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There used to be Google. Now there’s Google with AI built in, ChatGPT which searches the web, Perplexity which is built entirely around search, and Copilot which is making its way into professional use. In short, the good old habit of ‘typing in three keywords and opening five tabs’ is seriously starting to look a bit dated. Users no longer necessarily want to search for the right answer themselves; they can ask AI to search, compare and shortlist options on their behalf. For brands, ranking highly on Google therefore remains essential, but it’s now also vital to be understood, cited and recommended by AI-powered search engines. And, inevitably, GEO agencies are springing up everywhere – so how do you choose?
Key takeaways:
In summary, choosing a GEO agency isn’t about finding one that promises to make you dominate ChatGPT, but one that knows how to build and sustainably measure your visibility across all AI search engines. GEO does not replace SEO: it builds on its fundamentals by incorporating new considerations regarding visibility, authority and reputation.
Unlike a traditional chatbot, which generates a response based on its knowledge and training, an AI search engine also draws on information available on the web to answer your questions. It analyses various sources, selects relevant information and summarises it in a response, usually accompanied by links to the content it has consulted. The aim is to save you from having to trawl through several pages yourself to find the information you’re looking for.
| Engine | What makes it unique | What you need to know |
| Google AI Overviews / AI Mode | Integrates directly into standard Google search results | Affects the vast majority of searches, with a huge impact on organic traffic |
| ChatGPT | Real-time search integrated into ChatGPT | Combines the model’s memory with up-to-date data from the web |
| Perplexity | Designed as a fully-fledged search engine, with sources always cited | A more tech-savvy audience, often used for market monitoring or specialised research |
| Copilot (Microsoft) | Integrated with Bing and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem | Widely used in professional and business settings |
These search engines piece together a result from snippets of content. A page that answers a question directly, without any marketing spin, is far more likely to be picked out than a long, promotional piece.
If your price, positioning or figures vary from one site to another (your own site, a price comparison site, a customer review), the search engine finds it difficult to decide. Factual consistency becomes a key selection criterion.
Press coverage, customer reviews, and mentions by partners: every external source boosts your credibility. This is often what sets two brands apart when their content is otherwise equivalent.
These search engines hate content that feels stale. A dated page that is updated regularly inspires more confidence than content that has remained unchanged for years.
Schema.org markup, well-structured FAQs, a clear heading hierarchy. These are the building blocks that enable a search engine to understand your page without having to guess.
All agencies will gradually start offering GEO. Just as all agencies used to offer SEO. Then inbound marketing. Then growth marketing. Then AI. You know the drill. Instead, rely on these indicators:
It may seem paradoxical, but a good GEO agency generally needs to have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of SEO. Why? Because organic visibility, editorial quality, information architecture, authority, structured data, reputation and an understanding of entities remain closely linked to the challenges of generative search. An agency that completely pits SEO against GEO therefore warrants a few more questions.
GEO is still in its infancy. Methodologies are evolving rapidly and results may vary depending on the models, the formulations used and platform updates. It is therefore essential to test. Measure. Compare. Repeat. A good GEO agency must be able to build a relevant set of prompts, measure your mention rate, track your AI Share of Voice and compare your performance with that of your competitors. GEO is driven by data, not by a crystal ball.
Thanks to AI, producing an average article has never been easier. The bad news is that the internet is now overflowing with average articles. To stand out from the crowd, you need to offer something that others don’t have.
Proprietary data, research, client case studies, in-house methodologies, expert analyses, feedback from the field… Your agency must be able to source this material from you and turn it into content that’s worth reading, sharing and quoting. The 912th article, “Essentials to pack in your suitcase”, can probably wait.
GEO isn’t achieved solely through optimised articles. Your reputation, your experts, your references, media coverage of your organisation and websites that mention you all play a part in building your brand’s online presence.
A good GEO agency must therefore be able to connect the dots between SEO, content, digital PR, data, authority and reputation. Because if your entire strategy consists of publishing twelve articles on your own blog, repeatedly claiming that you’re an expert…
💡 Advice from our experts:
Don’t separate your GEO strategy from your SEO
👉 AI search engines rely heavily on content that is accessible and indexed on the web. Focus on your SEO fundamentals — content quality, site architecture, internal linking and domain authority — whilst incorporating the new challenges of generative search.
Build a representative set of prompts that reflect your business challenges
👉 Don’t limit yourself to just a few generic queries. Identify the questions your prospects are actually asking at every stage of their journey: discovery, comparison, solution search and purchase intent.
Track your visibility across multiple AI search engines
👉 ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Gemini do not necessarily draw on the same sources. Measure your mentions, rankings and presence against your competitors across multiple platforms to gain a representative view of your visibility.
Strengthen your brand footprint across the web
👉 Expand your presence beyond your own website through press relations, partnerships, customer reviews and expert publications. External sources help build the credibility signals associated with your brand.
Prioritise content that delivers real added value
👉 Research, proprietary data, client case studies, user feedback and expert analyses: focus on original and verifiable information rather than churning out generic content produced on a large scale.
Key takeaway: improving your visibility on AI-powered search engines requires a holistic approach that combines SEO, expert content, brand authority and data analysis. An effective GEO strategy doesn’t just aim to secure mentions, but to sustainably strengthen your brand’s presence in the results that influence the decisions of your future customers.
Anyone can promise to help you ‘master ChatGPT in a month’. A reputable agency provides verifiable examples, with clear before-and-after results.
A strategy designed for Google AI Mode won’t necessarily work on Perplexity, which uses a different ranking algorithm. A good agency tailors its approach to each search engine individually, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach across the board.
GEO does not replace SEO; it builds on it. An agency that treats the two areas as completely separate silos misses out on a significant portion of the potential.
At Ad’s up Consulting, achieving top rankings on AI search engines is never down to a single channel. The agency has developed a dedicated GEO service, designed to cover the entire ecosystem, from Google AI Mode to Perplexity and ChatGPT.
This approach is based on active monitoring, as detailed in the analysis of the launch of AI Overviews and AI Mode in France, which has fundamentally reshaped many of the rules governing organic visibility. The GEO strategy: Rethinking your media mix in the age of AI Overviews explores in greater depth the practical impact of these developments on media investment.
Not quite. AI Overviews are generated summaries that appear alongside standard search results. AI Mode goes a step further, offering a fully conversational search experience.
Yes, especially if your target audience is technical or consists of early adopters. It’s often a good early indicator of what’s to come on other search engines more broadly.
There’s no universal timeframe. The first results may appear after a few weeks, but building a lasting presence in AI search engine results generally requires a lot of groundwork. It all depends on your brand recognition, your online authority, the quality of your content and your initial level of visibility. Regular monitoring allows you to identify early trends and adjust your strategy over time.
No, each search engine sources information differently. A good agency adapts its priorities according to the target platform, without putting all its eggs in one basket.
No, quite the opposite. Most of these engines still rely heavily on content indexed in the traditional way. SEO and GEO go hand in hand.
