How to get cited by AI comes down to three things: AI search crawlers must be able to read your site, your pages must say something worth quoting, and other trusted sites must already talk about you. There’s no secret file or trick. Here’s the plan we use at Goldie Agency, built only on what Google, OpenAI, Perplexity, Anthropic and Bing publish themselves.
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Key takeaways
- Google says there are no extra requirements for AI Overviews or AI Mode.
- Allow OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and Claude-SearchBot.
- Write from first-hand experience, not generic tips.
- Use clear headings, tables, FAQs and cited evidence.
- Want it done for you? Book a free SEO strategy session.
What getting cited by AI means
When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or Google’s AI Overviews a question, the answer often links to a few sources. Being one of those sources is a citation. Google explains that its systems pull current pages from the Search index and show clickable links to the pages that support the answer, so the pages it cites are pages it can already find and trust.
What Google says about AEO and GEO
Google’s guide to optimizing for generative AI features says that, from its point of view, optimizing for AI search is still SEO, including the work people call AEO and GEO. Its AI features page says “there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode”: a page needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
The same guide lists things you can skip: llms.txt files for Google, chunking content into pieces, and chasing inauthentic mentions. Search doesn’t use llms.txt, and Google says there’s no preferred page length.
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Let the AI search crawlers in
Each AI tool has its own search crawler, and each one is controlled separately in robots.txt:
| AI tool | Search crawler (allow it) | Training crawler (your choice) |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OAI-SearchBot |
GPTBot |
| Perplexity | PerplexityBot |
– |
| Claude | Claude-SearchBot |
ClaudeBot |
| Google AI Overviews | Googlebot |
Google-Extended (Gemini) |
OpenAI says sites that block OAI-SearchBot won’t be shown in ChatGPT search answers, and that a robots.txt change takes about 24 hours to show. Perplexity says PerplexityBot is what surfaces and links sites in its results. Anthropic says blocking Claude-SearchBot may reduce your visibility in Claude’s search results. Blocking the training bots is a separate decision and doesn’t remove you from search.
Write pages AI wants to quote
Google’s guide says summaries of what’s already out there add little. It calls generic tip lists “commodity content” and asks you to offer a unique point of view, like first-hand experience or original data. Its test is simple: “Is this content that my visitors would find satisfying?”
- Lead with the answer to the exact question your buyer asks.
- Add what only you know: your process, your results, your screenshots.
- Structure it: Bing advises clear headings, tables and FAQ sections so AI systems can reference information accurately.
- Back it up: support claims with examples, data and cited sources.
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Keep it fresh and tell the engines
Bing recommends keeping content fresh and using IndexNow to tell participating search engines when you add, update or remove a URL. After you change robots.txt, wait about 24 hours before checking ChatGPT again.
Earn real mentions, never fake ones
AI tools trust what other sites say about you. But Google lists seeking inauthentic mentions as a myth, and its spam policies cover attempts to manipulate generative AI responses. Earn mentions the real way: PR, partnerships, podcasts, guest expertise and genuine customer reviews.
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How to measure it
- Google: Search Console’s Generative AI performance report shows impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode by page, country, device and date. It shows impressions, not clicks.
- Bing and Copilot: Bing Webmaster Tools’ AI Performance report shows citations, cited pages and grounding queries.
- ChatGPT: OpenAI says ChatGPT adds
utm_source=chatgpt.comto referral links, so set up a segment in your analytics. - Your buyer questions: run the same 10 to 20 questions in each AI tool every month and note who gets named.
Be wary of any tool that claims to show Google’s internal AI data. Google says no third party has that access.
What happens on the free strategy session
The session is a working call, not a sales deck. We look at:
- Which buyer questions you’re cited for today, tool by tool.
- Whether any AI crawler is blocked on your site.
- The pages competitors get cited for that you don’t have.
- The first three fixes we’d make.
Book your free SEO strategy session. There’s no obligation, and you keep the plan.
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Proof from our own sites
We test on our own sites before we sell anything. These numbers come straight from our Google Search Console:
- aiprofitboardroom.com: 328 Google clicks a month in October 2025, 22,443 in October 2026.
- “best AI SEO community”: ranked #1 on Google on the first day the page appeared for that search, and it was still #1 in November 2026.
For client results with screenshots, read our Goldie Agency reviews and Julian Goldie SEO reviews pages, or is Julian Goldie legit? for real member reviews. Every site and market is different, so we never promise a ranking or a date.
My verdict
Open the door to the AI crawlers, write the first-hand pages nobody else can, and earn real mentions. Nobody can promise a citation, but that’s the honest answer to how to get cited by AI, and it’s exactly what we build on a free strategy session.
About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie, founder of Goldie Agency. I’ve worked in SEO for 10+ years, I’m the author of the best-selling book Link Building Mastery, and I share what I test with 428K+ YouTube subscribers. Everything we sell gets tested on our own sites first. Book a free SEO strategy session or join the AI Profit Boardroom.
FAQ: how to get cited by ai
Is there a special trick to get cited by AI?
Not for Google. It says there are no extra requirements for AI Overviews or AI Mode, and SEO best practices apply.
Does blocking GPTBot stop ChatGPT citing me?
No. ChatGPT search uses OAI-SearchBot. GPTBot is a separate training crawler with its own robots.txt rule.
How do I appear in Perplexity answers?
Allow PerplexityBot. Perplexity says it is the crawler that surfaces and links sites in its results.
Does Claude cite websites?
Anthropic runs Claude-SearchBot to index content for search. Blocking it may reduce your visibility in Claude’s search results.
How fast does a robots.txt change reach ChatGPT?
OpenAI says about 24 hours.
Should I buy mentions so AI picks me up?
No. Google calls inauthentic mentions a myth and lists manipulating generative AI responses as spam.
Ready to become the brand AI search recommends? Book a free SEO strategy session. It’s free, it’s built around your market, and you leave with a plan whether you hire us or not.
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Related reading
- How to Rank in ChatGPT
- AI Visibility Audit
- Brand Visibility in AI Search
- Rank in Google AI Overviews
Last updated November 2026. This page is a living guide to how to get cited by ai — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.
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