A marketing manager at a skincare brand in Mumbai asks ChatGPT a simple question: “Which Indian brands make good sunscreen for oily skin?” The answer lists five brands. Hers isn’t one of them.
She checks Google. There’s an AI-generated summary at the top of the results. Her brand isn’t mentioned there either, even though her website ranks on the first page for the same topic.
That moment is when a lot of businesses realise SEO has quietly changed.
What is AI search?
AI search refers to tools that answer questions directly using artificial intelligence instead of only showing a list of links. Examples include Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT search, Perplexity and Gemini. These tools read content from across the web and create a summarised answer, sometimes mentioning or linking to specific brands and sources.
For businesses, this means ranking on Google isn’t the only goal anymore. Being mentioned inside those answers matters too.
Does traditional SEO still matter?
Yes. Very much.
AI tools still pull information from websites that are well structured, trustworthy and easy to crawl. Strong SEO basics like fast pages, clear headings, helpful content and good backlinks remain the foundation. What’s changing is what sits on top of that foundation.
People sometimes call this new layer GEO, or generative engine optimisation. And AEO, answer engine optimisation, for featured snippets and voice answers. The names are new. The core idea, being the most useful and clearly written source, isn’t.
What AI search tools look for
Nobody outside these companies knows the exact systems. But patterns are fairly clear from what gets cited.
Clear, direct answers to specific questions. Content that shows real experience, not rewritten generic advice. Consistent brand information across many websites. Mentions of your brand on trusted third-party sites, like news portals, industry blogs and review platforms. And structured data, which helps machines understand what a page is about.
Write content that answers questions directly
AI tools love content that gets to the point.
If your page is titled “What is the best time to apply sunscreen?”, answer it in the first two or three sentences. Then explain in more detail. Too many Indian business blogs spend four paragraphs warming up before saying anything useful.
Question-based headings help too, because they match how people type or speak to AI tools.
Build brand mentions beyond your own website
This is the part many brands miss. AI tools often form their view of a brand from what other websites say about it. Guest posts on relevant industry sites, mentions in local news, listings on trusted directories, genuine reviews, podcast appearances. All of these add to your brand’s presence across the web.
A brand that only talks about itself on its own website is easy for AI tools to overlook.
Show real expertise and experience
Generic content is everywhere now, partly because AI tools make it so easy to produce. Content that stands out includes things AI can’t easily invent: your own data, real case studies, photos from your work, opinions from people with actual experience, and specific local details.
Add author names with real credentials. Mention what your team has actually done. It helps both Google and AI tools trust the page.
Technical basics still count
Use schema markup for your business, products, FAQs and articles. Keep your site fast. Make sure important content isn’t hidden behind scripts that crawlers struggle with. And check that your robots settings aren’t accidentally blocking the crawlers you actually want.
Dull work. But it decides whether your content is even considered.
How to check if your brand appears in AI answers
Start simple. Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini the questions your customers would ask, in the way they’d ask them. Note which brands appear and which sources get cited. Do this every month and track the changes.
Some SEO tools have also started tracking brand visibility inside AI answers, which makes the process easier for larger brands.
Getting help with AI-ready SEO
This area is still new, and a lot of agencies are simply relabelling old services. When evaluating a digital marketing company, ask them how exactly they would improve your visibility in AI Overviews and tools like ChatGPT, and how they’d measure it.
Brands looking for the best digital marketing company in India for this kind of work should look for teams that combine technical SEO, strong content and digital PR, since AI visibility depends on all three.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI search replace Google?
Not fully, at least not soon. Google itself now includes AI Overviews in its results. People are using both traditional search and AI tools, often for different kinds of questions.
What is GEO in simple words?
GEO, or generative engine optimisation, means improving your content and online presence so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews are more likely to mention or cite your brand in their answers.
Can small businesses appear in AI search results?
Yes, especially for local and niche questions. Clear website content, a complete Google Business Profile, genuine reviews and mentions on local websites all help.
Is AI-written content bad for SEO?
Google has said it focuses on content quality rather than how it was produced. The real problem is thin, generic content that adds nothing new, whether a human or a tool wrote it.
Final word
AI search isn’t the end of SEO. It’s a push towards better SEO. Brands that answer questions clearly, show real expertise and build a trustworthy presence across the web will do well in both Google rankings and AI answers. The brands that keep publishing generic content will slowly disappear from both.