Published
Author
Callum
Categories
AEO & GEO
Ready to take it a step further?
Let's start talking about your project or idea and find out how Creato can help your business grow.
Seven practical directions for businesses that want to be understood, cited and considered in AI search.
A forward-looking guide based on platform documentation available on 9 October 2026. These are informed forecasts for 2027, not claims about results already achieved.
A potential customer can now ask an assistant to explain a service, compare approaches and narrow a shortlist before visiting a supplier’s website. The opportunity for a business is to provide useful, verifiable information at those decision points. That is a more durable starting point than chasing a supposed formula for an AI recommendation.
Answer engine optimisation, or AEO, focuses on helping information answer a person’s question. Generative engine optimisation, or GEO, is commonly used for work aimed at visibility in AI-generated responses. The terms overlap. Neither describes a single universal ranking system, and neither replaces a sound website or a credible business.
Google explicitly places this work within SEO because its generative search features use its existing Search foundations. Other products have their own retrieval systems and controls. Our guide to visibility in ChatGPT covers the practical starting point; the trends below look at what deserves sustained attention in 2027. Source: Google’s generative AI optimisation guide.
We expect the strongest work to combine clear answers, distinctive evidence, accurate business information and measurement that connects discovery to enquiries. The visuals pair official platform examples with clearly labelled original demonstrations. Platform illustrations show the feature at the source’s publication date; they are not current customer results.
Citation ready answers with useful context
Original evidence with a visible method
A clear and accountable business identity
Retrieval ready websites with deliberate permissions
Useful visual evidence alongside the words
Content for the conversation before the enquiry
Measurement that separates visibility from outcomes
01 Citation ready answers with useful context
In 2027, we expect more businesses to review how well their pages answer a complete buyer question. An answer can be short, but it still needs the conditions that make it true. A service description should make clear who it is for, what is included and what the customer needs to supply.
Microsoft’s guidance recommends clear headings, specific language and self-contained answers. This supports a sensible editorial habit: keep an important statement close to its explanation and evidence. It does not establish a guaranteed citation format or a universal word count. Source: Microsoft’s AI search content guidance.
For example, a website studio explaining handover could describe which content the customer can edit, whether training is included and which changes require development work. A vague promise of an ‘easy-to-manage website’ leaves those questions unanswered. This is an illustrative content exercise, not a description of a particular studio’s package.
Think about related questions as well. Google documents that AI search can issue several connected searches while developing a response. A buyer asking about a project may also need information about process, location, requirements and limitations. Cover those subjects where they naturally belong, with links between relevant pages. Source: Google’s explanation of query fan-out.
Avoid turning every paragraph into an FAQ or publishing a separate page for every wording of the same question. Google says there is no required chunk size or ideal page length for generative search. A readable, complete page is a better brief than an arbitrary template. Source: Google’s optimisation guidance.
Example one: an answer includes enough context to remain useful when read on its own. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Platform example: OpenAI’s help-centre screenshot shows how a reader can inspect a cited source. Official example, not a Creato test. Source and image credit: OpenAI.
Start here: Start with your five most important service or product pages. Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the offer to identify what is included, who it suits and what happens next.
02 Original evidence with a visible method
Generic explanations are easy to reproduce. Information grounded in your own work gives readers something more useful to examine. Our forecast is that businesses will put greater editorial effort into documenting what they genuinely know: how a product performs, why a project took a particular approach, or what customers repeatedly misunderstand.
Google’s people-first content guidance asks whether a page contains original reporting, research or analysis. It also encourages creators to explain how relevant work was done. That is a quality principle, not proof that every original statistic will be cited by an assistant. Source: Google’s helpful content guidance.
A useful case study can describe the starting problem, the constraints, the decisions made and the evidence available afterwards. If you publish a measured result, include its time period, baseline and method. If you only have a customer’s observation, present it as an observation. Do not quietly convert a testimonial into a controlled experiment.
Small businesses do not need a research department to begin. A supplier can explain a material choice using its own photographs. A consultant can publish a worked example with its assumptions. A repair business can show a recurring issue and the diagnostic steps, with any safety limits clearly stated. Useful detail often comes from answering the questions your team already handles.
Keep private information out of the public version. Obtain the necessary customer permission, remove identifying details when appropriate and avoid disclosing commercially sensitive records. A clearly labelled fictional example is preferable to an invented result presented as real.
Example one: a compact evidence note makes the basis of a claim visible. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Example two: a case study explains the work and its limits without inventing a performance figure. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Start here: Choose one claim on your website that currently relies on an adjective. Replace it with an approved example, a transparent explanation or evidence you can stand behind.
03 A clear and accountable business identity
A business can describe its services well while leaving basic identity questions unresolved. Is an old trading name still used on a directory? Does the team page explain who provides the service? Are different profiles showing different contact details? We expect this kind of accuracy work to become a more deliberate part of AI visibility programmes.
Google says organisation structured data can help it understand administrative details and distinguish one organisation from another. That is a useful, bounded purpose for markup. It does not create an endorsement or establish a special AI authority score. Source: Google’s organisation documentation.
Build a consistent public record around facts you can verify. Use your actual business name, current contact information and accurate service descriptions. Explain genuine locations and service areas without inventing offices. Link to relevant professional profiles, memberships or credentials only when they belong to the business or person described.
Authorship deserves the same care. Put an appropriate name and role beside specialist advice, with background that explains the person’s relevant experience. A headshot and a grand title cannot substitute for that experience. Google explicitly warns against fabricated author identities and false credentials. Source: Google’s authorship guidance.
Credibility also develops through genuine relationships, useful contributions and honest customer feedback. Approach these as business activities with value of their own. Bulk directory submissions and manufactured mentions create clutter, and they leave you with more inaccurate material to maintain later.
Example one: a shared set of business facts supports consistency across the places customers check. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Platform example: Google’s organisation documentation illustrates how business details can appear in a merchant knowledge panel. This is Google’s example, not an AI recommendation or a real client listing. Source and image credit: Google.
Start here: Create one approved business fact sheet, then compare the website and your most important public profiles against it. Give someone responsibility for keeping it current.
04 Retrieval ready websites with deliberate permissions
The practical technical trend for 2027 is better control over where public information can be found and used. Treat access as a set of specific decisions. A beautifully written page cannot help a retrieval system if the intended crawler is blocked or the useful information is unavailable in the version it receives.
OpenAI distinguishes OAI-SearchBot, which supports ChatGPT search, from GPTBot, which crawls material that may be used for model training. Their settings are independent. A business can choose search access while declining training crawling. Check the hosting and security configuration as well as robots.txt, using the provider’s current documentation. Source: OpenAI’s crawler documentation.
Google has also introduced a Search generative AI control in Search Console. Its documentation says the control was available worldwide by 31 August 2026. It manages inclusion in specified generative features, with inclusion the default; child properties can inherit a parent’s choice. It is separate from AI training controls. Ask your site owner to verify the intended setting rather than assuming a public page is eligible everywhere. Source: Google’s Search generative AI control.
For the content itself, inspect your important pages, internal links and publicly available text. Confirm that forms, menus and essential information work for visitors. Record who approved access choices so that a later redesign or security update does not undo them accidentally.
An llms.txt file is not a compulsory gateway to Google’s AI features. Google says it does not use the file for Search visibility or rankings. Other systems may use such files for their own purposes, so evaluate a specific use case before spending time on one. Source: Google’s clarification.
Platform example: Google illustrates parent and child properties to explain how its Search generative AI control can be inherited. Source and image credit: Google.
Example two: search access and training use are separate choices. This is an illustrative policy, not instructions to replace an existing configuration. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Start here: Ask for an access and content check of your priority pages. Our technical AEO and GEO guide provides a deeper diagnostic framework; always check current platform controls alongside it.
05 Useful visual evidence alongside the words
Some buying questions are easier to ask with a picture. A customer may want to identify a component, compare a finish or understand how something fits into a room. We expect businesses to become more deliberate about the visual evidence they publish, especially where appearance or operation influences the decision.
Google’s AI Mode supports questions about uploaded or photographed images. Its explanation describes using visual understanding alongside related searches to build a response. That capability makes clear product photography and relevant demonstrations worth considering, without implying that a particular image will be selected. Source: Google’s multimodal search announcement.
A furniture business could show a chair from several useful angles, then explain the material, dimensions and care requirements in nearby text. A service business could show approved project details with captions explaining the constraint and solution. Choose images that answer a question rather than decorating a page with interchangeable stock pictures.
Make those visuals understandable and accessible. Google recommends placing images near relevant text and using useful alt text. Its documentation also explains how ordinary HTML image elements help discovery. Describe what is actually visible, and keep important specifications in readable text rather than embedding everything in a graphic. Source: Google’s image guidance.
For video, plan the surrounding explanation as carefully as the recording. A transcript, a descriptive title and a concise written summary help a visitor decide whether the demonstration answers their question. Keep the visual, spoken and written claims consistent.
Example one: product imagery can direct attention to the features a buyer needs to understand. This chair is an illustration, not a product listing. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Platform example: Google’s April 2025 AI Mode illustration accompanies its image-based search announcement. It shows the documented visual-search concept, not a current live result. Source and image credit: Google.
Start here: Pick one page where a customer needs to see something before enquiring. Add one genuinely useful visual explanation, with its context and accessible text.
06 Content for the conversation before the enquiry
The first question rarely contains everything a buyer needs. Someone researching a website might begin with the type of site, then ask about editing, handover, integrations or what to prepare. Our forecast is that better businesses will use these conversational paths to improve their content and enquiry experience.
ChatGPT search can rewrite a question into one or more targeted queries, and a response may include source links. That means the wording a person enters is not necessarily the wording used to retrieve information. You do not need to predict every variation to make your service understandable. Source: OpenAI’s search explanation.
Start with the questions your sales or service team repeatedly answers. Explain suitability, inclusions, preparation and the steps after an enquiry. Where there is a genuine comparison to make, describe the trade-offs fairly. A custom service can explain the factors that determine scope without publishing a misleading one-size-fits-all price.
Then test the next step on the website. Can a visitor tell which service is relevant? Does the enquiry form request enough information without becoming a burden? Is the confirmation clear about what happens next? Those details matter whether the visitor arrived through an assistant, a conventional search result or a recommendation.
Agent-assisted discovery is another reason to keep this information usable. Google’s guidance describes browser agents interpreting page structure and visual content while completing tasks. We see that as a reason to maintain accessible interfaces and accurate details, not a reason for every small business to rush into a custom AI integration. Source: Google’s agent guidance.
Example one: a question sequence reveals information buyers need as their decision develops. This is a planning diagram, not an assistant conversation. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Platform example: Google’s March 2025 AI Mode launch visual accompanies its explanation of multi-part questions and follow-ups. The interface and results may change. Source and image credit: Google.
Start here: Map one real enquiry from first question to next step. Where the website leaves a gap, improve the relevant page before creating another article.
07 Measurement that separates visibility from outcomes
AI visibility reporting is becoming more concrete, but its metrics still need careful interpretation. For 2027, we expect stronger programmes to distinguish a business being named, a page being cited, a visitor arriving and a qualified enquiry being created. These observations answer different questions.
Google now documents a Generative AI performance report in Search Console, rolled out worldwide by 31 August 2026. It covers impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode, with dimensions including pages, countries, dates and devices. A missing report can mean the site has insufficient impressions. The documented report is not a complete AI enquiry attribution system. Source: Google’s report documentation.
Bing’s AI Performance reporting provides citation activity across supported Microsoft AI experiences and selected partners. Its documentation distinguishes citation counts from placement or ranking, and identifies grounding queries as a sample. Treat those limits as part of the report, rather than converting every citation into an implied recommendation. Source: Bing’s AI Performance announcement.
For website visits, OpenAI says ChatGPT referral URLs include a source parameter that can assist analytics tracking. Review those visits alongside landing pages and recorded enquiries. Attribution can still be incomplete when someone reads an answer, remembers a business and returns later through another route. Source: OpenAI’s publisher FAQ.
Manual checks remain useful for understanding the content of an answer. Keep a stable set of relevant questions and record the platform, date, location assumptions, available model information, response and cited URLs. Repeat consistently, include questions where the business was absent and avoid treating one favourable answer as a dependable ranking.
Most importantly, pair visibility observations with commercial context. A citation on an irrelevant topic may have little value. A modest stream of suitable enquiries may be more useful than a large collection of screenshots.
Example one: four separate observations help prevent a citation being mistaken for a customer. The blocks are conceptual, not measured values. Original demonstration by Creato. Related platform guidance.
Platform example: Microsoft’s February 2026 preview dashboard illustrates citation reporting. All displayed figures belong to Microsoft’s example, not Creato or a client. Source and image credit: Microsoft.
Start here: Set a baseline before making changes. Our GEO audit guide can help frame the questions; define success using both observable visibility and relevant business outcomes.
Where to start before 2027
Begin with a manageable part of the business. Choose the service, product range or customer question that matters most, then check its pages and current public information. Capture the available reporting before changing anything so you have a useful point of comparison.
Next, improve the weakest evidence. That might mean clarifying a service page, correcting a business profile, documenting a real example or making essential information easier to access. Assign an owner and a review date. A smaller set of accurate pages is easier to maintain than a growing library of repetitive material.
After publication, check that the changes are visible and continue recording results with the same method. Allow for the time search systems need to discover and process updates. If a metric changes, look for other explanations before attributing the movement to one edit.
Common questions about GEO and AEO
Does GEO replace SEO
No. The work overlaps substantially. GEO and AEO are useful labels for focusing on AI discovery and answers, while technical quality, helpful content and a good website remain important. Platform-specific access and reporting still need their own checks.
Can a business guarantee an AI recommendation
No responsible strategy can guarantee that an assistant will recommend a business for every relevant question. Results depend on the product, question, context and available sources. Agree on the work and the measurement approach rather than a permanent position.
Should every page have an FAQ
Only when questions and answers genuinely help the reader. A useful comparison, process explanation or case study may be a better format. Choose the structure for the subject and customer rather than treating FAQ formatting as a visibility requirement.
Creato’s AEO and GEO services in Sydney and Australia start with the business’s current position and priorities. If the underlying website needs attention, explore our Sydney web design services or web design across Australia. The useful next step is a clear view of what customers need and what your website currently gives them.
Seven trends at a glance
Original Creato infographic. The visuals are demonstrations, not real search results or product screenshots.
Share this image on your site
Use the code below to link to this infographic and credit Creato.
The infographic uses original demonstrations, not real search results or product screenshots. The separate platform images in this article retain their owners’ rights.
