Search is no longer a list of links. Modern AI systems synthesize answers, cite sources, and present recommendations directly in the chat or overview pane. If you care about discovery, you now need to win two surfaces:

1. Traditional search results
2. AI answers generated by models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and others

This guide explains the AI SEO landscape and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), then shows how Cairrot helps you track, analyze, and improve your presence across AI answers.

What is GEO?

GEO – Generative Engine Optimization – is the practice of making your brand, products, and claims easy for AI systems to discover, trust, and cite. GEO complements classic SEO. Instead of fighting only for rank one, you also work to be included and cited in AI answers.

How GEO differs from classic SEO

Bottom line: GEO asks a new question – will an AI mention and cite us for this topic?

Why AI visibility matters now

• Users ask fewer clicks – AI answers reduce the need to click through multiple pages.
• Answers shape perception – If your brand is missing in the synthesized response, you lose mindshare even when your site ranks.
• Citations drive trust – Being cited improves brand credibility and downstream clicks where they still happen.
• Competitors can leapfrog – A smaller competitor with clear sources can win inclusion even against established brands.

What AI engines look at

Generative systems assemble answers from a mix of:

• Visible content – docs, product pages, pricing, FAQs
• Structured signals – schema.org, sitemaps, canonical tags
• Authority and clarity – consistent claims, transparent references, up to date pages
• External confirmation – reputable third party mentions that corroborate your claims
• Crawl accessibility – AI crawler access and performance

Cairrot helps you measure these signals at the output layer – what AI actually says – and connect outcomes back to the inputs you control.

The Cairrot approach

Cairrot is built for teams that want a reliable, repeatable way to understand and improve AI visibility.

Track what AI says about you

• Mentions analytics – detect when an AI answer includes your brand vs competitors.
• Citations analytics – see which of your pages are cited, how often, and by which providers.
• Topic and query coverage – measure inclusion across the questions that matter to your business.
• Provider mix – compare results across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and more.

Observe how AI finds you

• Crawler logs – confirm that AI crawlers hit your site and which paths they read.
• Connector support – WordPress and other sensors make it simple to verify setup and data flow.

Improve with intentional experiments

• Prompt Runs (repeatable evaluations) – run controlled prompts and topic sets on a schedule to monitor movement.
• Competitor head‑to‑head – compare answer share and citation quality side by side.
• Change tracking – tie inclusion shifts to content changes and releases.

Metrics that matter

• Inclusion rate – percent of answers that include your brand for a topic or query set.
• Citation share – proportion of answers that cite your domain vs others.
• Answer quality flags – correctness, freshness, and alignment with your positioning.
• Provider coverage – where you win or lag by engine and mode.
• Claim coherence – whether AI consistently repeats your core claims.
• Crawler reach – observed AI crawler hits by path and status.

These metrics roll up into an AI Share of Voice dashboard so you can report progress clearly to stakeholders.

GEO best practices that work

1. Make claims explicit – write clear, verifiable statements on canonical pages. Avoid vague language.
2. Back claims with structure – use schema.org, sitemaps, and clean internal linking to emphasize important pages.
3. Publish helpful artifacts – comparison pages, implementation guides, pricing clarity, and public references.
4. Stay consistent – keep names, SKUs, and facts aligned across docs, blog, pricing, and support.
5. Monitor what AI outputs – check inclusion and citations regularly rather than guessing from input signals alone.
6. Close the loop – when inclusion dips, ship targeted fixes and re‑check with Cairrot.

How Cairrot fits your workflow

1. Create a Project – one project per brand or site.
2. Define Topics and Prompts – choose the categories and questions you care about.
3. Connect a Sensor – for example the WordPress connector to verify crawler access.
4. Run your first Prompt – get a baseline of mentions, citations, and provider coverage.
5. Review the Findings – identify missing citations, off‑message answers, or competitor wins.
6. Ship GEO improvements – update copy, add structure, publish clarifications.
7. Re‑check and monitor – movement is visible to the team.

Example wins you can target

• Your pricing page becomes the most cited source for your main category query set.
• AI answers consistently include your brand as a top option for specific use cases.
• A competitor’s outdated claim stops appearing because your docs provide the current truth with references.
• AI crawlers begin visiting new product guides within 48 hours of publication.

What good looks like

• Stable inclusion across your priority topics for 4 consecutive Prompt Runs.
• Balanced citations that hit canonical pages, not scattered blog posts.
• Low variance between AI engines for foundational claims.
• Traceability from answer outcomes back to specific content updates.

Frequently asked questions

Is GEO trying to game AI systems?

No. GEO is about clarity, verifiability, and accessibility. If your site is the best source, you want AI engines to see and cite it.

Will this replace classic SEO?

Not likely. You still need technical SEO, content, and links. GEO adds a new success surface that you can measure and improve.

Which engines does Cairrot support?

We focus on the engines that matter for commercial discovery. Provider support evolves over time. Check the Providers page in the docs for the current list.

Summary

AI answers are a new buying surface. To win, you must be included, cited, and described correctly. Cairrot gives you the instrumentation and workflow to make that happen: measure what AI says, connect it to the content you control, and improve it with repeatable Checks.

Next up

• Configure your first Project and Sensor
• Define Topics and create your first Check