AI SEO covers two jobs: using AI for SEO tasks and improving your visibility in AI answers. Google's SEO foundations still apply to its AI features.[3] ChatGPT Search adds another place customers can find web sources.[4]
- Google requires indexed pages that can show a search snippet for AI Overviews and AI Mode.[3]
- ChatGPT Search needs access through OAI-SearchBot; allowing model training is a separate choice.[5]
Start with a customer question, inspect the sources and fix the gap you can name.
AI SEO means using AI to do SEO work, or improving how your business appears in AI search answers.[1][2] For ChatGPT and Google's AI features, I'd start with pages they can access and facts that answer customer questions. Then I'd check which sources they choose and what they say about your business.
What's the difference between SEO and AI SEO?
SEO covers making your website findable in search; AI SEO can describe either AI-assisted work or work aimed at AI answers.[1][2] Google says its existing SEO foundations apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode.[3] I would compare the actual work in a proposal before judging its label.
I use these terms to separate the jobs:
| Term | The job I'd put in the scope |
|---|---|
| SEO | Help search engines find relevant pages and people reach them |
| AI-assisted SEO | Use AI for research, drafts or analysis, with human checks |
| AEO, answer engine optimisation | Help a page answer a specific question |
| GEO, generative engine optimisation | Work towards inclusion in generated answers |
| LLM SEO | Track how language-model answers describe and link to a business |
At Searchmaxxed, AEO and GEO sit inside our managed search work. We build pages, fix technical faults and develop external sources together.
Writing with AI doesn't guarantee a recommendation or citation. OpenAI says ChatGPT placement depends on several factors.[4] Check the actual answer and its sources after each change.[4]
How does ChatGPT choose sources and name businesses?
ChatGPT Search uses web results to answer questions, and OpenAI says it ranks results for relevance and reliability.[4] ChatGPT may rewrite a question into targeted searches, then run further searches after reading the first results.[4] Your business can therefore compete for more than the exact words someone typed.
ChatGPT can search when current information would help, or when the user selects Search.[4] When it uses web search, the response may contain citations and a Sources list.[4] An answer without a displayed citation gives you no source link to inspect.
Location can also change the search.[4] ChatGPT may use an approximate location from the user's IP address or relevant saved memories when rewriting queries.[4] For local checks, I would state the city in the prompt and keep that setting consistent.
The work starts by separating three outcomes:
| Outcome | What I'd look for |
|---|---|
| Mention | Your business name appears in the answer |
| Citation | A displayed link points to your site or another page discussing you |
| Recommendation | The answer selects your business for the customer's stated need |
Read the sentence around your name. I'd count a recommendation only when the answer supports choosing your business, and I'd keep criticism in the record too.
OpenAI warns that search results and citations can contain errors or outdated information.[4] Open the source and compare the claim with what the page says before treating the answer as a win.
How do Google AI Overviews and AI Mode choose sources?
AI Overviews and AI Mode surface supporting web links, and both may run related searches across subtopics to build an answer.[3] Google calls this “query fan-out”.[3] A page must be indexed and eligible for a search snippet to qualify as a supporting link.[3]
AI Overviews summarise a topic when Google's systems judge that the summary adds something to classic Search.[3] AI Mode supports deeper exploration, reasoning and comparisons.[3] Google says the products may use different models and techniques, so their answers and links can differ.[3]
Take a hypothetical Gold Coast roofer: a customer asks who repairs a leaking roof. Prepare answers about roof types, service areas and repair options. Link to deeper advice where it helps the customer choose.
I would give the service page a complete answer, then link to deeper pages where the subject needs them. Google's guidance supports internal links, visible text and content that helps people.[3]
What technical work does AI Overviews SEO and ChatGPT SEO need?
AI Overviews SEO needs Google indexing and snippet eligibility; ChatGPT SEO needs access for OpenAI's search crawler.[3][4] I would check each route separately before rewriting a page. Google and OpenAI publish different access controls, so opening one route does not establish access through the other.[3][5]
Google says there are no extra technical requirements for its AI features beyond its Search requirements.[3] Its practical guidance includes these checks:
- Allow crawling through robots.txt and the hosting or content delivery network.[3]
- Link relevant pages so Google can find them.[3]
- Keep important content in text and give people a good page experience.[3]
- Make structured data match the visible page.[3]
- Keep Business Profile and Merchant Center information current where they apply.[3]
For ChatGPT, check robots.txt and whether the host permits OpenAI's published searchbot IP addresses.[4] The crawler names describe different jobs:
| OpenAI agent | Job | What I'd check |
|---|---|---|
| OAI-SearchBot | Surfaces websites in ChatGPT search | Search access through robots.txt and hosting |
| GPTBot | Crawls material that may support model training | The business's separate training choice |
| ChatGPT-User | Visits pages for certain user actions | User-triggered access, separate from search eligibility |
OpenAI documents these roles and says search and training settings are independent.[5] A business can allow OAI-SearchBot while blocking GPTBot.[5]
I would also inspect the page a visitor sees and the response a crawler receives. Confirm that the service details, evidence and contact route remain readable. Our technical SEO work covers the site's crawl, rendering and indexing controls.
A robots.txt rule describes permission.[5] I would still check request logs or fetch behaviour before declaring that the crawler reached the page.
How do you rank in ChatGPT or get your business cited?
Start by recording the AI answer and its sources. Check crawler access before improving the relevant page. Correct outside sources where the business facts are wrong. Repeat the question after releasing the change. OpenAI promises no placement, so judge the work through repeated checks and customer enquiries.[4]
Record the answer and its sources
Choose questions close to a sale: service suitability, comparisons and location-specific needs. Save the full answer, displayed source links, date and search settings. Keep ChatGPT, AI Overviews and AI Mode in separate records.
Then open the sources. Look for the passage that supports the recommendation and the facts it gives about each business.
Fix access before adding content
Check the Google and OpenAI access requirements against the page you want to improve.[3][4] If access fails, make that the first job. A new introduction cannot change a server rule that rejects the crawler.
Answer the questions your customers need settled
I'd start with who the service fits, what happens during the work and where the business operates. Add verified qualifications and evidence where those affect the decision. Put the direct answer before the explanation, without stripping out the detail a customer needs.
Our content strategy connects customer questions to pages with distinct jobs. We then add links between related pages and a clear enquiry route.
Check the sources beyond your website
Ask which outside page supports the answer and whether its business facts match yours. A directory profile may need a correction. A comparison may need evidence that you meet its criteria. Choose the action after reading the source.
Searchmaxxed's Off-Page Source Layer develops profiles, genuine reviews, mentions and press around the business's verified facts. Our link-building work sits inside that external-source work. We choose sources from the market and the answers we observe.
Release, verify and measure again
Keep a record of what changed and check the live page after release. Repeat the same questions under comparable conditions. Review enquiries alongside the answer records before deciding what to build next.
A place in a source list is one observation. The next job depends on what that source says and whether customers reach your business.
What would I change on a local business website?
For a Gold Coast roofing business, I'd apply Searchmaxxed's page-work method to the repair decision and the evidence the customer needs. Start with the roof problem, the actual service area and how the business assesses the job. Then connect that page to verified work examples and the enquiry form.
Take a proposed roof-repair page. I'd make these changes before adding another broad article about home maintenance:
| Customer question | Page or source work I'd commission |
|---|---|
| Can you repair my roof type? | Explain the roof types the business handles and its limits |
| Do you serve my area? | State the real service area and align the business profile |
| What happens after I enquire? | Explain the inspection and quoting process |
| Have you handled this problem? | Add permitted job photos and a specific work example |
| Why choose repair or replacement? | Explain the assessment criteria and link to deeper advice |
| Who backs up the business's claims? | Inspect relevant review and industry sources |
The business must supply the facts and approve the claims. I'd leave an unsupported qualification out until the record exists.
Google recommends current Business Profile information for its AI features.[3] ChatGPT can use location information for local results.[4] I would combine those checks with the page work, then test the same local question again.
Our local SEO service includes Business Profile work, review requests and citation cleanup. The purpose is to keep the local facts correct while we improve the pages and inspect the answers.
Can ChatGPT do SEO, audits and content writing?
ChatGPT can help with topic research and first drafts, while ChatGPT Search can inspect web information and show sources.[1][4] I would give it one defined task, check the output against the source and keep someone responsible for the website change.
For an audit, give ChatGPT the page text and a narrow question. Ask which service facts the page leaves unclear. ChatGPT Search finds current web information, but OpenAI warns its results can contain errors.[4]
I would verify crawl and indexing conclusions in Search Console, the site's settings and request evidence. Google recommends Search Console for technical diagnosis.[3] A chat response alone gives me too little evidence to change an indexing rule.
For writing, use verified business facts and a clear outline. AI can produce a first draft; the business still needs to check the facts and add its own knowledge.[1] Our editorial check would also test whether the draft answers the question and gives the customer a next step.
Here is the task I'd give an assistant:
> Review this service page against the customer's question and quote the passages that answer it. List the missing service facts, keeping observations apart from suggestions, and flag claims that need a source. Finish with the first page change you would make and why.
Keep keyword ideas apart from measurements. I'd use AI to propose question wording, then validate the choices against real search data and customer conversations.
Which AI SEO tools should you use?
Start with Search Console for Google performance and GA4 for website conversions. Use ChatGPT to organise source material and draft copy.[1] Add an AI-answer tracker only if it keeps full answers and source links.
| Job | What I'd require from a tool |
|---|---|
| Google diagnosis | Page and indexing evidence from Search Console |
| Topic research | Sources you can open and check |
| Keyword ideas | Clear separation between proposed phrases and measured demand |
| Draft writing | Your source material and a human review step |
| AI-answer tracking | Exact prompts, dates, full answers and displayed source URLs |
| Business measurement | Visits, enquiries and sales records you can compare |
Google recommends Search Console for search performance and analytics tools for conversions and time on site.[3] OpenAI provides citations and a Sources view for checking ChatGPT search answers.[4] I'd use those records before adding a dashboard that compresses them into a score.
If you need keyword ideas, ask ChatGPT to group questions by customer problem or service. Keep the output as a research list until you validate it. I wouldn't accept an invented search volume because it arrived in a tidy table.
If you need someone to run the work, compare implementation scope as well as tools. My Australian SEO agency shortlist and Australian SEO cost guide address that hiring decision.
How should you measure LLM SEO and AI search results?
For LLM SEO, I'd keep mentions, citations, recommendations, visits and enquiries as separate measures. Searchmaxxed's Managed Search Loop uses AI-answer observations alongside Search Console, GA4 and sales feedback. Keep the questions and collection settings stable so the next review compares the same work.
For each observation, save:
- The exact question and customer need.
- The product: ChatGPT Search, AI Overviews or AI Mode.
- The date, market, language and relevant search settings.
- The complete answer and displayed source URLs.
- What the answer says about your business and its competitors.
Use repeat observations before reporting a lasting change. ChatGPT can use location and memory when searching, so record those conditions where you can.[4] Google also says AI Overviews and AI Mode can show different responses and links.[3]
I would keep a change log beside those records. If the answer changes after a page release, inspect the linked source and repeat the check. Timing alone gives me too little evidence to credit that release.
Google includes AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search Console's overall Web search performance.[3] That total therefore cannot, by itself, tell you which visits came from each AI feature.[3]
Check website conversions separately, as Google recommends.[3] A report should let you distinguish an answer naming your business from a customer enquiring about its service.
Is AI going to replace SEO?
Google's AI features still depend on SEO foundations, so I would keep SEO and add checks for AI answers.[3] Google applies its existing search requirements to AI Overviews and AI Mode.[3] The investment decision then comes back to customer demand, the work you can ship and the enquiries it produces.
For your business, I'd inspect a valuable service area in Search Console and compare its enquiries with the work you have done. Then check the AI answers for the same customer needs.
If competitors appear, trace the source before commissioning more content. If your pages already attract customers, preserve the parts that work while fixing the gap you can demonstrate. The question is where the next change earns its place in the plan.
Where does Searchmaxxed fit?
Searchmaxxed does agentic SEO: we use AI agents to help run the search work, with people approving every public change. Our Managed Search Loop chooses the next job from the evidence. We build website changes on your Agentic Website and external sources through the Off-Page Source Layer.
We're a Queensland team. We connect your whole Search Console and GA4, then check competitor sites, Google results and what AI answers say about you each week.
Our Managed Search Loop compares that data with your plan. We pick the job that closes the gap: a missing page, unclear service facts, a technical fault or an external source to develop.
We build the page work on your Agentic Website. It lives on GitHub and Vercel, and you own the site, repository, content and data. We add pages, fix faults and connect relevant pages with links. Schema states the facts that also appear on the page.
The Off-Page Source Layer covers links, reviews, citations, press and mentions on other sites. A person checks every change before it goes live. We verify the release and measure what happened before choosing the next job.
I ran these steps by hand at Radiant Roof Repairs. I built it from zero to more than $1 million a year in revenue using SEO as the only marketing channel. I did the research, pages and updates manually. The agents now help us run those steps each week.
Our AI search service brings the work into one scope. The packages set the production and external-source work:
| Package | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Local Search | Local page releases, Business Profile management, reviews, local links and AI-answer tracking |
| Growth System | New pages and rebuilds, landing-page improvements, technical work, external sources and AI visibility tracking |
| Agentic Search Engineering | Growth System work plus greater page capacity, comparison pages, digital PR and wider AI-answer tracking |
| Custom & Enterprise | Multiple markets, dedicated engineering, custom reporting and first-party research where the scope calls for them |
The AI SEO Audit identifies gaps and ranks the fixes. The Agentic Website Full Build creates the site and measurement setup. The Agentic Migration keeps a design worth keeping and moves the site to an owned repository ready for ongoing search work.
Frequently asked questions
Can SEO be done by AI?
AI can help with research and content drafts.[1] At Searchmaxxed, agents also help analyse search data and prepare work. People choose the direction, check public changes and approve the release. We then verify the live result before the next cycle.
What's the difference between SEO and AI SEO?
Can ChatGPT help with SEO?
Is SEO still worth it with AI?
Can ChatGPT do an SEO audit?
Can ChatGPT write SEO content and articles?
Can I use AI to do my SEO myself?
Yes, you can use AI for research and drafts, then handle the checks and website work yourself.[1] Start with one page and verify every new claim. Test the published page and review enquiries before choosing the next change.
Is there an AI tool for SEO?
Which AI tool is best for SEO optimisation?
I'd choose by task, not declare one tool the winner. For drafting, test whether it follows your sources and voice. For AI-answer tracking, require full answers and source URLs. For Google diagnosis, begin with Search Console, which Google recommends for technical checks.[3]
What AI tool can generate SEO keyword ideas?
ChatGPT can help with topic and keyword ideas.[1] Ask for questions grouped by customer problem, then validate them against search data. I would treat suggested phrases as candidates and keep any unsupported volume or difficulty figure out of the plan.
Do I need an llms.txt file for AI Overviews?
Google's published eligibility requirements do not require llms.txt: the page needs indexing and search-snippet eligibility, with no extra technical requirements.[3] I would prioritise access, visible content and internal links before an optional file.
Must I allow GPTBot to appear in ChatGPT Search?
How long does it take to get cited by ChatGPT?
OpenAI offers no placement promise, so I would avoid a fixed citation deadline.[4] Set dates for the work you control: access fixes, page releases and repeated checks. Keep the complete answers so you can see whether the change persists.
Can a local business appear in AI answers?
Do Searchmaxxed's agents publish changes without a person checking them?
No. A person approves every public change. Our agents help the Managed Search Loop analyse the evidence and prepare work. We build approved changes on your Agentic Website, verify the release and use the new records to choose the next job.