How to Win in the Age of AI Search

Trying to figure out how to stand out in LLMs?

We’ve worked with a handful of companies navigating this shift. Some are adapting. Some are still guessing. Here’s what we’ve learned—and what we’re still testing.

TLDR:

1. Bing matters again

2. Prompts > keywords

3. Most citations come from off-site

4. Write quote-ready copy

5. Small brands can win by studying what gets cited

6. Fresh, detailed UGC gets picked up

7. Expect less traffic, but higher intent

8. GEO is evolving fast—we’re still early

Search is shifting. We’re moving from keywords to prompts. From traffic to citations. From clicks to answers.

Generative tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude are changing how people discover and decide. And Bing—yes, Bing—is suddenly relevant again.

Here’s what that means:

• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the new SEO

• Your content gets summarized, not just indexed

• Off-site content and UGC carry more weight than ever

This post goes deep for a reason. The surface-level takeaways are obvious. The advantage is in the nuance.

Why You Should Care About Bing

Search behavior has changed.

People used to Google 4-word phrases. Now they ask 23-word questions and expect a straight answer. The point of discovery is no longer your homepage—it’s a few quoted lines inside AI-generated summaries.

And most of those lines? They don’t come from your site.

They come from Reddit, niche blogs, reviews, and yes—Bing-indexed pages.

Bing matters now because tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity lean on it heavily. If your brand isn’t visible there, you’re invisible to the engines shaping buying decisions.

What Is GEO? Ask the Models

We asked the major LLMs to define GEO:

• Perplexity: The strategic process of optimizing content for AI citation

• ChatGPT: A new branch of SEO designed to increase AI-sourced visibility

• Grok: Optimizing content for AI-driven search results

Each model operates differently:

• ChatGPT pulls from Bing and past training data. Mentions in trusted sources help.

• Gemini still leans on Google Search. Classic SEO applies.

• Claude is static. If you weren’t visible in 2023, forget it.

• Perplexity is real-time via Bing. Fresh, structured content wins.

How GEO Has Changed the Game

1. Prompts > Keywords

   People ask full questions. GEO rewards answers, not keyword stuffing.

   Write clear, helpful, structured responses.

2. Mentions > Clicks

   You can be cited without getting a visit.

   Start tracking brand mentions inside AI answers.

3. LLMs Reuse Your Copy

   Your own words become the quote. Make them count.

   Be clear. Be specific. Be quotable.

4. No Visibility Dashboard (Yet)

   You may be cited and not know it.

   Start tracking manually or experiment with emerging tools.

What Still Matters

• Structured data

• Authority and trust

• Useful, original content

• Strong user experience

• Real reviews

What’s Fading Fast

• Ghost content

• Prompt-stuffed junk

• Cloaked content

• LLM gaming attempts

If you’re still creating for bots, you’re already behind. Create content real users and real models both benefit from.

20 Hours with GEO Companies: What’s Working

• The average prompt is 23 words

• Strong content is 100–150 words, structured, Q&A-style

• Each funnel stage requires different prompt targeting

• ChatGPT o3 is the best model for discovering what your audience is asking

Most Citations Come from Off-Site Sources

Your site is not the center of the universe.

Only ~25% of LLM citations come from your own domain. The rest comes from:

• Reddit threads

• Third-party review sites

• Influencer blogs and micro-communities

New GEO KPIs to Start Tracking

• Visibility score

• Prompt-win rate

• Citation share by model

• Product tile frequency

• Sentiment delta

This is a metrics game. And you’ll likely need external tools.

Traffic Drops. Intent Rises.

GEO means less traffic—but better buyers.

• Click-through rates drop ~34.5% when AI summaries show up

• The visitors who do click are more informed and more likely to buy

Small Brands: Don’t Panic

Big brands dominate answers—but they’re not unbeatable.

Study what LLMs quote. Replicate the structure and format.

Publish where LLMs pull from—not just your blog.

UGC Is Citation Gold

LLMs love recent, detailed user reviews.

• Refresh your reviews regularly

• Highlight specifics

• Use structured data markup

• Encourage off-site reviews

• Turn UGC into Q&A content blocks

Example:

“These sweatpants are perfect for chilly mornings. Super soft and warm without feeling heavy.”

What We Still Don’t Know

1. Product ranking factors

   Is it freshness? Review count? Site speed? No one’s sure.

2. Authority in GEO

   No Domain Authority. No PageRank. Some say citation frequency. Others say brand familiarity. Still unclear.

3. Model inconsistencies

   Identical prompts get different answers across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude. Likely tied to how each engine ranks sources.

4. Personalization blind spots

   ChatGPT has preferences. Perplexity uses history. Gemini pulls from your Google profile. But we can’t see or measure it yet.

Bottom line: it’s still a black box. But the edges are getting clearer.

We’ll keep testing, mapping, and sharing what we learn.

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