How to Rank in ChatGPT and AI Search Results (AEO Guide)

Nobody, including the companies building these tools, can hand you a guaranteed formula for getting mentioned by ChatGPT. What we do have is a reasonably clear picture of the patterns behind who gets cited and who doesn't, based on how these models are actually trained and how they retrieve information at the point someone asks a question.

Structure matters more than ever

AI models parse content, they don't just read it the way a person does. A page with a clear question as a heading, followed by a direct, specific answer in the first sentence or two, is far easier for a model to lift and cite than three paragraphs of scene-setting before you get to the point.

This is exactly why an FAQ section at the bottom of a page, structured with proper markup, tends to perform well for this kind of query — it's already in the exact question-and-answer shape these tools are looking for.

Being specific beats being comprehensive

A page that says "prices vary depending on your requirements" gives a model nothing concrete to cite. A page that says "most small business websites cost between £800 and £4,000" gives it something to actually work with. Vague, safe language protects you from being wrong, but it also makes you invisible to a tool that's specifically looking for a citable fact.

Structured data is the closest thing to a direct signal

Schema markup — the behind-the-scenes code that tells search engines what a piece of content actually is — has always mattered for traditional SEO, but it's become more directly useful for AI retrieval too. FAQPage, Article and Organization schema all give a model an unambiguous, machine-readable summary of your content, rather than making it guess from raw text.

Being mentioned elsewhere still counts

Large language models (LLMs) are trained on a huge cross-section of the internet, including reviews, directories, forums and other websites that reference yours. A business that's genuinely well-regarded and mentioned consistently across the web — not just on its own site — has a real advantage here that no amount of on-page tweaking alone replaces.

What I'd actually prioritise first

• Add clear, specific FAQs to your key pages with proper schema markup

• Answer the actual question in the first sentence of every section, not the third

• Keep facts (pricing, location, services) current — an AI model repeating outdated information reflects badly on both of you

This is still a genuinely new area and the goalposts will keep moving. If you'd like your site reviewed with this specifically in mind, it's part of the SEO work I do — get in touch and I'll take an honest look.