The GEO Guide to Showing Up in ChatGPT and Perplexity

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the art of optimizing your content to be cited as a source by conversational AIs: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overview. Unlike SEO which targets ranking in a list of links, GEO targets direct inclusion in the generated response. The key: content structured as Q&A, rich in quantitative data, and published on credible sources.

For 20 years, we played cat and mouse with Google. We counted our keywords, polished our H1 tags, and prayed for the holy Backlink.

But in 2026, some of your prospects aren’t searching on Google anymore. They’re asking ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity.

And here’s the problem: your site doesn’t show up.

Welcome to the era of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). It’s the new gold rush, and if you’re not in it, you don’t exist for a chunk of the web. It’s actually a core pillar of our strategy at Node6 to make our AI agents visible in these new channels.

What Is GEO (and Why It Changes Everything)?

SEO was about telling an algorithm: “Hey, rank my page first.” GEO is about telling an AI: “Hey, use my content to build your answer.”

The difference is subtle but brutal. Google sends you traffic (clicks). AI gives the answer directly (zero clicks), but cites its sources. The goal is no longer mass traffic, but Expertise Visibility. Being cited by Perplexity is the new “As Seen on TV” stamp.

How Do AI Answer Engines Choose Their Sources?

Unlike Google which counts links, LLMs (Large Language Models) look for information density and credibility.

They love: precise and recent numbers, logical structures (lists, tables), quotes from recognized experts, and direct answers at the start of paragraphs.

They hate: marketing fluff (“Our revolutionary solution…”), meaningless sentences, and pop-ups that hide content.

The 3 Pillars for Optimizing Your Content for AI

1. The “Citation-Friendly” Structure

AIs are lazy. They want the information immediately. Structure your articles with direct questions in H2 and direct answers right below.

Example: Bad H2: “Some thoughts on pricing.” Good H2: “How Much Does an AI Agent Cost in 2026?” Direct answer: “An AI Agent costs on average between 50 and 500 euros per month depending on complexity.”

That’s exactly the structure we apply across all Node6 content, including our agent pages like Zoe and Alison.

2. Fact Density (Data-Driven Content)

AI needs solid “fuel.” If you write “Many people use AI,” it ignores you. If you write “73% of SMBs use AI according to the Gartner 2025 report,” it will cite you.

Be the data source. Run your own studies, even small ones. That’s what we do when we analyze the ROI of automation: we provide concrete numbers.

3. Semantic Authority

For an AI to trust you, you need to cover a topic from every angle. It’s the principle of “Topical Authority.” Don’t just write one article. Build a cluster:

• Pillar Article: What Is an AI Agent?
• Comparison Article: Agent vs Chatbot
• Technical Article: The Tools (n8n vs Make)
• Use Case Article: Automating Recruitment

The more you link this content together, the more the AI understands that you’re THE authority.

The Ultimate Hack: “The Inverted Pyramid”

Journalists have been using this technique for 100 years, and AIs love it. Start with the conclusion. Give the main information in the first sentence. Then develop.

Why? Because AI models have an “attention window.” Information at the beginning carries more weight. Every article on this blog actually starts with a 40-60 word paragraph that directly answers the question. That’s applied GEO.

Conclusion: Adapt or Disappear

GEO isn’t a fad. It’s the necessary adaptation to a web where the intermediary is no longer a search engine, but an intelligent assistant.

The good news? If you optimize for GEO (clarity, structure, expertise), you also optimize for your human readers. Everyone wins.

The Expert’s Advice Take your best article, rewrite the intro using the “Inverted Pyramid” method, add a summary table, and test it on Perplexity. You’ll see the difference. And if you want your brand to be cited by AIs when people ask about AI agents, start by publishing structured and factual content - exactly what you’re reading right now.