AI Search Optimization: The Complete Guide
Buyers no longer just type keywords into Google — they ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google's AI Overviews which businesses to trust. Being found now means being cited inside the answer. This guide brings together the questions business owners actually ask us about AI search, GEO, and AEO, with a straight answer to each.
Advanced Integrated Marketing is an Arlington, TX digital marketing agency with a dedicated AI Search Practice. Start anywhere below, or reach out for an assessment of exactly where your business stands in AI search today.
01AI Search Fundamentals
Start here if AI search is new to you — what it is, what the acronyms mean, and whether traditional SEO still matters.
- What is AI search optimization, and how is it different from traditional SEO?
- What do GEO and AEO mean, and does my small business actually need them?
- Does SEO still matter now that people are asking AI instead of Googling?
- How search engines work: crawling, indexing & ranking
- How do AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity decide which businesses to recommend?
02Getting Discovered & Cited by AI
The heart of it: how to become the business an AI engine names, cites, and recommends.
- How can I get my business cited as a source in AI-generated answers?
- How do I get my business to show up in Google AI Overviews?
- Why doesn't ChatGPT recommend my business when people ask for companies like mine?
- How do I get my local business to show up when someone asks AI for the "best [service] near me"?
- What kind of content gets picked up by AI search engines?
03Technical AI Readiness
The under-the-hood work that decides whether AI systems can even read and use your site.
- What schema markup does a small business need for AI search?
- What is an llms.txt file and does my website need one?
- How do I optimize my website so AI agents can read and act on it?
- How do I find out if AI search engines can even see my website?
04Diagnose & Compete
Figure out where you stand against competitors — and why your traffic or visibility may be slipping.
- How do I check whether my competitors are showing up in AI answers and I'm not?
- How important are Google reviews and citations for showing up in AI recommendations?
- Why is my website getting less traffic from Google even though my rankings haven't dropped?
05Franchise & Multi-Location
Special cases for franchise owners and multi-location brands, where corporate control and location overlap create unique problems.
- How do franchise owners rank their individual location when corporate controls the main website?
- Why do all our franchise locations compete with each other in search, and how do we fix it?
06Pricing & Getting Started
What it costs, and how long before it works.
Where does your business stand in AI search?
Find out exactly what AI engines can see, what’s missing, and how to get cited — before your competitors do.
Claim Your AI Advantage