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AI search engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews increasingly determine what your target audience gets to see, often without anyone clicking a link. In this article we explain how to get found in AI search engines, which signals really count in 2026, and the 6 steps we take at DGTLbase to make clients visible.
For ten years, online findability revolved around one thing: ranking high in Google. Whoever wrote the right page title, used the right keywords and built enough authority got traffic. In 2026, that playing field has changed fundamentally. A growing share of your target audience no longer searches in Google, but asks questions of ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI Overviews. And those AI search engines give an answer directly, often without the user clicking a link.
So the question is no longer just “how do I rank in Google”, but: how do you get found in AI search engines? In this article we show what has changed, how AI search engines select sources, and which approach we use at DGTLbase to make clients visible in this new generation of search environments. See the sectors
we already have experience in here.
AI search engines are platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews that give a composite answer to a question, often with sources cited. Instead of ten blue links, you see one coherent answer the AI has built from multiple sources.
Under the bonnet, these platforms differ considerably. Perplexity and Google AI Overviews work with real-time retrieval: at the moment of the question, they pull fresh content from the web and combine it into one answer. ChatGPT and Claude rely more heavily on trained knowledge supplemented with web search. Gemini combines both. For your findability, this means a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. You need to optimise your content for the way each platform selects sources.
The SEO basics remain important. Page titles, meta descriptions, internal links, schema markup and loading speed should all be in order. But in 2026 that is a hygiene factor, not a differentiator. Almost every website does this, often automatically via the CMS or an AI plugin.
What really determines whether you are findable in AI search engines in 2026:
Classic SEO optimises one page for one search engine. Findability in AI search engines calls for an ecosystem.
This is the approach we use at DGTLbase to make clients visible in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and other AI search engines.
The first step is a baseline measurement. Which questions do customers in your sector ask ChatGPT and Perplexity? Are you mentioned? Which competitors do appear in those answers? And which sources do the AIs cite? Without this insight, you are optimising blindly.
At DGTLbase we use tools including SE Ranking to monitor AI mentions structurally, alongside manual tests in the main platforms.
AI models trust sources that are confirmed in multiple places online. One page on your own website is therefore not enough. A good example: an Amsterdam AI spin-out in computer vision we worked with. Technically strong, but barely visible online beyond their own domain. Through targeted Digital PR via trade media, industry publications and strategic partnerships, we built their external authority, exactly what both Google and AI models need to see a company as credible. The result: measurable growth in organic sales and a stronger position in search results. Curious about more case study results? Read them here.
Citable content has a few recognisable characteristics: clear definitions in the opening sentence, structured answers with a logical build-up, concrete figures and data instead of vague claims, and original insights AIs can’t find anywhere else. A blog that starts with “Online marketing is very important these days” won’t be cited. A blog that opens with “AI search engines trust sources with measurable consensus across at least three independent domains” will.
AI models don’t just look at individual pages; they assess how a topic is structured within your website. A network of interconnected pages around a main topic signals topical authority. For a B2B SaaS platform in supply chain we worked with, there was limited budget for new content. Instead of focusing on production, we organised the existing content more smartly: automated internal linking from blogs and podcasts to the most important service pages, combined with Digital PR around their partnerships. Proof that you can grow significantly in findability even without a huge content budget, provided your strategy is data-driven and multichannel.
What works in Perplexity doesn’t automatically work in ChatGPT. Perplexity often cites community platforms such as Reddit and specialist sources, and picks up fresh content quickly. Google AI Overviews leans heavily on pages that already rank well organically in Google: no organic ranking means no presence in AI Overviews. ChatGPT relies heavily on Wikipedia-style authority and consensus from multiple sources. A good GEO strategy takes these differences into account and chooses targeted levers per platform.
Findability in AI search engines isn’t a one-off project, but a continuous process. AI models are constantly updated, competitors change their strategy and your own content becomes outdated. Structural monitoring shows which optimisations have an effect and where you need to adjust. At DGTLbase we do this as standard in every GEO project, with dashboards that show per query how you perform against competitors. Get in touch with us for a baseline measurement of your business.
A common misconception: companies think they have to choose between SEO and GEO. That isn’t true. Many AI search engines use traditional search results as a source under the bonnet. A strong SEO foundation is therefore a prerequisite for good findability in AI search engines. The difference lies in what you do on top of that.
SEO draws visitors to your website. GEO makes sure you are mentioned in the answer itself, even if the user never clicks through. Both cover a different part of the customer journey. In 2026, the difference between companies that only do SEO and companies that combine SEO and GEO is quickly becoming visible in market share. Read more on our page about Generative Engine Optimization.
Request an AI findability analysis. We map out how often your brand is mentioned in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, how you perform against competitors, and which steps will have the most impact for your sector.
