- AI SEO (also called GEO or AEO) means the work of getting AI answer engines to name and link your business. It differs from using AI tools to do SEO tasks faster, which is a separate skill.
- Google states that AI Overviews and AI Mode “are rooted in our core Search ranking and quality systems,” so normal SEO fundamentals still decide who gets cited (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10).
- ChatGPT search reads the live web through OAI-SearchBot; sites that disallow it in robots.txt are excluded from ChatGPT’s search answers, though they can still appear as plain links (OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers, checked 2026-09-10).
- In our own testing, AI engines tend to quote pages that answer one question plainly in the first paragraph and name a clear source. Long brand stories and generic “top tips” listicles rarely get quoted.
- Track it: filter Google Analytics 4 (GA4) referrals for chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and gemini.google.com. If the count is still zero after six months, treat that as the trigger to review how quotable the content is.
“AI SEO” gets used for two different jobs, and mixing them up wastes a marketing budget. The first job is using AI tools to do ordinary SEO faster: writing meta descriptions with ChatGPT, auditing a sitemap with an AI plugin. The second job, and the one this article covers, is optimising a business so AI answer engines, ChatGPT search, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, name and link it when someone asks a relevant question.
If you already retain an SEO agency in Malaysia, the question to ask them now is simple: is AI-search optimisation already included in the retainer, or is it a separate line item?
What Is AI SEO (and What Is It Not)
AI SEO is the practice of structuring a website so AI search and answer engines can find, understand and cite it in a generated response. It is not the same as using AI tools to write content, and it is not a new ranking system with its own rules.
Two terms cover the same ground. GEO (generative engine optimisation) is the work of getting cited inside a generative AI answer, and AEO (answer engine optimisation) is the near-identical term, framed around answering a question directly rather than ranking for a keyword. Google’s own guidance treats both as the same discipline as standard SEO: “optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, and thus still SEO” (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10).
The reason AI SEO still runs on SEO foundations is RAG (retrieval-augmented generation): the method AI systems use to pull real, current pages from a search index before writing an answer and linking back to them. Google states plainly that AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on RAG “by relying on our core Search ranking systems to retrieve relevant, up-to-date web pages from our Search index” (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10). If a page cannot be crawled, indexed or ranked in ordinary Google Search, it cannot be retrieved for an AI Overview either. The groundwork has not changed, which is why what search work in Malaysia actually involves is still where an AI-search plan starts.
Nothing here replaces a working, fast Malaysian website with clean, indexable pages. What changes is the shape of individual pages, answer first, source clear.
How ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews Choose Sources
Every AI engine that can cite a business works the same basic way: crawl or index the web, retrieve relevant pages for a question, then generate an answer with links back to the source. What matters for a Malaysian business is which crawler to allow, and which page qualities each engine favours.
| AI engine | Source of data | What it favours | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overviews | The regular Google Search index, retrieved via RAG grounding (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide) | Pages already indexed and eligible for normal Google Search | the Generative AI performance report in Google Search Console (named in Google’s AI features guide) |
| ChatGPT search | Live web crawl via OAI-SearchBot (OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers) | robots.txt allowing OAI-SearchBot; pages that answer one question plainly | GA4 referral traffic from chatgpt.com, or asking ChatGPT directly about the business |
| Gemini | Not documented to the same depth as Google Search or OpenAI’s crawlers; the Gemini app can draw on web results when grounding is enabled | Content already visible and well-structured in Google Search | GA4 referral traffic from gemini.google.com |
| Perplexity | Runs its own crawler and index in practice; sourcing is not documented to the depth Google and OpenAI publish, so treat this row as an observation, not a confirmed mechanism | Clear, well-sourced pages with a direct answer near the top | GA4 referral traffic from perplexity.ai, or searching the business name directly in Perplexity |
ChatGPT SEO: How to Show Up in ChatGPT Answers
Showing up in a ChatGPT answer is a robots.txt decision, not a content trick. OAI-SearchBot is OpenAI’s search crawler; if a site disallows it, that site will not be cited in ChatGPT search answers, though it can still appear as a plain link if a user pastes the URL directly (OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers, checked 2026-09-10). Malaysian SMEs on older WordPress configurations sometimes block “all bots except Googlebot” by mistake, silently excluding ChatGPT too.
OpenAI runs three separate crawlers, and each is controlled independently in robots.txt:
- OAI-SearchBot: surfaces pages in ChatGPT’s search answers. Allow this one to be cited.
- GPTBot: crawls content to train OpenAI’s models; allowing or blocking it does not affect ChatGPT search citation.
- ChatGPT-User: fires when a user asks ChatGPT to visit a specific page or Custom GPT; it does not affect search citation.
Beyond crawler access, the pages we observe ChatGPT search citing share the same qualities as any citation-worthy page: a direct answer near the top, a named business entity, and consistent details across the website, Google Business Profile and directory listings. Robots.txt changes take about 24 hours to reach OpenAI’s systems (OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers, checked 2026-09-10), so confirm the change took effect before assuming it failed.
7 Steps to Make a Malaysian Business Quotable by AI Search
These seven changes cover the technical and content ground every AI engine above depends on. Work through them in order; the first three are usually a single afternoon of work.
- Allow the right crawlers in robots.txt. Confirm OAI-SearchBot and Googlebot are not blocked, and decide separately on GPTBot based on your stance on AI training use of the content (OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers, checked 2026-09-10; Google Search Central, overview of Google crawlers, checked 2026-09-10).
- Fix entity clarity. State the registered business name, address and services identically on the About page, homepage footer and Google Business Profile. In practice, we observe AI engines citing named entities far more than vague brand taglines.
- Rewrite key pages to answer one question first. Put the direct answer to the page’s main question in the first two sentences, then explain. In our observation this is the lever that moves citations most, for both Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT search.
- Add FAQ content and structured data to service pages. Structured data is not required for AI citation, but Google recommends it because it “helps with being eligible for rich results” (Google Search Central, structured data introduction, checked 2026-09-10); a clear FAQ block also helps AI engines lift an answer.
- Build a site that answers questions plainly, not just looks good. A website that answers questions plainly is worth more for AI citation than one built purely for visual polish.
- Earn citations and mentions on third-party sites. Reviews, directory listings and press mentions give AI engines a second and third source to corroborate a business over a competitor with none. For the full digital-PR, third-party-mention and forum checklist behind this step, see how to get your brand recommended by ChatGPT.
- Measure it with referral data, not guesswork. Filter Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for referral traffic from chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and gemini.google.com, and check the Generative AI performance report in Google Search Console for Google-side visibility.
Google SEO vs AI SEO in Malaysia: What Changes, What Stays
Nothing about AI search retires ordinary SEO. The AI features run on the same ranking systems as normal Search, covered above, so a page that cannot rank in normal Google search Malaysia results cannot be retrieved for an AI Overview either (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10).
| What stays the same | What changes for AI search |
|---|---|
| Crawlable, indexable, mobile-fast pages | Robots.txt must also allow OAI-SearchBot, not just Googlebot |
| Keyword-relevant, well-structured content | Each page should answer one question directly in the opening lines |
| Google Business Profile and reviews for local intent | Answers now need consistent named-entity details across every listing |
| Backlinks and mentions as trust signals | Reviews and mentions add evidence AI engines use before citing a business |
| Best for: an SME already running local SEO in Malaysia | Risk if ignored: competitors with cleaner entity data get cited first |
Is SEO dead now that AI Overviews and ChatGPT search exist? No. Google calls this a myth directly: SEO best practices “continue to be relevant” because the AI features sit on the same ranking systems (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10). What has changed is where the reader ends up, sometimes inside an AI answer rather than a results page, which makes being the cited source more valuable than ranking first with no click.
What AI SEO Costs and How to Buy It
AI-search optimisation should not appear on an invoice as a separate line item from SEO; the two run on the same technical and content work: crawlable pages, clear entity data, answer-first content and structured data. Published retainer prices on Malaysian SEO agency sites, checked 10 September 2026, put most SME SEO retainers between roughly RM1,800 and RM4,500 a month, with AI-search optimisation now appearing as a line item inside several of those published packages, not as a separate product. That is a useful gauge when comparing an SEO agency in Malaysia quote: a vendor charging materially above that range for “AI SEO” alone is usually repackaging the same checklist under a newer name.
Before signing with any SEO agency, ask these questions:
- Does the retainer include a robots.txt audit for OAI-SearchBot and GPTBot access, not just Googlebot?
- Will the agency rewrite key pages to answer the main question in the first two sentences, not just insert keywords?
- Is structured data (FAQ, LocalBusiness, Organization) part of the scope, or a separate quote?
- How will the agency report AI citation, referral traffic from chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai, not just keyword rankings?
- Does the retainer price change if AI-search optimisation is added later, or is it already included?
The same accountability test applies to what a website agency actually does day to day: a vendor who cannot answer the questions above plainly is not one to sign with. Put those five questions to us on WhatsApp or through the contact form if you want them answered against your own site rather than in the abstract.
AI-Search Optimisation at Twenty By Four
Twenty By Four folds AI-search optimisation into its regular SEO work rather than selling it as a separate product. The Growth SEO retainer, published on the pricing page from RM2,500 a month, lists “AI-search optimisation (AEO & GEO)” as a line item alongside technical optimisation, 20 tracked keywords and two articles a month (checked live, 2026-09-10).
The site practises what it publishes. Twenty By Four maintains its own AI information page, written for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, and a live llms.txt file (both verified live, checked 2026-09-10). Google Search itself ignores llms.txt, so it is not a Google-ranking lever; it is a low-cost step that may help other AI crawlers.
For an SME owner, the practical answer is to fold AI-search readiness into an existing SEO plan rather than treat it as a separate project. Entity clarity, answer-first page structure and crawler access are changes made once to a website, then maintained, not a recurring specialist service.
Twenty By Four is a small, independent studio in Kuala Lumpur running websites, search, paid media and creative as one connected team, so the same team that fixes a robots.txt entry also reports on whether it produced a citation, not a rankings screenshot.
See current SEO retainer prices to check what is included before comparing quotes.
AI search does not rank you. It quotes you, or it does not.
Getting cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews runs on the same foundations as ordinary Google SEO Malaysia work, plus a handful of new controls: crawler access, entity clarity and answer-first pages. Fix those seven items, then measure citations in Google Analytics 4 rather than guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SEO for AI?
SEO for AI, often called AI SEO, GEO or AEO, is the work of structuring a website so AI answer engines can find, understand and cite it in a generated answer, not just rank it in search results.
Can ChatGPT do SEO?
Yes, for writing SEO content or reviewing a page, but no for controlling whether ChatGPT search cites a website. That depends on robots.txt allowing OAI-SearchBot and pages answering questions plainly (OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers, checked 2026-09-10).
Which AI SEO tool is the best?
No single tool is authoritative here. Google warns that “no third-party tool has access to our internal ranking or AI systems” (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10). Use tools for convenience, but verify claims against Google’s and OpenAI’s own documentation.
What is AI SEO called now?
The two terms in current use are GEO (generative engine optimisation) and AEO (answer engine optimisation). Google’s own guidance treats both as the same discipline as standard SEO, so all three terms describe the same underlying work.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt, keep the business name and details consistent across the website and Google Business Profile, answer common questions plainly, and earn reviews or mentions that ChatGPT search can cite alongside the business.
Is SEO dead now with AI?
No. Google’s AI optimisation guide confirms SEO practices “continue to be relevant” because AI Overviews sit on the same ranking systems, so pages that cannot rank normally cannot be cited in an AI Overview either (Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide, checked 2026-09-10).
How to improve ChatGPT SEO?
Allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt, keep the business name and address consistent everywhere, and rewrite key pages so the opening two sentences answer the main question. Recheck after 24 hours, since robots.txt changes take that long to reach OpenAI’s systems.
Last updated: 10 September 2026 | Written by Ann Low, Founder
References
- Google Search Central, AI optimisation guide: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide
- OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI Crawlers: https://platform.openai.com/docs/bots
- Google Search Central, overview of Google crawlers: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/overview-google-crawlers
- Google Search Central, structured data introduction: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/intro-structured-data