TL;DR
- AI is replacing traditional search behavior and most content isn’t built for it
- GEO = training AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to recommend you
- You can test your current visibility with simple prompts
- The Visibility Flywheel helps you show up, earn trust, and stay top of mind
- Most content fails due to vagueness, misalignment, or lack of context
If you’ve been creating content — blogs, posts, videos — and still feel like your brand is invisible online, you’re not alone.
The rules have changed. And most professionals are still playing by the old ones.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are quickly becoming the new front door to your business.
Whether you’re a mortgage advisor, real estate agent, coach, or consultant, these tools are answering your buyers’ questions — with or without your input.
If your content isn’t showing up, you’re not just missing clicks.
You’re missing credibility.
This article breaks down the rising practice of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — and how to use it to make sure AI tools are recommending you when it counts.
Why AI Search Changes the Game for Personal Brands
In the past, being visible meant ranking on Page One of Google.
Today? Your visibility depends on whether tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude choose to reference your content as an authority, not just index it.
These tools are trained to generate answers by pulling from content across the web.
They don’t browse, they cite.
So unless your content is clear, contextual, and rich in relevance, it’s likely being ignored or worse, used without attribution.
What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
GEO is the process of designing your content and digital presence so that AI tools recognize, cite, and recommend you.
It’s not about keywords. It’s about clarity, structure, and semantic depth.
Just like SEO was about helping search engines understand your content, GEO is about helping AI tools trust your expertise and surface you when someone asks a question related to what you do.
How to Audit Your AI Visibility (in 2 Minutes)
Here’s how to test if you’re already visible inside AI tools:
- Open your preferred AI platform
- Type a prompt your ideal client might use
- Make it local and specific
Example prompts:
- “Who are the best mortgage professionals in Bozeman, MT for self-employed buyers?”
- “Top real estate agents in Nashville, TN for first-time buyers?”
- “Creative financing options in Huntsville, AL for high-rate markets?”
Now ask:
- Is your name mentioned?
- Are your blog posts linked or summarized?
- Is your business part of the conversation?
If not, that’s your visibility gap. And GEO helps you close it.
The 4-Part Visibility Flywheel
Here’s the content system I use with clients to help them earn visibility across AI tools, platforms, and search engines without paid ads or viral trends.
1. Ask
Identify the actual questions your audience is asking, including how, where, and why they’re searching. Use buyer language, not industry jargon.
2. Answer
Create depth-first content that clearly answers those questions. Add real-world examples. Be specific. Don’t just teach. Contextualize.
3. Amplify
Turn one core idea into multiple content assets: a blog, LinkedIn post, short-form video, carousel, and email. This creates semantic coverage across channels.
4. Appear
As you show up with consistency and depth, AI tools begin surfacing your content in their answers. You don’t just “rank”, you get referenced.
Common GEO Mistakes (Even Savvy Creators Make)
✅ Chasing keywords over context
If your content was written for an algorithm, not a real human with real questions, it won’t get picked up.
✅ Generalizing instead of specializing
AI tools prioritize precision. Be the go-to for something, not the “kind-of-good-at-everything” option.
✅ Posting without connecting to AI search behavior
If your content doesn’t map to the way people are prompting, or the way tools are responding, it won’t surface at the moment of need.
Want to Go Deeper?
I released two resources to help you build GEO authority without guessing:
🎙 Listen to the podcast episode — GEO Visibility: How to Show Up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Beyond
📩 Read the original newsletter version on LinkedIn
📘 Grab the free GEO Playbook + register for my masterclass
Final Thought:
You’re either training AI to recognize your voice…
Or you’re getting trained on without credit.
Generative engines aren’t just the future of search.
They’re the present, and they’re already shaping who gets seen and who gets skipped.
GEO is how you stay visible, valuable, and findable in this new era.
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