Knowledge base: GEO and AI visibility without the hype
We write what the market would rather not say, in the spirit of Rand Fishkin: no new acronyms, no positions in AI, but honest measurement and evidence beyond your own website. Every figure has a source with a date; if you find an error, the correction appears in the editorial corrections log.
All articles
Position in ChatGPT: why a fixed number 1 spot does not exist
Published
A fixed position in ChatGPT does not exist, because AI builds every answer from scratch and the list of names keeps changing. What does mean something is the percentage of many repeated answers in which you are mentioned.
AI visibility tool: do you really need one?
Published
You probably do not need an AI visibility tool yet: many tools measure positions, run prompts too few times and use made-up questions. Measure yourself first and only buy a tool once the supplier answers your questions about method and calculation properly.
Measuring AI visibility with the ten-times rule
Published
You measure AI visibility yourself by asking every real customer question at least ten times per AI engine and tallying how often you are mentioned. That percentage says far more than a position, especially when you set it against your branded searches.
What is GEO? Mostly just SEO with a new label
Published
GEO is working on your visibility in AI answers, and that is largely just SEO: being visible wherever your audience searches. What does shift is the weight of evidence outside your own site, such as mentions, reviews and PR.
GEO agency: why most of them cannot really help you
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A GEO agency usually delivers advice, not execution. We show where it goes wrong and what a good agency does instead.
Zero click: why website traffic is no longer a good KPI
Published
Zero click is no longer the exception: most Google searches end without a click. So stop steering on traffic and steer on signals that do relate to revenue.
Measuring AI mentions: branded searches and direct traffic as evidence
Published
You do not measure AI mentions only in the AI tools themselves, but also in your own data. If branded searches and direct traffic rise, that is an honest signal that AI is naming you.
Getting mentioned in ChatGPT: the evidence lies outside your website
Published
Getting mentioned in ChatGPT relates mainly to what others publish about you. Reviews, trade media, Reddit and YouTube carry weight, but your own website remains the foundation.
Manipulating AI: why it is possible and why you should not want to
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Manipulating AI is surprisingly easy at the moment, because language models do not yet have a good spam filter. We still advise against it: it damages your reputation, makes measurements worthless and costs you penalty points on this site.
Local GEO: how a local business becomes visible in AI
Published
Local GEO is largely just good local SEO: a strong business profile, reviews, a clear website and mentions elsewhere. AI Overviews appears for a minority of purely local searches, so there is no need to panic, but no reason to sit still either.
Best GEO agency: how to recognise a fair ranking
Published
Most lists of the best GEO agency are written by an agency that names itself, often in first place. A fair ranking states who makes it, what interest they have, how things were measured and how errors are corrected.
Frequently asked questions
What is the knowledge base about?
About AI visibility, GEO agencies, tracking tools and local GEO, written against the grain and with a source for every figure.
Does a position in ChatGPT exist?
No. AI tools almost never give the same list in the same order twice. So measure how often you are mentioned, as a percentage.
Do I need an AI tracking tool?
Probably not yet. Most tools ask too few questions, too few times. With the tally sheet you can measure it yourself for free.
Is GEO something other than SEO?
Largely not. Rand Fishkin still calls the discipline SEO: Search Everywhere Optimization. The difference lies in evidence beyond your own website.
How do I know whether AI mentions my business without a tool?
Ask your questions at least ten times per AI tool and count how often you are mentioned. Also look at branded searches and direct traffic.
Why do many GEO agencies not implement anything?
Because advice and reports are easier to sell than implementation. Ask in the quote what the agency will do itself.
Is website traffic still a good measure?
Less than it used to be. Many searches end without a click, so also look at branded searches, phone calls and enquiries.
What counts for local GEO?
A strong Business Profile, genuine reviews, a clear website and mentions elsewhere. These count for Google Maps and for AI answers.
Who writes the articles?
The editorial team, under the final responsibility of Gijs Bodenstaff, who tests claims in LocalSEOLab.nl instead of repeating them.
How often are the articles checked?
With every edition and whenever someone reports an error. The review date is shown with each article, and corrections are listed in the corrections log.