AI-powered platforms, such as Google’s AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, are transforming the way people research, compare, and select businesses. Instead of ten familiar blue links, users now see AI-generated summaries that reference just a handful of trusted sources.
This change is already live in the UK, US and most of Europe through Google AI Mode, and other tools are growing quickly. That means visibility in AI search is no longer optional. It’s a key part of how your brand will be discovered.
But here’s the important point: this isn’t a sudden replacement for SEO. Traditional search will continue to deliver value for years to come. What’s happening now is the addition of a new layer of visibility. Your business needs to show up in both places.
To do that effectively, you’ll need to get stakeholders on board and help them understand what’s at stake.
Why Stakeholders Need to Care About AI Search
For decision makers like CEOs, CMOs, and investors, AI search can feel like a technical detail. But the impact goes right to the heart of brand visibility and trust.
Think about the difference in user behaviour:
- In Google’s classic search results, a customer might click three or four different links to compare information.
- In AI Mode or ChatGPT, they often receive one summarised answer. If your business isn’t cited in that response, you’re effectively invisible at the point of decision.
That doesn’t mean SEO is losing value. It means SEO and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) need to be treated as complementary strategies. SEO ensures your site ranks in search results. GEO ensures your brand is represented in AI-generated answers.
Framing it this way helps stakeholders see that this is not a fad. It’s a structural change in how people find businesses.
Seven Practical Steps to Get Started
We’ve built a clear seven-step framework that brands can use to prepare. Each step strengthens both your SEO and GEO, which is why they work so well together.
1. Ask the AI What It Knows About You
The simplest way to measure your current visibility is to test it yourself.
Go to ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Mode and ask:
- Who are the best [industry] companies in the UK?
- What does [your brand] do?
- Which companies specialise in [your service]?
If the AI gives vague responses or doesn’t mention your brand, that tells you your signals aren’t strong enough yet.
This is also one of the best ways to make stakeholders pay attention. Show them a live example where your competitors are being cited and your business is missing. It turns the conversation from theory into a clear business gap.
2. Search Your Brand Like a Customer
Don’t stop at your homepage.
Look at how your business appears across the wider web:
- Review platforms
- Social media profiles
- PR coverage
- Directory listings
AI engines scan all of this when forming answers. If your brand looks inconsistent, outdated, or unclear, you reduce the likelihood of being cited.
Stakeholders will quickly see that this is not just a technical SEO issue. It’s about brand consistency and clarity. The same messages must be consistent across all touchpoints.
3. Focus on Mentions, Not Just Links
SEO has always treated backlinks as the gold standard for authority. AI search engines are slightly different. They value brand mentions, even when those mentions aren’t linked.
This is why digital PR, thought leadership, and brand-building campaigns have taken on new importance.
Examples include:
- Being quoted as an expert in a trade publication
- Appearing as a guest on a relevant industry podcast
- Winning awards that get covered in the press
For stakeholders, this highlights the need for investment beyond technical SEO. Authority is built in the wider ecosystem, and AI search engines are designed to reflect that.
4. Structure Your Content Clearly
Confusion is the enemy of AI summaries.
If your website has duplicated service pages, blog posts that don’t align with what you sell, or a navigation that makes it hard to work out who you serve, AI engines will struggle to summarise you.
Clear content structure helps in two ways:
- It improves the user journey for customers browsing your site.
- It gives AI tools confidence about your brand identity.
- This is a win-win that stakeholders can get behind. Improving clarity not only prepares you for AI search, it also boosts conversion rates.
5. Use Schema Markup Properly
Structured data (schema markup) helps search engines and AI tools connect the dots.
For example:
- Organisation schema clarifies your business name, logo, and contact details.
- Person schema can highlight your team members and their expertise.
- FAQ schema helps AI engines pull answers directly from your site.
This isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about giving AI tools accurate signals to work with.
Stakeholders should see schema as the infrastructure that supports everything else you do in SEO and GEO.
6. Optimise for the Questions People Actually Ask
One of the most noticeable shifts with AI search is the type of queries it handles well.
These are usually research-stage questions, such as:
- How do I choose the right [provider]?
- What should I expect from [type of service]?
- What’s the difference between [option A] and [option B]?
If your content answers these questions in depth, you increase your chances of being cited.
This also highlights where stakeholders should invest in content creation. It’s not only about sales pages. It’s about building trust at the research stage so your brand is part of the conversation from the start.
7. Create Branded Content That Reinforces Who You Are
One of the most overlooked tactics is also one of the simplest: create content that clearly explains who you are and how you work.
Examples include:
- Why choose [brand]
- What to expect when working with us
- How we deliver results
These pages convert visitors into customers, but they also help AI engines understand your positioning. If this content doesn’t exist, AI tools are forced to guess based on scattered signals.
Stakeholders should see this as a low-cost, high-value investment. A few clear pages can have a major impact.
Preparing Stakeholders for the Shift
The reality is that most stakeholders don’t need to know the technical details of schema markup or crawlability.
What they do need is a clear understanding of why visibility in AI search matters and what role they play in preparing for it.
Here’s how to frame it:
- SEO is still essential. Without a solid SEO foundation, you won’t perform in traditional or AI-driven search.
- GEO is the next layer. Generative Engine Optimisation makes sure you’re visible when people use new tools to research.
- Authority is business-wide. PR, brand clarity, and thought leadership are not side projects. They directly impact how your brand is represented in search.
- This is a gradual rollout. AI Mode and LLMs are expanding incrementally. There is time to prepare, but those who start early will take the lead.
How Quirky Can Help
We’re already working with brands to combine traditional SEO with Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). We believe they should support each other, not compete.
Our team can help you:
- Audit your current visibility in AI search
- Identify where your brand is mentioned and where it isn’t
- Strengthen your content and structure so AI tools understand what you do
- Build authority with digital PR and expert-led campaigns
- Create a roadmap that balances SEO and GEO for sustainable growth
To get started, we’re offering a free GEO audit. It will show you how your business compares to your competition in AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, highlighting areas where you’re missing out and providing actionable steps you can take.
