GEO for B2B SaaS: How to Get Featured in AI-Powered Search Results

How smart marketers are adapting SEO for the age of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot

Picture this: A buyer opens ChatGPT and asks, "What's the best project management software for remote teams?" Instead of sifting through ten blue links, they get a curated, conversational answer mentioning three tools (yours not among them).

This isn't hypothetical. It’s how millions of decisions are now shaped daily through ChatGPT’s browsing, Google’s AI Overviews, and Microsoft’s Copilot. These AI platforms rank, but they also synthesize, cite, and suggest. Welcome to the era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

Traditional SEO won’t disappear yet, but it’s no longer enough. GEO is how your content earns a seat at the table and how your brand gets mentioned when a prospect is looking for you.

What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Why Does It Matter?

Think of traditional search like a librarian handing you a reading list. Generative AI, by contrast, is the well-read friend who summarizes, compares, and recommends. The systems behind ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot condense answers, pulling from just a few trusted sources.

This change means that unless your SaaS company becomes one of those trusted sources, you’re effectively invisible. Visibility now depends on being cited or quoted.

Each platform behaves slightly differently, but they share a few patterns: they favor content that is clearly authored, highly informative, structurally sound, and recently updated. Let’s explore how to align with each system’s mechanics.

How Can You Get Cited by ChatGPT’s Browsing Mode?

When browsing is enabled, ChatGPT performs real-time web searches using Bing’s index. It filters for relevance and recency, assembling answers that often include footnoted citations. To be among them, your content must be available to OpenAI’s crawler (OAI-SearchBot) and indexed by Bing.

More importantly, your content must read like the AI’s ideal source: clear, factual, and authoritative. A blog post by your Chief Compliance Officer, referencing recent regulations with citations and examples, has a strong chance of being included. Generic or promotional material does not.

Use headings that mirror user queries and lead each section with a crisp, stand-alone answer. Then elaborate. This mirrors how AI summarizes: extracting direct, answerable content.

Beyond content, ChatGPT also allows plugins and custom GPTs. These offer deeper integration. A SaaS firm might launch a plugin that provides pricing estimates or ROI projections, making the software, in addition to a citation, an active participant in the AI's workflow.

How Do You Optimize Content for Google’s AI Overviews (SGE)?

Google’s AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE) generate synthesized answers that appear above search results, pulling from multiple top-ranked sources. To be included, your content must already rank well, but also provide structured, snippet-ready answers.

Google’s AI draws heavily on its core search index. That means strong traditional SEO (keywords, backlinks, internal links, and fast-loading pages) remains foundational. However, GEO for Gemini means going further.

You need to write with AI parsing in mind. Use clear subheadings framed as questions. Offer short, structured answers upfront. Reinforce credibility with schema markup, especially FAQ, HowTo, Product, and Author schemas.

Original data, research, or even strong opinions from verifiable experts can elevate your chances of inclusion. Google favors content with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). That means a blog post quoting your CFO on new regulations, backed by official sources, is far more likely to be included than a generic listicle.

Also, Google AI often includes follow-up queries. If your site gets cited initially, those follow-ups represent a second chance to be clicked, if your content addresses them.

How Can You Get Featured in Microsoft Copilot and Bing Chat?

Microsoft’s Copilot, which powers Bing Chat and integrates across Windows and Office, offers the most immersive AI search experience. For B2B SaaS companies, this creates opportunities to appear not just during explicit searches, but also as users work.

Bing tends to offer answers sourced from several domains, each linked with a numbered citation. It will often reference different parts of your content: a stat here, a definition there, a use case later.

To be featured, ensure your site is indexed in Bing and technically optimized. That includes submitting your sitemap and using IndexNow for faster crawling. Structure content with clear HTML (tables, steps, definitions), and focus on presenting data.

Microsoft properties like LinkedIn can also play a role. A CEO’s thought leadership article published on LinkedIn might be cited when users ask Copilot questions while using Office tools. That’s not a backlink, it’s a direct AI endorsement.

Microsoft is also developing a plugin ecosystem, mirroring ChatGPT. SaaS companies can offer plugins that provide live data or utility. This turns Copilot into a distribution channel, not just a source of mentions, but an interface for real-time product engagement.

How Do You Write Content That AI Will Cite?

Your content must now speak to two audiences: the human reader and the AI system synthesizing answers. That means leading each section with a concise, useful answer, followed by supporting insights.

Avoid burying the lead. Use an inverted pyramid: state the insight, then elaborate. This ensures that even if only a paragraph is extracted, the answer stands alone.

Stay fresh. Generative engines apply recency filters. Update older pages, include 2025 timestamps, and republish key assets with new examples and statistics.

Cite external sources and include clear author credentials. Bios, titles, and credentials help establish your site’s authority, especially when targeting regulated industries like fintech or healthcare.

Ensure your content is accessible. No login walls. Clean HTML. Fast load speeds. AI crawlers skip anything they can’t access quickly or cleanly.

And finally, align content with query intent. Anticipate related questions and follow-ups. A page answering "What is PCI DSS compliance?" should also reference costs, tools, and steps to implement it. Each of these sub-answers is a fresh opportunity to be cited.

How Do You Know If Your GEO Strategy Is Working?

Traffic still matters, but in the GEO era, visibility in AI systems is its own KPI. Monitor citations in AI answers, branded mentions, and which third-party sites are frequently cited alongside yours.

If ChatGPT starts referencing your comparison article when asked about "SaaS security platforms," that’s a sign your content is gaining GEO traction, even if traffic remains stable.

Also, observe shifts in branded search. AI mentions can prompt users to Google your name directly.

What Does It Take to Become an Authority in the GEO Era?

GEO is the next evolution of search. The brands that win will build trust, demonstrate expertise, and integrate into the AI platforms their buyers use.

Authority is the name of the game.

We’re at a moment when AI filters the internet before humans do, being the source AI chooses to trust is the ultimate competitive advantage.

The conversation is already happening. Make sure you’re part of it.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, this article is GEO optimized 🙂

As always, if you want help to implement a GEO strategy, get in touch, we’re here to help!