more naturally you'll weave in related terms—often called synergistic terms—that reinforce your topic and help AI systems grasp the full picture. These aren’t filler keywords, but contextual signals that tell search engines: this content belongs here.
Google’s Knowledge Graph, which processes over 500 billion facts about 5 billion entities, isn’t only looking for keyword matches, but also identifying relationships between people, places, ideas, and concepts. That’s how it determines relevance, credibility, and depth.
When your content reflects those relationships—mentioning related topics, using semantically linked terms, and showing an understanding of the ecosystem—it sends a clear signal: this source knows what it’s talking about.
In a search environment increasingly shaped by large language models, context is what helps your content surface not just for what users search, but also for how they think.
This is how you show up for the right queries. Yes, even those you didn’t realize you were targeting.
Context Is Everything: Creating Content That Meets the Moment
Search results are no longer about keywords alone, but understanding user intent in real time. AI-powered search tools and modern engines like Google and Bing aren’t just processing what someone types in, but predicting what that person is most likely to do next based on real-time behavior.
That’s where contextual relevance becomes critical.
According to Think with Google, over 90% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands that provide relevant content at the moment they need it. In other words, it’s not enough to rank—you have to solve something.
High-performing content in today’s AI-driven landscape matches a topic and continues to guide the user from question to resolution. Think:
Step-by-step how-to guides
Quick troubleshooting walkthroughs
Actionable checklists and templates
Context-aware product recommendations
This kind of content does so much more than accumulate clicks—it builds trust. And trust, in a search environment now curated by AI, is one of the strongest currencies your brand can earn. When your content meets the user where they are and helps them take the next step, you're not just ranking; you're resonating with your target audience.
Stay Current or Get Buried: Why Freshness Signals Remain Relevant
The internet doesn’t wait, and neither do your users. Content freshness informs search engines and AI systems that your brand is active, relevant, and contributing value in real-time.
Google’s algorithm updates continue to prioritize recency for a reason. According to HubSpot, businesses that publish new blog content regularly generate 55% more site visitors and 67% more leads than those that don’t. And with AI systems increasingly trained to prioritize helpful, up-to-date sources, fresh content is your invitation to stay visible.
If your last update was in 2022, search engines and potential customers will notice. Stale content suggests a dormant brand. Fresh content signals authority, consistency, and trust.
This doesn’t mean publishing every day, but it does mean showing up consistently. Whether it’s a blog, a resource guide, or a product update, fresh content keeps you in the loop and in the rankings.
Stand Out or Stay Invisible: Why Originality is a Ranking Factor
Search has evolved far beyond a list of ten blue links. Now it’s AI Overviews, featured snippets, knowledge panels, carousels—layers of content that reshape how people find and consume information.
According to a 2023 study by SEMrush, over 58% of all Google searches now result in zero clicks, meaning users get what they need directly from AI summaries, snippets, or visual features without ever visiting a website. That means if your content doesn’t stand out, it gets buried—or worse, skipped entirely.
Regurgitating someone else’s blog post or rephrasing the top-ranking content isn’t going to cut it. What search engines and real users are looking for now is what only you can offer: your insight, your experience, your unique way of solving a problem.
Being unique is no longer a creative choice. It’s a requirement and a strategic advantage. In fact, Google’s Helpful Content System update (2022) emphasized "originality and personal expertise" as essential signals of value.
So lean into what sets you apart. The details. The voice. The offer that no one else can replicate. That’s what gets you noticed—and what keeps your content showing up, even as AI continues to reorganize the way we search.
Build the Foundation: Technical Fixes That Help AI Understand Your Site
Search has changed, and the algorithms behind it are no longer static. AI-driven systems are constantly learning, adapting, and reshaping what gets shown and when. Since 2024, Google has been utilizing AI to enhance and organize its results.
That means our optimization approach must also evolve, particularly on the technical side. If your site structure is unclear, your markup is messy, or your pages aren’t optimized for AI readability, you’re already behind. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) requires clean, structured data, strong semantic connections, and a content framework designed for adaptability, rather than simple, traditional ranking.
The good news is that when your technical foundation is solid, everything else works better, enabling better crawling, visibility, and positioning in the AI-driven results that shape the future of search.
Speak AI’s Language: How Structured Data Boosts Discoverability
If you want AI systems to understand what you’ve created, you need to speak their language. That starts with clear, natural writing, but it doesn’t stop there.
Adding structured data is one of the most effective ways to give large language models (LLMs) the context they need. Schema markup—like labeling a page as an "article," "product," or "event"—tells AI what your content is and how it fits into the broader digital landscape.
Start with your most valuable pages—the ones that drive revenue or matter most to your business—and build out from there. Use tools like Google’s Rich Results Test to make sure your markup is clean and accurate.
Structured data also unlocks rich snippets in search results, such as pricing, star ratings, product availability, and other elements that can make your listing stand out and increase clicks. In the age of AI-organized search, properly structured data is no longer optional but critical to build a strong foundation.
Give AI a Map: How llms.txt Helps Machines Understand Your Website
You’ve probably heard of robots.txt, which functions to tell crawlers what they can and can’t access on your site. But if you want your content to play well with AI, you’ll also want to consider an llms.txt file.
This markdown-based file is designed specifically for large language models (LLMs), acting as a structured map of your content. It gives AI systems clearer direction on how your site is organized, what content to prioritize, and how to surface it more accurately in AI-driven search results.
As of 2024, over 51% of all online search queries are influenced or directly handled by AI-powered tools, a figure that is expected to continue growing. Ensuring your site is optimized for AI readability is essential.
Adding an llms.txt file doesn’t replace your SEO strategy—it supports it. It enhances how AI understands the relationships between your content, increases the discoverability of key pages, and positions your site as a reliable source in a rapidly evolving search landscape.
Think of it as a blueprint for the machines shaping tomorrow’s search results and places your content in the spotlight.
Don’t Block Yourself: Ensuring AI Crawlers Can Index Your Content
It sounds obvious, but it happens more than you’d think. Sites unintentionally block AI crawlers in their robots.txt file without realizing it. And here’s the thing: if your content can’t be crawled, it can’t be indexed. And if it’s not indexed, the chances are, it’s not showing up anywhere.
This misstep is more common than it should be. In fact, a recent study by Oncrawl found that nearly 17% of websites experienced crawler access issues due to misconfigured robots.txt files, which directly impacted their visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search results.
As AI-driven platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT start pulling answers from indexed content, blocking those crawlers could mean your best work never makes it into the conversation.
Take a few minutes to review your robots.txt file and confirm that AI-specific crawlers—like those used by Google, Bing, and other LLM-based search engines—aren’t being accidentally denied. Tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog can quickly flag any crawl errors or misconfigurations.
It’s a minor fix, but in an increasingly AI search landscape, it can have a significant impact on whether or not your content gets seen.
Faster Wins: How Page Speed Impacts Rankings and Retention
Search engines care about user experience, and slow sites are a quick way to lose both ranking and real people.
The truth is, if your page takes too long to load, users will bounce. That means less time on the page, fewer conversions, and lower chances of being picked up by AI search tools that prioritize helpful, accessible content.
To see how your site ranks, head to page speed.web.dev. Drop in one of your key URLs, and the tool will break it down for you—everything from load times to core web vitals. It’ll even rank fixes by impact, so you know where to focus first.
And don’t forget: Google uses mobile-first indexing, so prioritize your mobile performance. With the majority of web traffic coming from phones, your site needs to feel fast and seamless on the smallest screens.
Good content is only half the battle—make sure it loads fast enough to be seen.
Earn the Clicks: Why Strong Backlinks Still Power Search Rankings
Google may not use an official “authority score,” but make no mistake—how the internet talks about your site plays a big role in how you rank.
That’s where backlinks come in.
Backlinks are simply links from other sites pointing back to yours. They could show up in a blog post comparing your product, a news article referencing your insights, or an industry piece that links to your content as a credible source.
Sites that earn links from trusted, high-authority sources—like major news outlets, universities, or leading industry publications—consistently rank better than those that don’t.
If you’re running a newer site or refreshing an older one, don’t wait around for backlinks to find you. Build them. Content syndication, strategic outreach, and partnerships are all part of the long game.
A strong backlink profile tells both search engines and AI systems that your brand is respected, relevant, and delivering real value, which makes your content more likely to surface in top search and AI-generated results.
Search Yourself First: Use AI Tools to Audit Your Brand’s Presence
Want to know how AI views your brand? Ask it.
One of the most powerful (and underused) tools in your SEO and brand strategy toolkit is simply searching like your audience would but through the lens of AI.
Open up an AI search tool like Google’s AI Overviews, SearchGPT, or Perplexity, and type in a query your potential customer might ask. Start simple:
Is [your business name] worth the price?
What do people say about [your business name]?
What problems are common in [your industry]?
Now pay attention to the answers, and just as importantly, where that information is coming from. What sources are being cited? Are any of them yours? If not, that’s a missed opportunity.
If the results don’t represent your brand accurately, or represent your brand at all, take note. This is where optimization begins. You can strengthen your own content, update your website, or even reach out to websites that are mentioned and ask them to revise outdated info.
This isn’t about vanity. It’s about control of your narrative, reputation, and visibility in a digital space increasingly shaped by AI.
Future-Proof Your Brand: AI Search Strategy by Raising Sand Studio
AI is reshaping how people search and how brands get found. Optimizing for AI search isn’t a simple upgrade; instead, it's a necessary and strategic shift. We hate to break it to you, but you're already behind if you’re still relying on outdated tactics while your competitors lean into AI.
At Raising Sand Studio, we help future-focused brands adapt with innovative, effective, ROI-driven strategies built for this new search landscape. Our work is grounded in the latest research, tailored to your brand, and designed to deliver results—whether that means increased visibility, higher engagement, or tangible revenue growth.
We don’t believe in fluff.
We believe in results.
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