How To Be Mentioned By AI Using GEO: An 8-Step Strategic Guide

It all started in 2025. The digital landscape you're familiar with has fundamentally shifted. We no longer just "search" for information. We "interact" with it now. Many statistics out there show that more than half of search queries are now conversational, as users move away from scrolling through pages of links to getting direct answers from AI such as Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, to name a few.

When a user asks an AI for a recommendation, the engine quickly performs a high-speed interview of the web, synthesising a reply from a handful of trusted sources. For a Small to Medium Enterprise (SME), this is a massive opportunity. You no longer need the biggest advertising budget to win. All you need right now is to be the most helpful source. If you aren't one of those sources, your brand effectively doesn't exist for that user. GEO is the strategy of ensuring the AI chooses your voice to tell the story. Here is how you can win the mention and become that source to the AI.

Speak the language of intent.

AI models look for two things: keywords and precise answers to specific human problems. To get mentioned, your content must mirror the way people actually talk to their devices. For an SME, this means moving away from corporate jargon and toward natural conversational language. Instead of targeting a broad, competitive term like "home security", for example, focus on the specific, conversational questions your customers ask in real life, such as "What is the best security system for a small apartment with a balcony?" By framing your headings as these exact questions and providing a clear, jargon-free answer in the very first paragraph, you create a perfect knowledge nugget that the AI can easily grab. Google named it Featured Snippets. This answer-first approach makes your content the path of least resistance for an engine looking to satisfy a user's curiosity quickly.

Unleash your expertise via E-E-A-T.

When it comes to information load out there, the noise is just too much. Thanks to AI, it will only get worse. That being said, search engines and AI assistants are desperate for "ground truth" more than ever. This is where they filter your content for E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. To prove your expertise as a smaller player, you must go beyond generic advice that anyone could write. Share original data, specific case studies from your local clients, and lived experiences that an AI cannot simulate.

Authoritative mentions are the new backlinks. When your brand is discussed on community platforms like Reddit, cited in industry forums, or featured in local news outlets, the AI sees a consensus of human trust. These third-party signals tell the engine that you aren't just a website, but a verified entity in the real world. The AI is much more likely to recommend an SME that has real people talking about them elsewhere on the web.

Prioritise machine readability.

While you are writing for humans, you must format for machines. AI models use a process called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to pull facts from the web. If your site is a mess of complex code, slow-loading pop-ups, or buried text, the AI will move on to a competitor who is easier to digest.

For an SME, this means keeping your website layout clean and using structured data. Use clear, logical headings and lean heavily on tools like tables for pricing or comparisons, and FAQ schema code. The more ingestible your data is, the more likely the AI will use it to build its final answer, often quoting your data points directly.

Become a multimodal authority.

While the AI engines are reading text, they are also watching videos and scanning images to find the best information. To increase your chances of being mentioned, consider diversifying your content. A thirty-second video explainer of you demonstrating a product or a well-labelled infographic can often be the tie-breaker that leads an AI to cite you over a text-only competitor. For an SME, this is an easy win. Simple, authentic videos of your team at work provide visual proof of your expertise. Ensure every piece of media has descriptive alt-text and transcripts so the engine understands exactly what value you are offering in every format.

Master the "freshness" cycle.

AI models are increasingly biased toward recency, as in the latest content. Content updated within the last few days is significantly more likely to be cited in generative summaries than older, static pages. This is because users want the latest advice that is relevant, as AI assistants want to avoid giving outdated or broken information.

You don't need to write new articles constantly. Instead, maintain a refreshed calendar for your top-performing pages. Updating a few statistics, adding a new expert quote, or even just refreshing a last updated date stamp signals to the AI that your information is the most current and reliable version available. This keeps your SME relevant even against older, more established competitors.

Expand your semantic footprint.

Don't just talk about your specific product; talk about the entire world around it. If you sell marketing advisory services, for example, your content should also cover related topics such as content production, website, blogging, search engines, AI, social media, lead generation and conversion, just to name a few. This builds what is called a Knowledge Graph around your brand.

When an AI sees that your website covers a topic from every possible angle, it views you as a Topical Authority rather than just a consulting firm. This depth of information makes the AI feel confident in its choice to cite you. The deeper your footprint, the more often the AI will return to your site as its primary source for any related query.

Park your content where AI hunts (Off-Site GEO).

Your website is your home base, and that is one priority. You must know that AI assistants spend much of their time hunting on high-authority community platforms too. To maximise your reach, you must park your expertise on sites that the AI already trusts as hubs of human conversation. Platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, Quora and Medium are primary data sources for generative engines because they represent real, unfiltered human advice.

For an SME, this means becoming an active participant in relevant subreddits or industry-specific forums. When you provide a detailed, helpful answer to a user’s question on Reddit, even without a link back to your site, the AI records your brand name as a helpful entity in that niche. Similarly, publishing long-form articles on LinkedIn or Medium provides the AI with alternate versions of your expertise to cite, effectively surrounding the engine with your brand from multiple directions.

Audit and refine your AI presence.

This very step is all about treating GEO like a living strategy. Regularly converse with the major AI assistants by asking them questions related to your niche. See which brands they are currently citing and analyse why. Is it because they have more recent data, or is their explanation simpler or more friendly? Use these insights to fill your "citation gaps." If a competitor is being mentioned for a topic you know better, update your content with sharper data or a more direct answer. In the world of GEO, the most helpful and current voice wins the mention. For an SME, this consistent refining is how you stay ahead of the curve and keep your brand in the conversation.