AI Search Optimization: Ranking in AI-Powered Search

AI search optimization (AEO) is the practice of getting your content cited by AI assistants and AI-powered search results. When ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews answer a question, they draw from a short list of sources — and being on that list is the new front page.

How AI search chooses sources

• It retrieves candidate pages by relevance and quality.
• It prefers clear, authoritative, well-structured answers.
• It reads the whole page — structure and clarity matter.
• Consistency across your site builds trust signals.

Technical foundations

• Fast, crawlable pages with a clean sitemap.
• Clear title tags and meta descriptions.
• Structured data (Article, FAQ, HowTo) where it fits.
• Mobile-friendly, low-CWV pages.

Content that gets cited

1. Answer the question directly in the first paragraph.
2. Use clear headings that mirror how people ask.
3. Give numbers, steps, and specifics — not fluff.
4. Add FAQ sections with concise answers.
5. Link to authoritative supporting sources.

Monitor where you're cited

Search in AI assistants for your keywords and note which sources appear. Track citation share over time. If you're consistently cited, double down on those formats; if not, test structure changes.

FAQ