Guide · SEO · 6 min read
Appearing in AI answers: what really matters
In short: assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity can also search the web to answer, and then cite their sources. To be one of those sources, you need the same SEO basics: a site their robots can read, pages that clearly answer a question, verifiable information, and a reputation built beyond your own website. No trick guarantees a citation.
How an AI chooses its sources
When you ask an assistant a question, it can run a web search, read a few pages, then write an answer citing some of them. To do so, it relies on robots that crawl websites, and on search indexes, the huge catalogues of pages kept by search engines.
For its own AI-generated answers, AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google states that no special optimisation is needed: the usual best practices apply. Other assistants work on the same principle: they favour pages that are accessible, clear and reliable. The basics are detailed in my guide on SEO basics.
What matters, and why
| Criterion | What you need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Let AI robots read the site | A blocked site cannot be cited |
| The answer | Answer the question at the start of the page | AIs reuse clear, complete passages |
| Structure | Headings, lists, tables, frequently asked questions | Each passage makes sense on its own |
| Proof | Sources, dated figures, an identified author | AIs favour what can be verified |
| Reputation | Mentions on other sites, reviews, directories | A company cited elsewhere inspires trust |
| Consistency | The same name, business and contact details everywhere | AIs cross-check information |
Letting the right robots in
Each AI has its own robots, with different roles. At OpenAI, for example, the OAI-SearchBot robot is used to show websites in ChatGPT’s searches, while GPTBot collects pages to train models. You can allow one and refuse the other in the robots.txt file, the file that tells robots what they may read. At Google, Search Console has also offered, since summer 2026, a “Search generative AI” setting (under Settings): if it excludes your site, your pages no longer appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
Check that the robots.txt file, or a firewall at your host, does not mistakenly block the robots that make you visible. It is an often overlooked reason for not appearing in AI answers. For an online store, see also my guide to selling through ChatGPT and Google.
Writing to be cited
- The answer first. An “In short” paragraph at the start of the page that truly answers the question.
- One passage, one idea. Short paragraphs, under clear headings, that can be quoted without the rest of the page.
- Verifiable facts. Dated figures, official sources, real examples.
- An identified author. Who is writing, with what experience: readers trust a real person more, and an identified source is easier to verify.
- Up-to-date pages. Outdated information has little chance of being picked up.
Four misconceptions
“An llms.txt file is all you need”
It is a 2024 proposal to present your site to AIs, and Google says no such file is needed for its own AI answers. It does no harm, but it replaces neither content nor reputation.
“You must write for robots”
On the contrary: AIs pick up texts that are clear and useful for readers.
“AI will kill SEO”
AIs rely on the pages they find: a well-ranked website has more chance of being cited.
“You can buy your place”
Citations in answers cannot be bought: ads, which ChatGPT has shown in France since late August 2026, are kept separate from answers and clearly labelled. Beware of offers promising a guaranteed spot.
Measuring your presence
- Ask your customers’ questions. In ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity, ask the questions a customer could ask, with your trade and your city. Note who gets cited.
- Look at the cited sources. Which websites come up? Competitors, directories, press articles?
- Check the search engines’ tools. In Bing Webmaster Tools, the “AI Performance” report shows whether your pages are cited in Copilot and Bing answers. At Google, Search Console has also offered, since summer 2026, a generative AI performance report: it counts how often your pages appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode, but not clicks.
- Follow your visits. In your analytics, visits from chatgpt.com or perplexity.ai show that your pages are cited, and clicked. Microsoft Clarity, an analytics tool, groups them separately for you.
- Repeat every month. Answers change often: regular monitoring shows the trend.
Want to be cited by AI assistants?
I work on the structure, speed and content of your website to give it the best chance of being found by Google, then understood and cited by AI assistants. I do it on my own website first. And you talk directly to the person who writes the code.
Let’s talk about your website See my SEO services
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Frequently asked questions
Should I block AI robots?
It is a choice. Blocking training robots signals that your texts must not be used to train their models, but blocking search robots makes you invisible in their answers. You can block one and allow the other.
How long before being cited?
Nothing guarantees it, and it depends on the competition on your topics. As with Google, groundwork takes months to pay off.
Do I need to rank well on Google first?
It helps a lot: several assistants rely on search engine results to choose their sources.
Does structured data help?
This information slipped into the page code helps search engines understand who you are and what a page contains. It is not enough on its own, but it is part of good foundations. Google does point out, though, that no special markup is needed to appear in its AI answers.
Can a small website be cited?
Yes, if it answers a precise question better than others. AIs cite pages, not only big brands. And if you are considering adding AI to your own website, see my guide on the subject.
How much does support cost?
It depends on the state of your website and your goals. I never quote without looking first. Describe your project: I will send you a clear, itemised quote. Reply within one business day.
Sources
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