The Breakdown
Trend · Getting found inside AI answers
SEO has a new sibling: getting found inside AI answers
SEO: search engine optimisation · AI: artificial intelligence
When people ask ChatGPT or Google's AI (artificial intelligence) Mode what to buy, which brands get mentioned? A new study says reviews and evidence help, and new tools are popping up to track it.
The TL;DR (too long; didn't read)
- ‘GEO’ = generative engine optimisation: showing up in AI-written answers.
- Third-party proof (reviews, data) appears to matter (Marketing Week).
- B2B (business-to-business) marketers are being told: less content, better content.
01
Why it's different from SEO (search engine optimisation)
Classic search gives a list of links. AI answers give a summary, often naming only a few brands. If you're not in the answer, you may be invisible.
02
What seems to help
Being cited by trustworthy third parties: reviews, publications and data-backed pages. Marketing Week's report suggests layering reviews and evidence helps brands rank higher in GEO.
Tools like Diploria AI now let brands check how they appear across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode.
03
Stay sceptical
This field is new and evidence is early. Treat ‘GEO hacks’ with caution, and focus on being genuinely credible and well-reviewed.
Read the original reporting
- Layer reviews and evidence to show up higher in GEO, study suggests ↗
Marketing Week · 29 Sept 2026
- ‘Quantity down. Quality up’: B2B marketers urged to rethink search ↗
Marketing Week · 29 Sept 2026
- Diploria AI launches to show brands how they appear in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode ↗
Campaign Brief · 29 Sept 2026
The theory bit
The academic ideas that explain what's going on, with the full reference for your assignments.
Source credibility
Messages from sources seen as expert and trustworthy are more persuasive.
Here: AI systems, like people, lean on credible, trustworthy sources, so earn those citations.
Hovland, C. I. & Weiss, W. (1951). The influence of source credibility on communication effectiveness. Public Opinion Quarterly, 15(4).
Mental & physical availability
Brands grow mainly by being easy to think of (mental availability) and easy to buy (physical availability) for as many category buyers as possible, not by deepening loyalty among a few.
Here: Being named in AI answers is a new form of mental availability at the moment of choice.
Sharp, B. (2010). How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don't Know. Oxford University Press.
Over to you
No right answers here. These are to get you thinking. Jot your ideas down or chat them through.
- 1
Ask an AI tool ‘best running shoes for beginners’. Which brands appear, and what sources are cited?
Need a nudge?
Try it, then look at the sources.
- 2
Why might reviews matter more than a brand's own website?
Need a nudge?
Credibility and independence.
- 3
What's the risk of brands trying to ‘game’ AI answers?
Need a nudge?
Fake reviews, trust, regulation.
Optional · about 10 minutes
Your mini task
In 60–120 words: a local business wants to appear when people ask AI assistants for recommendations. Give three specific actions, and explain why each would make the business more likely to be mentioned.