Top 10 Visibility Factors for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

A wave of experimentation and immersion in AI search engines is upon us now in 2025, and although growth is flattening, generative AI is increasingly important to what is shown on Google, Bing and elsewhere in the search engine marketplace.

Experts aren’t sure how big AI engines will be vs Google and everyone’s plotting a plan to garner whatever value they can from ChatGPT, CoPilot, Perplexity, Google Gemini and others.  They are marvelous helpful tools delivering a host of benefits for both consumers and business people. And they’ll improve, evolve and be increasingly relevant to your customers in guiding their travel experience choices, home buying and selling, B2B buying, learning and finding jobs, and solving the immediate issues that prevent them from following through with their personal dreams. They are the AI assistant everyone was waiting for.

AI search engines bring new challenges for businesses and some interesting new opportunities to reach customers.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) optimizes web content so it is easily understood, validated, trusted and cited by AI-powered search engines and chatbots such as ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot and Google Gemini.

GEO is Not the Same as SEO: Text vs Links

Generative search engine optimization is a new aspect of SEO with a slightly different twist.  Given it’s complexity, it is a form of advanced SEO, and actually may help improve your Google and Bing rankings and referral numbers.   I’ll spare you the very technical jargon and offer a down-to-earth explanation for business people here. You might also enjoy the new GEO optimization guide for additional insights.

AI generative engines process information differently, seeking unique clues about content and whether it’s worthy of being mentioned to AI search engine users. We can delve into the mind of a generative AI robot to discover those most important visibility signals you must have within your content to grow your content’s presence in ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, and Google Gemini. They will be producing more visibility in the years ahead, and perhaps more leads for you.

If you’re unaware of the AI search engine trend, read up on the GEO optimization post where I explain what GEO is in a practical way for business owners and how your website content (and social content) visibility can be enhanced. GEO is all about visibility right now, yet in future, the AI search engines will likely incorporate more links to external websites, to help create a more satisfying user experience for their users.

It’s definitely a priority for manufacturers (product inquiries), travel agencies (questions about destinations and trips), and ambitious Realtor entrepreneurs (connecting with eager home shoppers) who know visibility and traffic are essential. Add on powerful marketing and click-generating strategies and it can open up even more quality real estate leads.

How are AI search engines different than Google?  Generative engines build answers by analyzing text itself—not just keywords or links—looking for signals like trust, clarity, relevance, and freshness. Content with strong signals is more likely to be used in their response, while weak or unclear text gets left out.

AI is Changing Search and SEO

Google is pushing users over to its new Gemini AI search platform. Changes are afoot! You’ll still have traditional, free organic search visitors if you upgrade your content for search engines. AI is here, creating another wrinkle in the traffic challenge.  These are eager, interested shoppers and clients, the best streams of customers with immediate intent.

As a real estate business person, small manufacturer or travel business, you’re more interested in the big picture view of AI search engines can generate real customers and sales revenue, so I’ve put together some keys to optimal visibility on ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

10 Factors to Drive Your AI Search Engine Visibility

1. Authoritative Digital Presence

• • LLMs are trained on vast web corporate data and reinforced by retrieval tools — they gravitate toward well-established, trusted, and consistently cited sources.
  • If your business has high-quality mentions across reputable sites (news, associations, directories, industry blogs), you’re more likely to surface in AI answers.

2. Entity Recognition & Structured Data

• • Generative engines need to recognize you as an “entity” (brand, business, person) related to real world business (places, people, events, networks). This is seen in your content, specific websites such as industry publications, other websites
  • Structured data (schema markup, Wikidata entries, Google Business profiles, LinkedIn company pages) increases recognition and makes it easier for the AI to confidently use you in answers.

3. High Topical Authority

• • If your company consistently produces quality, well structured content built up around a specific niche, the AI search engine may see your site and you as a Realtor as an “authority” on that topic. You can be an entity in the AI search dabase and it’s important for us to do all it takes to make it so.
  • Topical clusters, in depth studies, business case studies, white papers, and consistent coverage increase the chances that your brand will be respected and used in AI conversations with search users.

4. Consistency Across Platforms

• • Generative AI often cross-validates — if your brand info is scattered, contradictory, or outdated, it reduces confidence.
  • Strong consistency of your identity and information across your website, publications, LinkedIn, press releases, and third-party references makes you more “answer-safe.”

5. Brand Mentions & Citations

• • AI LLMs (e.g. ChatGPT) are highly sensitive to repetition and association.
  • Unlinked brand mentions (on industry-related associations, forums, blogs, social posts, podcasts, review sites) help reinforce brand presence, even more so when paired with contextual keywords.

6. Clarity & Simplicity of Messaging

• • Generative AI prefers to pull from clear, straightforward, and well-structured content over jargon-heavy or ambiguous text.
  • FAQs, how-to guides, and concise summaries with relevant copywriting get paraphrased more often than fluffy and dense corporate speak.

7. Freshness & Recency Signals

• • While LLMs are trained on historical data, retrieval-augmented models (like ChatGPT with browsing or plugins) weigh current signals heavily.
  • Blogs, news coverage, and recent updates (e.g., product launches, events) make you more likely to appear in “What’s happening now?” style answers.

8. Reputation & Trustworthiness

• • Signals like reviews, ratings, testimonials, and coverage in credible industry publications/sites matter.
  • A positive online reputation (and lack of controversy) makes a brand a “safe recommendation,” which AI search engines prefer.

9. Engagement & User Signals

• • AIs detect and prefer information that users engage with and cite.
  • Content that’s widely quoted, linked, or discussed in forums/reddit/social adds to “visibility weight.”

10. Multimodal Presence (Text + Media)

• • Generative engines are slowly utilizing more signals from images, videos, and structured content.
  • Having explainer videos, infographics, and strong visuals associated with your brand increases recognition in multimodal responses.

The AI Search Engines Are Here

By understanding what they need and signals they look for in your available online content, they might refer to your content, and consider you a trusted, significant entity for your target audience.

Generative engines are a different experience for users, less on direct clicks, and more on presenting you as a significant and trusted vendor or brand.

Discover more on the power of Advanced SEO strategy and a GEO framework, and how it can elevate your travel, real estate or other business sales results.

If you’re serious about improving, growing and being a market leader, it might be time for us to chat. Reach me at 416 998 6246.

Title image courtesy of Stockcake.