A company can control three things in its visibility in search and in AI-generated answers: whether its pages can be read by crawlers (including those of AI engines, which don't run JavaScript), whether each page clearly answers a real question, and whether the information about the company is consistent and verifiable. It can't control what each user asks, the competition or the answer generated at a given moment. The guide below stays within what can be controlled.
SEO, GEO and AI SEO: the same foundation
SEO is about being discovered in classic search engines. GEO (generative engine optimization) is the term used for visibility in AI-generated answers — Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot. “AI SEO” is often used with the same meaning. They all share a common foundation: accessible pages, content that answers, evidence that supports the offer. Google states explicitly that the SEO fundamentals still apply to its AI features, that no special files or particular structured data are required, and that eligibility doesn't guarantee being shown.
Step 0: check what crawlers see, not what you see
The most common problem we find on modern websites is invisible from the browser. Many sites are JavaScript applications: the server sends an empty page, and the content appears only after the browser runs the code. Google describes crawling, rendering and indexing as separate stages and does render JavaScript, with a delay. AI engine crawlers, by contrast, generally read only the HTML received from the server. For them, an “empty” page means the company doesn't exist.
How to check in two minutes: open the page with a tool that doesn't run JavaScript (for example “view-source” in the browser or a curl request) and look for the text of your services. If you only see a <div id="root"></div> and scripts, you've found the problem. The solution is called prerendering or server-side rendering: the full HTML is generated at publish time, and the application takes over after loading. We applied exactly this solution on superiorsolutions.ro; before, every page showed crawlers the same title and no content.
Step 1: correct technical access
- robots.txt must allow search crawlers and those of AI search engines. OpenAI separates OAI-SearchBot (search, with citations), ChatGPT-User (visits at the user's request) and GPTBot (training); the rules are independent, and allowing training is not a condition for appearing in ChatGPT search.
- Blocks at the hosting or CDN level are checked separately: a firewall can return a challenge page to unauthenticated crawlers even when robots.txt allows access.
- An up-to-date sitemap.xml with every public page, and a canonical on every page.
- Correct status codes: a page that doesn't exist returns 404, not 200 with the home page's content.
- llms.txt can serve as an auxiliary index for systems that choose to use it; it isn't a way to improve rankings in Google and we don't treat it as one.
Step 2: pages that answer
AI systems extract passages that directly answer a question. A service page stands a chance when it contains, visibly and early:
- A short, complete answer — who you are, what you do, for whom, what's included — in the first lines, not after three screens of slogans.
- Real questions and concrete answers: “how long does it take”, “what do we need to prepare”, “what happens when something fails”, “who owns the code”.
- Headings (H2) phrased as users' questions, with the answer right below them.
- Facts with sources: figures from official sources, with links, not generic percentages. A verifiable statement is more likely to be cited than a vague one.
- Structured data (Service, FAQPage, Article, Organization) that describes what exists on the page — not invented reviews, awards or results.
For each market, write in your customers' language and with examples from their work. Don't duplicate the same page for every city if the offer doesn't differ. A concrete description of an integration is more useful than repeating the phrase “the best AI company in Romania”.
Step 3: a consistent entity
AI engines describe companies as entities: name, what it does, where, since when, which products it has. The information must be identical on the website, the Google profile, LinkedIn, public registers and the structured data. The “About” page should clearly state the legal name, tax identifier, market served, real products and how to get in touch. Real projects and products, documented with the problem, what was built and what can be verified, weigh more than any promise.
How we evaluate progress
In Google Search Console we track queries, pages, impressions and clicks, separating traffic for the company name from searches for services. For AI sources we track identifiable referrals in the traffic and a consistent set of test questions, run periodically on the same platforms, with the date and context noted. An observed citation is an observation, not a permanent position. The final evaluation includes the quality of the enquiries received, not just traffic.
What nobody can promise
Guaranteed rankings, guaranteed citations or “number 1 in ChatGPT”. Anyone who promises this is selling something they don't control. What can be promised: verified technical access, pages that answer, consistent information and honest measurement.
See what a project includes in SEO & AI search visibility or how we present real projects.