Guide · SEO · 5 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 among them, 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.

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What AI assistants look forTo be cited by an AI, its robots must be able to read the site, the page must answer clearly from the start, and it must inspire trust through proof and the company’s reputation.WHAT AI ASSISTANTS LOOK FORAccessRobotsallowed to readAnswerClearfrom the startTrustProofand reputationThe same basics as for Google, with higher standardsKEY TAKEAWAYA citation cannot be bought:it is earned, page after page.What AI assistants look forTo be cited by an AI, its robots must be able to read the site, the page must answer clearly from the start, and it must inspire trust through proof and the company’s reputation.WHAT AI ASSISTANTSLOOK FORAccessRobotsallowed to readAnswerClearfrom the startTrustProofand reputationThe same basics as for Google,with higher standardsKEY TAKEAWAYA citation cannot be bought:it is earned, page afterpage.

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.

Google says so for its own AI-generated answers, AI Overviews and AI Mode: 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

The criteria that matter to be cited by an AI
CriterionWhat you needWhy
AccessLet AI robots read the siteA blocked site cannot be cited
The answerAnswer the question at the start of the pageAIs reuse clear, complete passages
StructureHeadings, lists, tables, frequently asked questionsEach passage makes sense on its own
ProofSources, dated figures, an identified authorAIs favour what can be verified
ReputationMentions on other sites, reviews, directoriesA company cited elsewhere inspires trust
ConsistencyThe same name, business and contact details everywhereAIs 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.

Check that this 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. A short “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: AIs, like readers, trust a real person more.
  • Up-to-date pages. Outdated information has little chance of being picked up.
The path of an AI answerA person asks a question, the assistant searches the web, reads pages, then writes an answer citing its sources.1Questionasked2Searchon the web3Readingthe pages4Answerwith sourcesThe path of an AI answerA person asks a question, the assistant searches the web, reads pages, then writes an answer citing its sources.1Question asked2Search on the web3Reading the pages4Answer with sources
Your page must be found, read, then judged clear and reliable enough to be cited.

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 the UK and Europe since August 2026, are kept separate from answers and clearly labelled. Beware of offers promising a guaranteed spot.

Measuring your presence

  1. 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.
  2. Look at the cited sources. Which websites come up? Competitors, directories, press articles?
  3. Check Bing Webmaster Tools. This free Microsoft tool has an “AI Performance” report showing whether your pages are cited in Copilot and Bing answers.
  4. Follow your visits. In your analytics, visits from chatgpt.com or perplexity.ai show that your pages are cited, and clicked. Microsoft Clarity, a free analytics tool, groups them separately for you.
  5. 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 so it is found by Google, then understood and cited by AI assistants. It is what I apply first to my own website. And you talk directly to the person who writes the code.

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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. The two can be told apart.

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.

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 reply within one business day, with a free, clear, itemised quote.

Sources

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