How to rank on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude in 2026.

More buyers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot the questions they used to type into Google. Instead of ten blue links, they get one answer — with a handful of cited sources. If your brand is one of those sources, you win the click and the credibility. If it is not, you may not be seen at all.

This work goes by several names: AEO (answer engine optimisation), GEO (generative engine optimisation), or simply AI search optimisation. The good news is that it builds on solid SEO rather than replacing it. Here is how it works and what to do.

How AI assistants choose sources

Most AI assistants answer questions in two ways. For general knowledge, they rely on what they learned during training. For anything current, specific or commercial — "best CRM for a small agency", "Google Ads agency for MSPs" — they run a live web search, read the top results, and write an answer based on the passages that fit best.

That second path is where you can have real influence. When an assistant searches, it typically:

1. Retrieves pages from a search index — its own, or a partner's such as Bing or Google.
2. Selects the passages that answer the question most clearly and credibly.
3. Writes an answer and cites some of those sources.

So the job has three parts: be reachable and indexed, be the clearest answer, and be a source the assistant trusts. The steps below cover each part.

Step 1: Let AI crawlers reach your site

Each AI company uses its own crawlers, and many sites block them without realising it — through a robots.txt rule, a security plugin or a firewall setting. Check that you are not blocking the crawlers used for AI search, such as:

Some companies run separate crawlers for training their models (for example GPTBot and ClaudeBot). You can decide separately whether to allow those. Blocking training crawlers does not usually stop your pages from appearing in live AI search, but blocking the search crawlers will.

Also make sure your important content is in the page's HTML, not loaded only by JavaScript after the page opens. Some AI crawlers do not run JavaScript, so text they cannot see does not exist to them.

Step 2: Get properly indexed in Bing and Google

Several AI assistants rely on traditional search indexes to find pages. Microsoft Copilot is built on Bing, and Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode draw on Google's index. Many businesses focus only on Google and ignore Bing — which leaves a gap in AI visibility.

• Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console, and submit your XML sitemap to both.
• Use IndexNow (supported by Bing and several other engines) so new and updated pages are picked up quickly.
• Fix indexing issues: pages marked noindex by mistake, duplicate pages, broken canonical tags and thin pages.

For one of our clients, a US non-profit, this Bing work was a big part of earning 47K+ AI citations in Bing in six months.

Step 3: Write answer-first content

AI assistants look for passages that answer a question directly. Structure your pages so those passages are easy to find and lift:

• Use real questions as headings — the way customers actually ask them. "How much does it cost to run Google Ads for a small business?" beats "Our approach".
• Answer in the first two or three sentences under each heading (roughly 40–60 words), then add detail, examples and nuance.
• Use lists, steps and tables for processes, comparisons and specifications. They are easy for AI to quote accurately.
• Write one clear idea per paragraph, and name things explicitly rather than relying on "it" or "this" across paragraphs.
• Cover the follow-up questions a buyer would ask next, on the same page or on linked pages.

Step 4: Publish facts worth citing

AI answers need facts. Generic statements like "we deliver great results" give an assistant nothing to cite. Specific, verifiable information does:

• original data, benchmarks and survey results from your own work;
• clear definitions, processes and how-to steps;
• concrete numbers — timelines, typical ranges, specifications — with context;
• honest comparisons, including when your option is not the right fit.

Pages that add something new are more likely to be cited than pages that repeat what the top ten results already say.

Step 5: Build clear brand and entity signals

AI tools need to be confident about who you are and what you do. They build that picture from many sources, so make the signals consistent everywhere:

• Use the same business name, description and contact details across your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, LinkedIn and industry directories.
• Have a clear About page that states what you do, who you serve, where you are and how long you have been doing it.
• Describe your services in plain language, using the same terms your customers use.
• Keep your Google Business Profile complete and active, with regular reviews. For local businesses this feeds AI answers as well as the map results.

Step 6: Earn mentions on sites AI trusts

AI assistants often cite third-party pages rather than your own: "best of" lists, comparison articles, review platforms, industry publications and community discussions. Being mentioned in those places makes a real difference.

• Get featured in reputable industry publications and relevant "best of" or comparison lists.
• Encourage reviews on the platforms your buyers use (Google, G2, Clutch, Trustpilot or industry-specific sites).
• Take part genuinely in communities where your buyers ask questions, such as Reddit, Quora and industry forums — helpful answers, not promotion.
• Offer expert quotes and original data to journalists and bloggers in your field.

Step 7: Use structured data and keep content fresh

Structured data (schema markup) helps search engines understand your pages. Use the types that genuinely fit your content — such as Organization, LocalBusiness, Article, Product or Service — and keep the markup accurate. It will not guarantee a citation, but it removes ambiguity.

Freshness matters too, especially for Perplexity and for any question involving "2026", prices, tools or rankings. Review key pages regularly, update facts and examples, and show a visible "last updated" date when you make meaningful changes.

Step 8: Track your AI visibility

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Combine these sources:

• Google Analytics 4: check referral traffic from sources such as chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai, claude.ai, gemini.google.com and copilot.microsoft.com.
• Google Search Console: performance data includes impressions and clicks from Google's AI features along with standard results.
• Bing Webmaster Tools: check its reporting on how often your pages appear and are cited in Microsoft's AI answers.
• Prompt testing: keep a list of 20–50 questions your buyers ask, run them in each assistant every month, and record whether you are mentioned or cited.
• Enquiry forms: add "AI assistant (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.)" as an option to "How did you hear about us?".

Platform-by-platform notes

ChatGPT

ChatGPT searches the web for current or specific questions and shows its sources. Make sure OpenAI's search crawler can reach you, cover your topic in depth, and build mentions on the third-party sites that come up for your key questions.

Perplexity

Perplexity is built around search and shows its sources prominently. It tends to favour fresh, well-structured pages with clear facts. Regular updates and answer-first formatting help most here.

Claude

Claude can search the web when a question needs current information and cites the pages it uses. Clear, accurate, well-organised content from a credible source is what gets used. Check that Anthropic's search crawler is not blocked.

Google AI Overviews and AI Mode

These draw on Google's index, so strong traditional SEO is the foundation. Pages that already rank well and answer the question clearly are the usual sources.

Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is built on Bing. Bing indexing, Bing Places and IndexNow are the quickest wins.

Common mistakes

• Blocking AI search crawlers by accident, then wondering why you never appear.
• Ignoring Bing because it has a small share of traditional search.
• Writing for keywords instead of questions, so no passage directly answers what people ask.
• Publishing thin AI-generated content at scale. It rarely adds anything worth citing and can weaken trust in the whole site.
• Measuring only rankings. AI visibility needs its own tracking.
• Expecting overnight results. Most sites need three to six months of consistent work to see meaningful change.

What this looks like in practice

Two recent examples from our AEO and GEO work (client names withheld):

In both cases the work combined the steps in this guide: fixing crawl and indexing issues, restructuring key pages to answer questions directly, strengthening entity and profile signals, and tracking progress every month.

If you want to know how visible your brand is in AI answers today, we can run a quick review and show you where the gaps are. Learn more about our AEO and GEO service.