AEO and GEO: Getting Found (and Cited) by ChatGPT and Google AI

Edited by Solucom · June 1, 2026

An increasingly common scene: someone has a question, opens ChatGPT or types into Google, and reads the answer that appears at the top, generated by AI. They don't scroll through ten links: they read that answer and move on. Now the question you should ask yourself is simple and a little uncomfortable: When AI responds on a topic in your field, does it cite its sources or not? Because if they don't mention you, for that user, it's as if you don't exist.

It's a new and concrete problem. For years, the goal was to rank at the top of Google search results. Today, above those results, there's often a box that answers the question itself—Google's AI Overviews, answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini. Optimizing solely for the tenth position, while users stop at the box at the top, is like having the most beautiful storefront on a street where nobody walks anymore.

AEO and GEO are programs that help businesses that are very reliable and secure in their international supply chains.* **AEO (Authorized Economic Operator)** is a program by customs authorities. If your business meets certain standards for security, customs compliance, and financial health, you can become an AEO. This makes your shipments faster and easier when crossing borders. Think of it as getting a "trusted partner" status with customs.* **GEO (Global Enterprise Operations or Global Export Organization)** is not a standardized or official program like AEO. It's a term that can be used more broadly by companies themselves. It usually refers to a department or function within a large company that manages all or most of its international operations, including exports, imports, logistics, and compliance on a global scale. It's about the company's own internal structure for handling international trade.In short: * **AEO** is an official certification from customs for secure and reliable trade partners. * **GEO** is a more general term, often used by companies to describe their internal teams or departments that handle international business.

They are two names for the same underlying idea. AEO Answer Engine Optimization Geo (Generative Engine Optimization) means: making sure your company gets quoted within the AI-generated responses, not just listed among the links.

The difference with classic SEO is in the result you pursue. SEO aims for a position among the results and is measured in clicks. The AEO/GEO aims to become the source that AI uses to build its response, and is measured in quotes and mentions. It is not a trend that replaces SEO: it is an additional plan, which exists on top of good basic SEO.

How does AI choose who to cite?

No one knows the exact formula, and be wary of anyone who tries to sell it to you. But from industry analyses and indications from the platforms themselves, some fairly solid patterns are emerging:

• Answer the question, immediately. Content that provides the answer directly in the first few lines is shared more often than content that beats around the bush for half a page.
• Clear structure. Headlines that match real questions, short paragraphs, each with one idea. AI «reads» ordered content better.
• Ultimate language. Clear and verifiable statements are quoted more readily than text full of «maybes,» «it depends,» and «coulds.».
• Original data and content. Your numbers, concrete examples, a table, a real-life experience: that's what sets you apart from a thousand identical pages and makes you an interesting source.
• Authority on the subject. If your site is already recognized in a particular topic, you have a head start.

One useful thing to know: not all platforms behave the same. Google, in its AI responses, tends to cite a lot. company websites — so working well on your pages pays off. ChatGPT, on the other hand, often draws from sources like Reddit, Wikipedia, and news outlets, and for professional questions, a profile like LinkedIn carries a lot of weight. In translation: your presence on your site matters e Outside.

A practical example

You run a tax consulting firm. A potential client asks the AI, «How much does it cost to register for a VAT number, and what taxes do you have to pay in the first year?».

If on your site you have a page that It really answers you're likely to be cited as a source for that question—with a cost range, major items, and an example. If, on the other hand, you only have a «Services» page that says «contact us for a personalized quote,» the AI has nothing to cite: it moves on and cites someone else who provided an answer. The difference isn't advertising budget: it's having written the answer people are looking for, in black and white.

When does it make sense to work on it

• You are in a sector where people They ask questions before buying.: «how it works», «how much it costs», «which one to choose».
• Hi true competence to put in black and white: experiences, numbers, concrete cases.
• Sell services or products with a evaluation cycle, where the user gathers information before deciding.

Where to be careful

• Don't control what the AI says. You can increase the chances of being cited, not guarantee it. Anyone promising «first place on ChatGPT» is exaggerating.
• Quotes are volatile. They change over time and across platforms. It's an ongoing job, not a switch.
• Don't write for machines. The biggest risk is producing texts optimized for AI but boring for people. If a human doesn't find it useful, in the long run, it won't work for AI either.

Common errors

• Chase tricks. There are no magic shortcuts: there is responding better than others.
• Generic content. A page that could be on any website gives AI no reason to cite you specifically.
• No structure. Blocks of text without titles or order are difficult for AI to «read.».
• Ignore the basics. A slow or poorly indexed website starts at a disadvantage. technical speed and i structured data help AI understand you.

The first, concrete step

Write the five questions What are the most common customer questions you get—the real ones you've heard a thousand times? For each one, prepare on your website Clear and direct answer in the first two or three paragraphs From the page: first answer, then elaborate. No beating around the bush, no «it depends» as the first sentence. Five good answers done this way are worth more than fifty vague pages, both for people and for the AI reading them.

How do you understand if it's working

Unlike advertising, there isn't a single dashboard here that tells you, «You were mentioned ten times today.» But you can keep an eye on a few concrete signals:

• Ask the questions yourself. Once a month, ask the various AIs (ChatGPT, Google, Perplexity) the five key questions in your industry and note: do they cite you? do they cite a competitor? do they cite no one? It's the simplest and most honest test.
• Look where the sender is writing from. More and more often, a client will say, «I found you by asking ChatGPT,» or «Google's AI recommended you.» Ask them about it: that's gold-standard data.
• Monitor mentions of the name. Keep track of where your company's name appears online: the more you are mentioned in relevant contexts, the higher the probability that AI will pick you up.

They are not perfect numbers, but they are enough to understand the direction. And the direction, at the beginning, matters more than decimal precision: it tells you whether the path you've taken is bringing you closer or not to the answers people are reading.

The way people search is changing: more and more often, they get a ready-made answer, built by AI from a few selected sources. To be found today means to be quote. You don't need tricks: you need to answer real questions better and more clearly than those around you — on your website and elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you want to know if AI quotes you today? Let's do a check: what questions from your sector are answered by AI, who is cited instead of you, and where to intervene first. Discover how we work on AI visibility or Write your sector to us And let's take a look.