AI search optimization covers everything that decides whether an AI engine finds your site, trusts it and names you when someone asks for a business like yours. Most of the advice online jumps straight to content. I start one step earlier, because if the engines can't reach your pages, nothing else matters.

Here's what each engine says about access, what Google says you don't need to buy, what my services include and how a project runs.

Step one: can the AI engines reach you?

OpenAI's crawler documentation separates two bots. OAI-SearchBot is used to surface websites in ChatGPT's search features. GPTBot is used for training. Each setting is independent, so you can allow OAI-SearchBot to appear in search results while disallowing GPTBot. OpenAI says sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers, and that it can take about 24 hours after a robots.txt change for its systems to adjust.

Perplexity works in a similar way. Its documentation says PerplexityBot surfaces and links websites in Perplexity's results and isn't used to crawl content for AI foundation models. It also says that if you use a web application firewall, you may need to explicitly whitelist Perplexity's bots. That's an easy one to miss: the robots.txt file says yes, but the firewall or hosting quietly says no.

Google's guidance makes the same point for its own AI features: crawling has to be allowed in robots.txt and by any CDN or hosting infrastructure.

• OAI-SearchBot: needed for ChatGPT search answers.
• GPTBot: training only, and a separate choice.
• PerplexityBot: needed for Perplexity results, and may need whitelisting in your firewall.
• Googlebot: controls access for Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode.

What Google says you don't need

Google Search Central's page on AI features is refreshingly plain. There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no special optimizations necessary. A page has to be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet. Beyond that, the usual SEO basics apply.

Google also says you don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in these features, and that there's no special schema.org structured data you need to add. So if someone sells you a special file or a secret schema to get into Google's AI answers, you're paying for something Google says isn't required.

Two more details are worth knowing. Snippet controls such as nosnippet and max-snippet limit what Google can show from your pages, so check they aren't set on pages you want quoted. And traffic from AI features is included in the Performance report in Search Console, under the Web search type, so you can measure it with a tool you already have.

What my AI search optimization services include

Each project is built around your buyers' questions, but these are the parts most clients need.

• Access check: robots.txt, firewall, CDN and hosting rules for every major AI crawler.
• Answer baseline: your buyers' questions run through ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google, with who gets named recorded.
• Page fixes: clear answers at the top of key pages, plain facts about who you are and who you serve, and FAQs that can be quoted.
• Off-site gaps: where you should be mentioned and aren't.
• Monthly tracking: the same questions asked again, so you can see what moved.

How a project runs

Most projects follow these steps.

1. Free 30-minute call: we agree the questions that matter to your buyers.
2. Technical access audit: I fix anything stopping AI crawlers reaching you.
3. Content changes: I rework your most important pages first.
4. Measure: I re-run the answer checks and compare them with the baseline.
5. Hand over or continue: your team carries it on, or I keep going.

How to measure AI search results

Start with Search Console, because Google already counts AI feature traffic there. Then keep a short list of real buyer questions and ask them in ChatGPT and Perplexity every month. Note who gets named and which pages are cited. It isn't perfect, because answers vary from one run to the next, but a pattern over a few months tells you a lot.

If you want to try it yourself first, my guide to checking whether ChatGPT recommends your business shows how.

My advice before you buy AI search optimization services

Ask any provider to check your crawler access on the first call, including your firewall and hosting, not just robots.txt. It takes minutes and it's the cheapest fix there is. Then ask what they'll do that Google says isn't needed. If the answer involves special files or secret markup for Google's AI answers, look elsewhere.

For the answer engine side of this work, see my AEO services, or book a call through work with me.

Frequently asked questions

What are AI search optimization services?

Work that helps AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI features find your site, trust it and name your business in their answers.

Do I need to allow OAI-SearchBot?

OpenAI says sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers. You can allow it and still block GPTBot, which is used for training.

Do I need a special file or schema for Google's AI Overviews?

No. Google says there are no additional requirements, no AI text files or markup, and no special schema.org structured data needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Why can't Perplexity see my site?

Often a firewall or hosting rule blocks it. Perplexity says you may need to explicitly whitelist its bots if you use a web application firewall.

Who offers AI search optimization services?

Lilach Bullock offers AI search optimization services for businesses, with 23 years in marketing and every change tested on her own site first.