40% of Google searches in the United States already display an AI-generated answer above the classic results. In Europe, this wave is coming. The question is no longer "if" — it is "how to prepare before your competitors do".

The era of traditional SEO is evolving: it is no longer just about appearing in lists of blue links, but about being cited, recommended and selected by generative artificial intelligence engines. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude handle billions of queries every day and provide direct answers — often without the user clicking a single link.

At Ligne 1, we have built generative AI optimisation into the core of our SEO methodology. Our three-pronged approach — AIO (AI Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) — positions your content as a reference source for next-generation algorithms.

40%

of US Google searches already display an AI Overview

1,5Md

queries handled every week by ChatGPT alone

Google AI Overviews (SGE): understanding the SERP revolution

Google AI Overviews — formerly known as SGE (Search Generative Experience) — is the feature through which Google generates a synthesised answer at the top of search results, even before the traditional organic links. Powered by Google's Gemini model, this answer aggregates and rephrases information from several sites deemed reliable.

For Belgian brands and businesses, the impact is twofold. On one hand, sites cited as a source in an AI Overview gain visibility and credibility — even if the user does not click straight away. On the other, sites ignored by the AI see their click-through rate (CTR) collapse on informational queries. The strategic response is clear: optimise to be selected as a Google AI Overviews source.

Which queries trigger AI Overviews?

Google AI Overviews appear mainly on queries with informational and comparative intent. The most affected types are:

  • Direct questions — "How does SEO work?", "What is the best CMS for SEO?", "What is Trust Flow?"
  • Comparisons — "SEO vs SEA: which strategy to choose?", "Semrush or Ahrefs in 2025?"
  • Process queries — "How to carry out an SEO audit?", "Steps to build a quality backlink"
  • Complex purchase queries — "Best SEO agency Belgium", "Choosing a conversion tracking tool"
  • Enriched local queries — "Google Ads agency Liège reviews", "Recommended SEO expert Brussels"

Selection factors for Google AI Overviews

  • Measured topical authority — Google selects sources that cover a subject in depth and consistently. A site that publishes 50 quality articles on SEO will be preferred to one that publishes 2.
  • Reinforced E-E-A-T signals — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness: an identifiable author, press mentions, certifications, verifiable references.
  • Content structured as a direct answer — Short, factual paragraphs, bullet lists, comparison tables and clear definitions are favoured.
  • Schema.org structured data — FAQPage, HowTo, Article, Product, Organization: each type of content must be correctly marked up.
  • Freshness and regular updates — Frequently updated content is selected more often because it is perceived as more reliable.
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Ligne 1 audits your visibility in current Google AI Overviews and projects your potential for inclusion based on your business sector and your strategic keywords in Belgium.

AIO: being recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude

AI Optimization (AIO) refers to all the techniques aimed at getting your brand, products or services cited positively by large language models (LLMs): OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity AI, Anthropic Claude and Microsoft Copilot. These tools have become the new recommendation engines for millions of users who ask questions such as:

  • "What is the best SEO agency in Belgium?"
  • "Recommend a Google Ads expert in Liège"
  • "What are the best netlinking tools in 2025?"
  • "Explain how to choose an organic search agency"

If your brand is not in the training data of these models, or if your e-reputation is not solidly built on the sources they consult, you are absent from these answers — and your competitors take your place.

How do LLMs build their recommendations?

Large language models do not "browse" the web in real time for most of their answers. They rely on two sources:

  • Their training data — A corpus of web texts indexed up to a cut-off date. Brands well represented in quality sources (press, Wikipedia, specialist blogs, forums, academic publications) are better remembered and cited more often.
  • Real-time search (RAG) — Perplexity AI and ChatGPT in web mode use RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) to enrich their answers with current web content. Here, classic SEO regains its importance: ranking in the top Google results increases the likelihood of being retrieved by RAG.

AIO strategy: concrete levers for action

  • Wikipedia and Wikidata presence — LLMs give very significant weight to Wikipedia data. If your company or its leaders are eligible for a Wikipedia page, it is a priority AIO investment.
  • Digital PR and editorial mentions — Being cited in Belgian press articles (Le Soir, L'Écho, La Libre, RTBF), in industry studies or in specialist publications is a strong signal for LLMs.
  • Authoritative, factual content — Publish studies, statistics and reference guides that other sites cite. The more your content is picked up as a source, the more positively AIs remember you.
  • Consistent multi-platform e-reputation — Google Business Profile, Trustpilot, LinkedIn, Clutch, Yelp, industry directories: every consistent mention strengthens your footprint in the data AIs consult.
  • Schema.org Organization and Person — Mark up your company and author pages with the most precise Schema.org types to help LLMs identify your entity.
  • Conversational and Q&A content — Write your content as natural questions and answers, the formats that AIs prefer to extract and reproduce in their answers.
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Perplexity AI now handles more than 100 million queries per month and is used by highly qualified profiles (engineers, decision-makers, doctors, lawyers). Being cited as a reference on Perplexity is a powerful B2B lever that most Belgian agencies are not yet exploiting.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): structuring your content for answer engines

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the discipline that optimises your content to be selected as a direct answer by engines — whether Google featured snippets, Siri/Alexa voice answers or answers generated by generative AI. AEO starts from a simple observation: users want answers, not lists of links. Engines are adapting to that expectation.

The favourite content formats of Answer Engines

  • Short definition paragraph (40-60 words) — The ideal answer begins with a clear definition of the term or concept searched for. Example: "SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the set of techniques used to improve a website's organic visibility in search engines such as Google."
  • Ordered lists (HowTo) — Step-by-step processes are extracted as featured snippets for "How to..." queries. HowTo Schema.org markup reinforces this placement.
  • Comparison tables — Comparison queries often trigger the extraction of well-structured HTML tables. Ideal for product comparisons, prices and technical specifications.
  • FAQ questions and answers — The FAQ format with FAQPage Schema.org markup is the most powerful for AEO. Google, ChatGPT and Perplexity directly extract Q&A pairs to generate their answers.
  • Figures and sourced statistics — Precise figures with source attribution are the types of content most picked up by AIs. "According to Google, 53% of mobile visits are abandoned if the page takes more than 3 seconds to load."

Technical AEO optimisation

  • FAQPage Schema.org markup — Every FAQ page must be marked up in JSON-LD according to the Schema.org FAQPage standard. It is the most direct signal for inclusion in featured snippets and AI answers.
  • HowTo markup for practical guides — Every "How to" guide must use HowTo Schema with numbered steps, estimated durations and required tools.
  • Article markup with an identifiable author — Name, jobTitle, affiliation, sameAs (link to a LinkedIn profile, Wikipedia, etc.) strengthen the author's credibility in the eyes of AIs.
  • Question-style headings — H2 tags written as direct questions ("What is GEO?", "How do I optimise for ChatGPT?") are selected more often by answer engines.
  • Paragraph highlighting — The first sentence of each paragraph should contain the main answer. The details come afterwards. This "answer first" structure is what AIs favour.

GEO: Generative Engine Optimization — the next frontier of SEO

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the emerging discipline of optimising your content specifically for generative engines (Generative AI Search Engines). Unlike traditional SEO, which aims for a ranking in a list of links, GEO aims for inclusion in the text of the generated answer itself — the most visible and most influential area of the new search landscape.

Research published by the University of British Columbia (2024) has shown that certain content techniques increase by 40 to 115% the likelihood of being cited in answers generated by LLMs. These techniques are at the heart of our GEO approach at Ligne 1.

The 7 pillars of GEO

  • 1. Factual density — The more your content contains precise facts, sourced figures and verifiable references, the more AIs select it. Every claim should be tied to a cited source (study, official report, academic publication).
  • 2. Citation authority — AIs reproduce content from sources they recognise as reliable more often: national media, institutions, universities, certified bodies. Being mentioned by these sources is a key GEO factor.
  • 3. Linguistic clarity — Short sentences, the active voice and precise vocabulary are preferred by LLMs, which have to "understand" and "synthesise" your content. Removing ambiguity is a GEO practice.
  • 4. Exhaustive topic coverage — AIs prefer sources that treat a subject in its entirety. A page that addresses every facet of a theme has more GEO value than a series of superficial pages.
  • 5. Originality of data — Publishing proprietary data (client studies, surveys, industry analyses) is one of the most powerful GEO levers. This unique data acts as a magnet for AI citations.
  • 6. Freshness and updates — Models with real-time web access (ChatGPT Search, Perplexity) favour recently updated content. Date your articles and state explicitly "updated in [month year]".
  • 7. Explicit semantic structure — Use descriptive subheadings, summaries at the start of sections and clear conclusions. AIs scan the structure before extracting the content.

Sector-specific GEO: opportunities for Belgian businesses

In Belgium, most business sectors do not yet have a dominant GEO authority source in French. This is an exceptional window of opportunity: companies that publish GEO-optimised content now in sectors such as law, accounting, real estate, healthcare, industry or retail can become the reference cited by default by AIs for these sectors in Wallonia and Brussels.

At Ligne 1, we identify these windows of opportunity through our AI algorithm monitoring and deploy a GEO content strategy tailored to your sector, your geographic area and your strategic keywords.

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Ligne 1 offers a GEO & AIO audit: we test in real time how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude answer the strategic queries of your sector, and we identify the priority actions for your brand to appear in them.

Structured data and Schema.org: the language AIs understand

Structured data consists of code tags added to your site's HTML to help search engines and AIs understand precisely who you are, what you offer and why you are trustworthy. The dominant standard is Schema.org, a vocabulary shared by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex.

In the context of generative AI, structured data plays an amplified role: it allows LLMs to understand the context of an entity (brand, person, place, product) without ambiguity, which makes it easier to identify and cite in generated answers.

Priority Schema.org types for AI

  • Organization — Legal name, address, phone number, URL, sameAs (LinkedIn, Facebook, Wikipedia profiles), logo, founders. It is your company's identity schema for AIs.
  • Person — For your experts and executives: name, jobTitle, affiliation, alumniOf, knowsAbout, sameAs (LinkedIn, ORCID, Wikipedia). Essential for author E-E-A-T signals.
  • FAQPage — Structures each Q&A for direct extraction by Google AI Overviews, featured snippets and LLMs.
  • HowTo — Structured practical guides with steps, tools and durations. Favourites of voice answers and procedural AI Overviews.
  • Article / BlogPosting — Publication date, modification date, author, publisher: freshness and credibility signals for AIs with web access.
  • Service / ProfessionalService — Precise description of your services, service area, offers: essential for local queries handled by AIs.
  • BreadcrumbList — Helps AIs understand your site's hierarchy and the relationship between your pages, improving contextual selection.
  • Speakable — Tells voice assistants and AIs which sections of your page are best suited to being read aloud or summarised. A schema still little used in Belgium.

Schema.org implementation and audit

At Ligne 1, we carry out a complete audit of your existing structured data with the official tools (Google Rich Results Test, Schema Markup Validator), then deploy all the priority schemas via JSON-LD — the format recommended by Google and the easiest to maintain. Each implementation is tested and validated before going live.

We also provide Schema.org monitoring: the vocabulary evolves regularly, and new schema types designed specifically for generative AI emerge every quarter. Our clients benefit at all times from the latest advances in the standard.

AI algorithm monitoring: anticipating change to keep the advantage

One of the major challenges of SEO in the age of AI is the speed at which algorithms evolve. Google rolls out major updates (Core Updates, Spam Updates, Helpful Content Updates) several times a year. LLMs release new versions every quarter. The rules of the game change quickly — and companies that do not keep up lose hard-won positions.

Our algorithm monitoring protocol

  • Real-time monitoring of SERP fluctuations — We use Semrush Sensor, Mozcast and our own tools to detect any significant fluctuation in Google results and react within 24 hours.
  • Google Core Update analysis — With every major update of the Google algorithm, we analyse its impact on your rankings and identify the necessary strategy adjustments: revising penalised content, strengthening E-E-A-T signals, adapting the internal linking structure.
  • Tracking announcements from OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic — We integrate every major technical announcement (new models, new web search capabilities, changes in citation policy) into our strategic monitoring for our clients.
  • A/B testing of GEO content — We continuously test different wordings, structures and formats to identify those that maximise the likelihood of appearing in AI answers on your target topics.
  • AI competitive benchmark — We regularly analyse how your direct competitors appear (or do not appear) in the answers of the main LLMs for your strategic Belgian queries.

The "first mover" advantage in Belgian AIO

In France, some SEO agencies and major brands have already invested heavily in GEO and AIO optimisation. In French-speaking Belgium, the market is still largely untouched. Companies that deploy a serious AIO strategy today gain a lasting competitive advantage: AIs remember the reliable sources they have "learned" and tend to cite them repeatedly.

That is why we recommend that our clients not wait for their competitors to move. GEO authority is built over time — exactly like classic SEO authority. Those who start now will have a lead that will be hard to close in 18 months.

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Ligne 1 is one of the first Belgian SEO agencies to offer a monthly AIO report: we show you exactly in which AI answers your brand appears, for which queries and with what positioning — and how we improve it month after month.

Traditional SEO + generative AI: an indispensable synergy

A common misconception: AI SEO would replace traditional SEO. The reality is more nuanced and more strategic. Classic SEO remains the indispensable foundation of all digital visibility — and optimisation for generative AI reinforces and completes it.

Why traditional SEO remains essential

  • LLMs with web search rely on the top Google results — ChatGPT Search, Perplexity and Gemini Advanced with search enabled retrieve pages that rank well in classic SERPs first. Ranking in the top organic positions directly increases your likelihood of inclusion in real-time AI answers.
  • Google AI Overviews cite ranked sources — In the majority of documented cases, the sources cited in Google AI Overviews come from the organic top 10 for the query concerned.
  • Quality signals are shared — Speed, mobile-first, E-E-A-T, internal linking, domain authority: these are the same factors that improve traditional SEO and increase credibility in the eyes of AIs.

What AI brings beyond classic SEO

  • Visibility on zero-click queries — Queries handled directly by AI without displaying a link account for a growing share of traffic. AIO lets you exist in these answers and build brand awareness even without a click.
  • Influence on complex purchase decisions — Users increasingly use ChatGPT and Perplexity for in-depth research before a B2B purchase decision. Being cited as a reference in these journeys directly influences your sales pipeline.
  • Competitive differentiation — As long as most Belgian companies are not yet practising AIO, those that do enjoy an almost exclusive territory of visibility.

At Ligne 1, we deploy an integrated 360° SEO strategy that simultaneously covers classic organic search, Google AI Overviews optimisation, multi-LLM AIO and sector-specific GEO — with a single goal: to maximise your visibility wherever your customers and prospects look for information.

Frequently asked questions

Your questions about AI SEO and AIO in Belgium

What is AI SEO, or AIO (AI Optimization)?

AI SEO (or AIO — AI Optimization) covers all the techniques that allow your site, your brand and your content to be cited, recommended and used as a source by generative artificial intelligence engines: Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude. It complements traditional SEO without replacing it, by structuring your content to meet the specific requirements of LLMs and next-generation answer engines.

How do I appear in ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity answers?

To be cited regularly by the major LLMs, your brand must be present in sources they consider reliable: recognised press, Wikipedia, industry publications, specialist forums, reference directories. Technically, precise Schema.org markup, exhaustive factual content and strong E-E-A-T signals significantly increase this likelihood. For LLMs with real-time web access (ChatGPT Search, Perplexity), ranking in the top Google results is also decisive.

Will Google SGE and AI Overviews kill organic traffic?

The impact of AI Overviews on organic traffic is real but nuanced. The available studies (SearchPilot, Sistrix, BrightEdge) show that the impact varies greatly by query type: informational queries lose clicks, while transactional and local queries are less affected. The good news: sites cited as a source in AI Overviews often see their visibility grow. The winning strategy is to optimise to be that cited source rather than hoping to get around the AI.

What is the difference between GEO, AEO and AIO?

AIO (AI Optimization) is the umbrella term: optimising for generative AI in general. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses specifically on generative search engines such as Perplexity and Google AI Overviews — the goal is to be included in the text of the generated answer. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) targets all direct-answer engines, including classic featured snippets, voice answers and LLMs — it is a broader approach centred on the "question → direct answer" structure.

How long does it take to see results with AIO?

AIO has different result dynamics from traditional SEO. Some technical actions (Schema.org markup, restructuring content into Q&A) can produce visible effects within a few weeks in Google featured snippets. Appearing in LLMs such as ChatGPT depends on the update cycles of their training data, which can be longer. For LLMs with real-time web search (Perplexity, ChatGPT Search), results follow classic SEO progress: gradual improvement over 3 to 6 months.

Is traditional SEO still useful in the age of AI?

Yes, more than ever. Traditional SEO is the foundation on which AI visibility rests. LLMs with web access retrieve content that ranks well on Google. AI Overviews mostly cite sources from the organic top 10. Quality signals (E-E-A-T, Core Web Vitals, domain authority) are common to SEO and AIO. Neglecting classic SEO to focus solely on AIO would be a strategic mistake — the two disciplines reinforce each other.

Does Ligne 1 offer AIO audits for Belgian businesses?

Yes. Ligne 1 offers a complete AIO & GEO audit: analysis of your current presence in the answers of the main LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude), a benchmark against your Belgian competitors, a structured data audit, E-E-A-T analysis and a prioritised action plan. This audit is carried out by our specialists and delivers an actionable report with the 10 priority actions to improve your visibility in the AI ecosystem.

Ready to be cited by generative AI?

Let's discuss your AIO, GEO and Answer Engine Optimization strategy. Ligne 1 analyses your current presence in AI answers and offers you a concrete action plan for top rankings in the generative era.

Free AIO audit → Traditional SEO